Richard Griffiths facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Griffiths OBE
Griffiths at the 61st British Academy Film Awards in 2007
Born	(1947-07-31)31 July 1947 Thornaby-on-Tees, North Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	28 March 2013(2013-03-28) (aged 65) Coventry, West Midlands, England
Resting place	St Mary The Virgin Churchyard, Bearley, Warwickshire
Education	Stockton & Billingham College
Alma mater	Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1974–2013
Spouse(s)	Heather Gibson ​ (m. 1980)​
Awards	Tony Award, Laurence Olivier Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics

Richard Thomas Griffiths (born July 31, 1947 – died March 28, 2013) was a famous English actor. He starred in movies, TV shows, and plays.

Many people know him as Vernon Dursley, Harry Potter's grumpy uncle, in the Harry Potter films. He also played Great Uncle Matthew Brown in the BBC movie Ballet Shoes.

Richard Griffiths was also well-known for playing Henry Crabbe in the TV series Pie in the Sky. He won several big awards for his role in the play The History Boys, including a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. He also appeared in movies like Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, and Hugo.

Early Life and Education

Richard Thomas Griffiths was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, England. His parents were Jane and Thomas Griffiths. Both of his parents were deaf, so Richard learned British Sign Language when he was very young. This helped him communicate with them.

When he was a boy, he was very thin. He had a special treatment that slowed down his body's metabolism. This made it hard for him to control his weight for the rest of his life.

Richard left school at 15 and worked for a short time. However, his boss encouraged him to go back to school. He decided to study drama at Stockton & Billingham College. He then continued his drama education at Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre.

Acting Career

After finishing school, Richard Griffiths started working for BBC Radio. He also performed in small theatres. He became known for playing funny characters in William Shakespeare's plays, like Pompey in Measure for Measure and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

First Big Roles

Richard Griffiths began to get lead roles in plays and then started appearing on television. His first big movie role was in It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet in 1976. In the early 1980s, he starred in the TV show Bird of Prey, where he played a character named Henry Jay.

He also had supporting roles in major films like Chariots of Fire (1981) and Gandhi (1982).

Famous Roles

Richard Griffiths is perhaps most famous for playing Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter movies. He appeared in five of the eight films.

He also starred as Inspector Henry Crabbe in the popular TV series Pie in the Sky. In this show, his character was a detective who also loved to cook and run a pie shop.

In 2004, he played Hector, a teacher, in the play The History Boys. This role earned him many awards, including the Laurence Olivier Award and a Tony Award. He later played Hector again in the movie version of The History Boys.

Later Work

Richard Griffiths continued to work on stage and screen. He acted alongside his Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe in the play Equus.

He also did voice work, including playing Slartibartfast in a radio version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He was also the voice of Vogon Jeltz in the movie version.

In 2011, he played King George II in the Disney movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. His last film role was in About Time, which was released after he passed away.

Personal Life

Richard Griffiths met Heather Gibson in 1973, and they got married in 1980. They did not have any children.

In 2006, he received an honorary degree from Teesside University. He was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2008. This is a special honor given by the British Queen.

He was the godfather of the comedian Jack Whitehall.

Death

Richard Griffiths passed away on March 28, 2013, at the age of 65. He died at University Hospital Coventry after having complications from heart surgery.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Richard Griffiths (actor) para niños