John Richardson (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Richardson
Richardson in Duck in Orange Sauce (1975)
Born	(1934-01-19)19 January 1934 Worthing, Sussex, England
Died	5 January 2021(2021-01-05) (aged 86) London, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1956–1994
Spouse(s)	Martine Beswick ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1973)​

John Richardson (born January 19, 1934 – died January 5, 2021) was an English actor. He starred in many movies from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. He was a main actor in Italian movies, especially in Black Sunday (1960) by Mario Bava. But he was most famous for his roles alongside Ursula Andress in She (1965) and Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. (1966).

Early Life and Start in Acting

John Richardson was born on January 19, 1934, in Worthing, West Sussex, England. Before becoming an actor, he served in the Merchant Navy.

When he left the Navy, he wasn't planning to be an actor. However, because of his good looks, he was asked to be in a play by a local theater group in his hometown. He really enjoyed acting and soon started working with different theater companies across Britain.

First Movie Roles

A talent scout from 20th Century Fox noticed John. They signed him to a contract, but he didn't get many big roles during those two years.

He had some small parts in movies for the Rank Organisation. These included A Night to Remember (1958), Sapphire (1959), and The 39 Steps (1959).

His first important role was in the Italian gothic horror film, Black Sunday (1960). This movie was directed by Mario Bava and also starred British actress Barbara Steele. After this, Richardson stayed in Italy for a supporting role in the adventure film Pirates of Tortuga (1961). Back in Britain, he had smaller roles in Tender Is the Night (1962) and Lord Jim (1965).

Becoming a Leading Man

John Richardson's big chance came when producer Ray Stark saw him. Stark cast him as the main male actor in She (1965). This movie was made by Seven Arts Productions and Hammer Films. She was a very successful movie.

Richardson was the only actor to play his character again in the sequel, The Vengeance of She (1968). However, the second movie was not as popular.

Hammer and Seven Arts then cast Richardson again with another famous actress, Raquel Welch. They starred together in One Million Years B.C. (1966). This movie was also a huge hit.

Later Career

After his success, Richardson returned to Italy. He played the main character in Spaghetti Westerns like John the Bastard (1967) and Execution (1968). He also had a supporting role in On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who... (1967).

In the late 1960s, John Richardson was considered for the role of James Bond. This was for the movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), after Sean Connery first left the role. However, George Lazenby was chosen instead.

Richardson moved to Hollywood in 1968. Later, in 1973, he moved back to Italy. He appeared in several giallo films, which are Italian mystery thrillers. These included Torso (1973), Eyeball (1975), Reflections in Black (1975), Nine Guests for a Crime (1977), and Murder Obsession (1981). He also acted in the comedy Duck in Orange Sauce (1975) and the science fiction movie Cosmos: War of the Planets (1977).

Death

John Richardson passed away on January 5, 2021, at the age of 86. He died from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in England.

Selected Filmography