Richard Griffiths | |
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Born | Richard Thomas Griffiths 31 July 1947 Thornaby-on-Tees, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
Died | 28 March 2013 Coventry, West Midlands, England | (aged 65)
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 |
Heather Gibson (m. 1980) |
Awards | See awards section |
Richard Thomas Griffiths OBE (31 July 1947 – 28 March 2013)[1][2] was an English actor. He was known for his portrayals of Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films (2001–2010), Uncle Monty in Withnail and I (1987), and Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky (1994–1997). Over his career he received numerous accolades including a Tony Award and Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a BAFTA Award. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2008.
For his performance in the stage play The History Boys, Griffiths won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play. For the 2006 film adaptation, Griffiths was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Griffiths' is also known for his performances at the National Theatre including Equus (2008), The Habit of Art (2010), and The Sunshine Boys (2012).
He had supporting roles in such critically acclaimed films as Chariots of Fire (1981), The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), Gandhi (1982), A Private Function (1984), Venus (2006), Ballet Shoes (2007), and Hugo (2011). He also acted in The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), Sleepy Hollow (1999), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).