Trivia
- He has been married to Heather Gibson since 1980.
- Was at one point considered for the part as The Doctor in Doctor Who following Tom Baker's departure in 1981.
- Was the movie voice for the Vogon Jeltz in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
- He appeared onstage in the play Equus alongside fellow Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter in the film series, to Richard's Uncle Vernon Dursley.
- He had a recurring role in Bleak House, a period drama based on one of Charles Dickens' novels.
- Though known for comedy roles, Richard is probably best known to television audiences as Inspector Henry Crabbe from the drama/crime series Pie In The Sky.
- Appeared in the 1999 film Sleepy Hollow.
- He received his big break when he appeared in the movie It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet in 1975.
- After graduating from school, he was able to land himself a spot on BBC Radio.
- At 15, he left school and sought work as a porter, until his boss eventually, after much persuasion, convinced him to go back to school.
- He found it difficult living at home, and on a few occassions he attempted to run away.
- He developed an ear for dialects from a very early age, which saw him attaining roles playing ethnic characters.
- His parents were deaf, forcing him to learn sign language in order to communicate with them.
- He won four awards for his role in the stage play The History Boys.
- He has also won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.
- He's been awarded the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
- He has also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.
- He has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.
- Richard was born on the 31st July, 1947 in Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorkshire, England.
- Richard plays the role of Uncle Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter Movies, and has often talked with author J.K. Rowling over where he would like to see his character go in the series.
Quotes
- Richard: If I had my way, all actors over 55 would be issued a 3-lb. wet salmon with which to slap the face of every young, beautiful, successful upstart.
- Richard: I hate being the subject of photographs.
- Richard: [On Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban] What I thought was interesting, is that Alfonso showed us that there should be more fear. Harry's more powerful each time. We're not a threat to him anymore. Now he can act on his own, in a frightening way. In the beginning, we were evil. Now, we want to be, but we don't have this power anymore. We were scared all the time, that Harry was gonna do something to us.
- Richard: [On Uncle Vernon] Vernon distrusts Harry completely and is always concerned that he is going to do something strange at any moment. That is Vernon's biggest fear—he doesn't want anything strange happening that the neighbours might see.
