Richard Griffiths

Richard Griffiths
Griffiths at the 61st British Academy Film Awards in 2007
Born
Richard Thomas Griffiths

(1947-07-31)31 July 1947
Died28 March 2013(2013-03-28) (aged 65)
Resting placeSt Mary The Virgin Churchyard, Bearley, Warwickshire
EducationStockton & Billingham College
Alma materManchester Polytechnic School of Drama
OccupationActor
Years active1974–2013
Spouse
Heather Gibson
(m. 1980)
AwardsSee 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).

  1. ^ Topping, Alexandra (29 March 2013). "Richard Griffiths, uncle to Withnail and Harry Potter, dies aged 65". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Potter and Withnail actor Richard Griffiths dies". BBC Online. 29 March 2013. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.