Richard Griffiths
Born: 1947-07-31 in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Died: 2013-03-28
Known For: Acting
Biography
Richard Thomas Griffiths (31 July 1947 – 28 March 2013) was an English actor of film, television, and stage. For his performance in the stage play The History Boys, Griffiths won a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award. For the 2006 film adaptation, Griffiths was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He played Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films (2001-2010) and Great Uncle Matthew Brown "Gum" in the BBC film Ballet Shoes (2007). He also portrayed Uncle Monty in Withnail and I (1987), and Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky (1994–1997). Earlier in his career, he had supporting roles in such critically acclaimed films as Chariots of Fire (1981), The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), Gandhi (1982), and The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear (1991). In his later career he appeared in Sleepy Hollow (1999), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) and in Martin Scorsese's Hugo (2011).
Filmography
2014
- Showing Up as Self
2013
- About Time as Lawyer in Play (uncredited)
2012
- The Hollow Crown as Duke of Burgundy
- Private Peaceful as The Colonel
2011
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as King George
- Hugo as Monsieur Frick
- Episodes as Julian Bullard
2010
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as Vernon Dursley
- Jackboots on Whitehall as Hermann Goering (voice)
- National Theatre Live: The Habit of Art as Fitz / W. H. Auden
2008
- Bedtime Stories as Barry Nottingham
- A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa as Santa Claus
- Ballet Shoes as Great Uncle Matthew
2007
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as Vernon Dursley
2006
- Venus as Donald
- The History Boys as Hector
2005
- Opa! as Tierrney
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as Jeltz (voice)
- Bleak House as Mr. Bayham Badger
- Princes in the Tower as Thomas More voice
2004
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as Vernon Dursley
- Stage Beauty as Sir Charles Sedley
2003
- The Brides in the Bath as Sir Edward Marshall-Hall
2002
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as Vernon Dursley
- Jeffrey Archer: The Truth as Willie Whitelaw
- TLC
2001
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as Vernon Dursley
2000
- Vatel as Dr. Bourdelot
- Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend as Self
- Gormenghast as Swelter
1999
- Sleepy Hollow as Bürgermeister Phillipse
- Hope and Glory as Leo Wheeldon
1998
- Ted & Ralph as Landowner at Party
- In the Red as Geoffrey Crichton Potter
- The Animal Train as Elephant
1995
- Funny Bones as Jim Minty
1994
- Guarding Tess as Frederick
- Pie in the Sky as Henry Crabbe
- A Breed of Heroes as Brian Beasely
1992
- The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends as Mr. Alderman Ptolomy Tortoise/Mr. Jackson/Sir Isaac Newton
- The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends as Mr. Jackson (voice)
- Blame It on the Bellboy as Maurice Horton
- Mr. Wakefield's Crusade as Porter
1991
- Pebble Mill as Self
- The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear as Dr. Meinheimer / Earl Hacker
- King Ralph as Duncan Phipps
1990
- Perfect Scoundrels as Phil Kirby
- El C.I.D. as Weatherby
1989
- Goldeneye as Second Admiral
- The Movie Life of George as Self
1988
1987
- Inspector Morse as Canon Humphrey Appleton
- Withnail & I as Monty
- Casanova as Cardinal
- Ffizz
- The Marksman as Brown
1986
- Lovejoy as Hans Koopman
- Boon
- Shanghai Surprise as Willie Tuttle
1984
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes as Captain Billings
- A Private Function as Allardyce
1983
- Gorky Park as Anton
- The Cleopatras as Pot Belly
1982
- Gandhi as Collins
- Britannia Hospital as Cheerful Bernie
- The Merry Wives of Windsor as Sir John Falstaff
- Countdown
- The World Cup: A Captain's Tale as Sidney Barron
- A Light Snack as The Window Cleaner
- Whoops Apocalypse as Premier Dubienkin
- Bird of Prey as Henry Jay
1981
- Bergerac as Jean-Pierre
- Ragtime as Delmas' Assistant No. 1
- The French Lieutenant's Woman as Sir Tom
- Chariots of Fire as Head Porter - Caius College
- Six Fifty-Five Special as Self
1980
- Superman II as Terrorist
- Breaking Glass as Studio Engineer
1979
- Minder as Derek Farrow
- Afternoon Off as Factory Boss
1978
- An Audience with... as Self
- The Comedy of Errors as Officer
1977
- It's Only Rock 'n' Roll as Board Member
- Twelve Off the Belt as Bedworth Hogg
1976
- It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet as Sam Broadbent
- Well Thank You, Thursday as Window Cleaner
1975
- The Sweeney as Ronnie Harries
1974
- Norma as Park Keeper
- Village Hall as Mr. Ridealgh
1972
- Crown Court as Interpreter
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Presenter