Richard Madden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Madden
Madden at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1986-06-18) 18 June 1986 (age 39) Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Alma mater	Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1997–present
Partner(s)	Jenna Coleman (2011–2015)

Richard Madden (born on June 18, 1986) is a famous actor from Scotland. He got his first acting job when he was 11 years old. He started acting on screen in 2000. Later, he performed on stage while studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

In 2007, he toured with Shakespeare's Globe company, playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He played this role again in London's West End in 2016. Richard Madden became very well-known for playing Robb Stark in the fantasy TV show Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2013.

After Game of Thrones, Madden played Prince Kit in the movie Cinderella (2015). He also played the Italian banker Cosimo de' Medici in the first season of the historical show Medici (2016). In 2018, he received great praise for his role as a police officer in the thriller series Bodyguard. For this role, he won a Golden Globe Award.

In 2019, Time magazine named Richard Madden one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also had important roles in movies like Rocketman (where he played music manager John Reid) and the war film 1917. More recently, he played Ikaris in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero movie Eternals (2021). He also starred as a spy in the action thriller series Citadel, which started in 2023.

Richard Madden's Early Life and Career

Growing Up and First Roles (1986–2010)

Richard Madden was born on June 18, 1986, in Elderslie, near Glasgow. He grew up there with his two sisters. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a firefighter.

When he was 11, Madden joined PACE Youth Theatre. This helped him to be less shy. At the same age, he got his first role as young Andy in the movie Complicity, which came out in 2000. After that, he played the main character, Sebastian, in the children's TV show Barmy Aunt Boomerang from 1999 to 2000. Richard Madden has shared that he struggled with shyness and felt insecure about his body when he was a child. He also faced bullying in high school because of his role in Complicity.

Madden went to Castlehead High School. He then studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, graduating in 2007. During his studies, he worked with local theater groups. He also performed in the play Tom Fool. This play later moved to London, where people from Shakespeare's Globe noticed him. In his last year at the conservatoire, he was chosen to play Romeo in Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre in London. He then toured with the play in the summer of 2007.

In 2007, Madden also played Callum McGregor in the play Noughts & Crosses. This play was put on by the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2009, he starred as Mark McNulty in the play Be Near Me. Critics praised his performances. He then got the main role of Dean McKenzie in the 2009 BBC show Hope Springs. After that, he appeared in the 2010 films Chatroom and Worried About the Boy.

Becoming Famous (2011–2018)

Madden at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con

Richard Madden became very famous for playing Robb Stark in the HBO fantasy show Game of Thrones. This show was based on the books by George R. R. Martin. He was in the series from 2011 to 2013. Before getting this role, Madden said he was struggling financially and thought about moving back home. The cast of Game of Thrones was nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2011 and 2013. During this time, he also appeared in the TV shows Sirens and Birdsong.

In 2014, Madden played Bill Haskell in the miniseries Klondike. Bill Haskell was a real-life adventurer during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Madden played Prince Kit in the movie Cinderella (2015). This was a live-action version of the classic animated film. He was nervous about playing a fairy tale character. However, he liked that he could create a "real young man" because audiences didn't know much about the prince from the cartoon. Cinderella was very successful, earning over $542 million worldwide.

In 2016, Madden returned to the stage as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet in London's West End. He acted alongside his Cinderella co-star Lily James. He had to leave the play in July after hurting his ankle.

In 2016, Madden also appeared in the thriller film Bastille Day. He then played the main role of Cosimo de' Medici in the TV show Medici. Cosimo de' Medici was part of a powerful banking family during the Italian Renaissance. In 2017, Madden was in an episode of Electric Dreams, a show based on science fiction stories. He also played a DJ in the Netflix romantic comedy film Ibiza.

Madden received a lot of praise for his role as Sergeant David Budd in the 2018 BBC thriller series Bodyguard. His character was a war veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To prepare, Madden spoke with soldiers who had experienced PTSD. Critics said he played the role very well, showing the character's strong instincts and complex feelings. After the show's finale became the most-watched TV drama episode in the UK, Netflix released Bodyguard worldwide. Madden won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama for his performance.

Film Success (2019–Present)

In 2019, Richard Madden played music manager John Reid in the Elton John movie Rocketman. This film was released in May. He also appeared as a World War I soldier in Sam Mendes' war film 1917, which came out in December. Both movies were well-received and earned a lot of money.

From December 2020 to January 2021, he voiced a character in the science fiction podcast series From Now. He played a survivor of a spaceship that returned 35 years after disappearing. In 2021, Madden starred as Ikaris in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Eternals.

Madden starred with Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Citadel, an action thriller series on Amazon Prime Video. It started in 2023. This show was very expensive to make. Madden said working on Citadel was "incredibly physically demanding." Critics had mixed opinions, but many noted Madden's intense performance. Madden's next role is in Killer Heat, a thriller movie.

Acting Credits

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theatre Performances

Other Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Richard Madden para niños