Richard Griffiths

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Birthday:

31 July 1947, Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Birth Name:

Richard Thomas Griffiths

Height:

175 cm

British character actor Richard Griffiths came from radio and the classical stage where he built up an early reputation as a Shakespearean clown, with larger-than-life portrayals of Henry VIII, Falstaff in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with the Royal Shakespeare Company just a few of his standout credits. The son of deaf parents, he learned sign language at an early age and, interestingly enough, developed a talent for dialects which allowed him to show off in a number of ethnic portrayals. In films from 1975 both here and abroad, his better roles have been in both contemporary and period pieces, such as Gorky Park (1983), Withnail & I (1987), King Ralph (1991), Guarding Tess (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999) and recently the 'Harry Potter' series as Uncle Vernon Dursley. Typically cast as comic relief in serious fare, he is well known in England for a number of comedy series including Pie in the Sky (1994). Show less «

I hate being the subject of photographs.

I've always hated the way I looked...

Winning is something you've dreamed about and hoped for, so that when you get there it's no big deal. But if you lose you're gutted, and the...Show more »

Winning is something you've dreamed about and hoped for, so that when you get there it's no big deal. But if you lose you're gutted, and the gutted sense just goes on, and I know what that's like, because I've been having that gutted feeling since 1979. Show less «

(On Uncle Vernon from the Harry Potter movies) "Vernon distrusts Harry completely and is always concerned that he is going to do something s...Show more »

(On Uncle Vernon from the Harry Potter movies) "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." Show less «

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 ups...Show more »

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. 'That's for being so lucky, you bastard!' I would shout. And then, hit them again, if you can. Show less «

I know actors who hold parties simply because they have an audition, which is tragic.