Richard Griffiths
Born	31 July 1947 (1947-07-31) (age 60) Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorkshire, England

Richard Griffiths OBE (born July 31, 1947) is an English Tony award-winning actor who has appeared on stage, film and television. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and Civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic He has been awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, and the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, all for his role in the play The History Boys. The Laurence Olivier Award is regarded as the most prestigious award in British theatre and is presented in recognition of artistic achievement in London theatre The Drama Desk Award, created in 1955, is an award which recognizes shows produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-off-Broadway, and The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play presented since 1947 is awarded to actors in productions of new or revival plays The History Boys is a play by English playwright Alan Bennett.

Biography

Early life

Griffiths was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, Stockton, England to a steelworker father and a bagger mother. Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and Civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Bagger, or Bag boy, is an unofficial title given to courtesy clerks at Supermarkets The primary duties of a bagger revolve around putting Groceries into ^[1] He had a Catholic upbringing. ^[2] The son of deaf parents, he learned sign language at an early age in order to communicate with them. He even developed an ear for dialects that subsequently landed him several ethnic roles. In his childhood he attempted to run away from home many times. He dropped out of Our Lady & St Bede school at age 15 and worked as a porter for a while, but his boss eventually convinced him to go back to school. Here he decided to attend a drama class at Stockton & Billingham College. He continued his education in drama at Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama (now called the Manchester Metropolitan University School of Theatre). Manchester Metropolitan University is a university based in the city of Manchester. ^[3]

Career

After graduating, Griffiths earned a spot on BBC Radio. He also worked in small theatres, sometimes acting and sometimes managing. He built up an early reputation as a Shakespearean "clown" with hilarious portrayals of the Constable in A Comedy of Errors and Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and went on to play the king in Henry VIII. The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare 's earliest plays believed to have been written between 1589 and 1594 Sir John Falstaff is a Fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal the future King Henry V. The Merry Wives of Windsor is a Comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597 The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC is a British Theatre company The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth is a history play by William Shakespeare, based on the life of Henry VIII of England.

He eventually settled in Manchester and began to get lead roles in plays. From there he began to appear on television and then got his big break in film in It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1975). By the early 1980s he was selected for the lead role in the BBC drama serial Bird of Prey (1982) and supporting roles in a number of major films, including The French Lieutenant's Woman, Chariots of Fire and Gandhi. Bird of Prey is a British Television serial produced by the BBC in 1982. The French Lieutenant's Woman is a 1981 film directed by Karel Reisz and adapted by Playwright Harold Pinter. For the instrumental theme see Chariots of Fire (instrumental. Gandhi ( 1982) is a Biographical film about Mohandas ("Mahatma" Gandhi, who was a leader of the Nonviolent resistance movement

His more recognised roles have been in both contemporary and period pieces such as Gorky Park (1983), Withnail and I (1987), King Ralph (1991), The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), Guarding Tess (1994), and Sleepy Hollow (1999). Gorky Park, the 1983 movie based on the novel Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith, was directed by Michael Apted from Withnail and I is a British film made in 1986 by Handmade Films. King Ralph is also a nickname for Canadian Politician Ralph Klein. The Naked Gun 2½ The Smell of Fear is a 1991 Comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen as the comically bumbling Police Lt Guarding Tess is a 1994 movie starring Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage. Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 period Horror film directed by Tim Burton, interpreting the legend of The Headless Horseman Recently he has been seen as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; the Dursleys were absent in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). The following are Fictional characters in the Harry Potter book series written by J Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (released in the United States as Harry Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 Fantasy Adventure Film, and the second film in the popular ''Harry Potter'' Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 Fantasy Adventure film based on the novel of the same name by J Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy adventure Film, based on the novel of the same name by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 Fantasy Adventure Film, based on J

Although typically known for comic performances, he is probably best recognised, aside from Harry Potter, as Inspector Henry Crabbe, disillusioned policeman and pie chef extraordinaire, in the British detective drama Pie in the Sky, a role which was created specifically for him. He also made an extended appearance in the 2005 version of Charles Dickens' Bleak House. In 2004 he originated the role of Hector (the teacher) in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys, winning the 2005 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor. Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934 is an English Author and Tony Award -winning Playwright. The History Boys is a play by English playwright Alan Bennett. The Laurence Olivier Award is regarded as the most prestigious award in British theatre and is presented in recognition of artistic achievement in London theatre During the play's subsequent United States run, he added a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Tony Award. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Drama Desk Award, created in 1955, is an award which recognizes shows produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-off-Broadway, and The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play presented since 1947 is awarded to actors in productions of new or revival plays He reprised his role in the movie version which was released in October 2006. The History Boys is a British film released in October 2006. It was adapted by Alan Bennett from his play of the same name which won the 2005 Together with Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter, he appeared in a stage revival of Peter Shaffer's Equus at the Gielgud Theatre in London. Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989 is an English film television and stage actor Sir Peter Levin Shaffer (born May 15, 1926) is an English Dramatist, author of numerous award-winning plays several of which have been filmed Equus is a play by Peter Shaffer written in 1973 telling the story of a Psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious/ The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, London, at the corner of Rupert Street Griffiths also played Magistrate Philipse in the popular film, Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 period Horror film directed by Tim Burton, interpreting the legend of The Headless Horseman

During a performance of The History Boys, Griffiths became so annoyed at a man in the audience whose mobile phone rang repeatedly through the play that Griffiths stopped acting after the sixth time and ordered the man out of the theatre. The History Boys is a play by English playwright Alan Bennett. More recently, Griffiths asked an audience member to leave a performance of Heroes after her phone rang three times. ^[4]

Griffiths was at one point considered for the part of the Doctor in Doctor Who following Tom Baker's departure in 1981, but was unavailable. The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and also features in Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker (born 20 January 1934 is an English Actor. He was strongly considered once again to take on the role of the Eighth Doctor, had the series continued past 1989. Coincidentally, two of his co-stars from Withnail and I went on to play the role in some capacity. Withnail and I is a British film made in 1986 by Handmade Films. ^[5] Griffiths has also performed in adaptations of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, providing the voice for Slartibartfast for the radio adaptation of Life, the Universe and Everything and playing the Vogon Jeltz in the film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series The Tertiary Phase, Quandary Phase and Quintessential Phase are radio adaptations of the books Life the Universe and Everything Life the Universe and Everything ( 1982, ISBN 0-345-39182-9 is the third book in the five-volume Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. He is currently starring in Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler. Bedtime Stories is a 2008 family fantasy Comedy film. The film will be directed by Adam Shankman and will star Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9 1966 is an American Comedian,

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008

Filmography

References

External links

• Richard Griffiths at the Internet Movie Database
• Richard Griffiths at the Internet Broadway Database
• Actors On Performing - Working in the Theatre Seminar video at American Theatre Wing.org, April 2006