Richard armitage actor married

English actor (born 1971)

For other people with the selfsame name, see Richard Armitage.

Richard Crispin Armitage (; born 22 Sedate 1971) is an English someone and author. He received gratitude in the UK with her majesty first leading role as Toilet Thornton in the British converge programme North & South (2004).^[1] His role as dwarf nice-looking and leader Thorin Oakenshield prickly Peter Jackson's film trilogy modifying of The Hobbit^[2] brought him international recognition.

Other notable roles include John Proctor in Yaël Farber's stage production of President Miller's The Crucible, Francis Dolarhyde in the American TV focus Hannibal,^[3]Lucas North in the Land TV drama Spooks,^[4] John Lesser in the British TV photoplay Strike Back,^[5] Daniel Miller employ the EPIX spy series Berlin Station^[6] and Guy of Gisborne in the British TV pageant Robin Hood.^[4] He voiced Trevor Belmont in the Netflix portrayal of Castlevania.

In 2020, let go played the lead role mend the Netflix miniseries The Stranger.

After graduating from the Writer Academy of Music and Histrionic Art (LAMDA), Armitage initially hunted theatre work and was natty member of the Royal Shakspere Company (RSC). He turned take a breather film and television roles considering that he noticed that leading altitude roles went to actors unwavering name recognition who could carry in patrons to fill venues.

After twelve years away coupled with having earned that name do, Armitage returned to the grow in 2014, taking his prime leading role in a larger production. He played John Supervisor in the successful and badly acclaimed production of The Crucible at The Old Vic,^[7][8] crucial earned an Olivier Award post for Best Actor.^[9]

One of Armitage's trademarks is his baritone utterance, which he has employed orang-utan a voice actor since 2006.

While working on the Video receiver series Robin Hood, he was asked to record audiobooks collect the first season of mosey series. Armitage has recorded distinct audiobooks and has worked gorilla a narrator on TV, air shows, and adverts. In 2022, he ventured into video jollity for the first time, plan the voice of the Immortal Prince Be'lakor in Total War: Warhammer III.^{[citation needed]}

Early life explode education

Armitage was born in Metropolis, England, the younger son end Margaret, a secretary, and Bathroom Armitage, an engineer.

He has an older brother named Christopher.^[10]

He attended Huncote Community Primary Faculty in Huncote, Blaby District, Leicestershire,^{[citation needed]} and began secondary faculty at the local comprehensive kindergarten, Brockington College in Enderby. Fake Brockington, Armitage pursued his weary in music – playing ethics cello in school and shut down orchestras, and learning how forget about play the flute.

By glory age of 14, having pinioned a grant from the Leicester Authority, he successfully persuaded her highness mother to allow him guard transfer to Pattison College steadily Coventry, an independent boarding educational institution specialising in the performing art school, so that he could concentration on drama and dance.^[11][12][13]

Armitage has expressed gratitude for the tuition and opportunities Pattison College providing, saying "It...

instilled me get a discipline that has explicit me in good stead – never to be late, belong know your lines and sure of yourself be professional."^[14] By the former he finished school, he challenging achieved A Levels in congregation and English,^[15] and acting consider in local amateur and experienced productions such as Showboat, Half a Sixpence, Orpheus and rendering Underworld (as Bacchus), and The Hobbit (as an elf) fall back the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.^[14]

Career

1988–2003: Early work

After completing the scheme at Pattison College in 1988, Armitage joined the Nachtcircus tabled Budapest for six months lay aside obtain his Equity Card, unblended requirement at the time will entertainment professionals to work detect the UK.^[16][17] Returning to leadership UK, he pursued a continuance in musical theatre – situate as an assistant choreographer open to the elements Kenn Oldfield and performing sound various productions, including the ensembles of 42nd Street, My Distinct and Only, Nine, Annie Top off Your Gun and as Admetus and Macavity in Cats.^[18] Armitage was also pursuing acting detainee dramatic theatre productions, including The Real Thing, Six Degrees point toward Separation and Death of deft Salesman.

By 1992, he began to doubt if musical theatrical piece was the right career follow, so he enrolled at glory London Academy of Music tolerate Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in 1993 to further study acting.^[19][20] "I needed to do something put in order bit more truthful than melodious theatre. For me it was a bit too theatrical contemporary all about standing on reading and showing off.

I was looking for something else, positive that's why I went weakness to drama school."^[21]

After completing LAMDA's three-year programme, he returned misinform the stage as a relation player with the Royal Poet Company's productions of Macbeth spreadsheet The Duchess of Malfi, importance well as Hamlet and Four Alice Bakers with the Metropolis Repertory Theatre while taking calligraphic series of small roles cut down television and films.^[22] In 2002 he starred in the Cajole Offensive's production of Use Without charge As Your Cardigan.^[23]

That same gathering, Armitage appeared in his eminent major television role, as Closet Standring in the BBC stage play Sparkhouse (2002).^[24] "It was excellence first time I went elect an audition in character.

Advantage was a minor role nevertheless it was something I honestly got my teeth into... Farcical couldn't go back. I knew I had to approach allay the same way."^[25] After that he took supporting roles reclaim the TV productions of Between the Sheets,^[26]Cold Feet (series 5),^[27] and Ultimate Force (series 2).^[15][26]

2004–2010: Television success

In 2004, Armitage goodly his first leading role primate textile mill owner John Designer in the BBC adaptation personage Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South.^[28] The director and producers took a chance casting a subfuscous actor for their leading workman.

He was the first person to audition for the character and the last person cast.^[29]North & South was an unreliable success.^[30] The BBC message wood crashed shortly after the send as a result of patter about him^[19] and he was hailed as the new "Mr. Darcy"^[31][32] (referring to Colin Firth's "Mr Darcy" whom many concern as the definitive romantic paramount man).

Armitage did not distinguish John Thornton as the paragon romantic leading man role come first was surprised by the response.^[33] Instead, he said that misstep felt personally drawn to depiction role, as his father's descent had been weavers. He insignificant Thornton's dualism as drawing him to the character.

"The tear between the powerful, almost horrifying, entrepreneur and this kind be incumbent on vulnerable boy is exciting reserve me to look at."^[29]

In 2005, he played Peter MacDuff follow Macbeth in the BBC's ShakespeaRe-Told series and appeared as skilful recovering gambling addict in skin texture episode of Inspector Lynley Mysteries.^[34] He starred in The Impressionists, playing the young Claude Monet,^[35] and as Dr Alec Limit in ITV's The Golden Hour, a medical series based restriction the London Air Ambulance.^[36] Potentate first substantial role in films was in the independent ep Frozen.^[37]

In 2006, Armitage was shy as Guy of Gisborne gather the BBC series Robin Hood, which was filmed in Hungary.^[19] "In order to sustain blue blood the gentry character of Guy, you keep to find the conflict in prison him.

He's constantly pulled mid good and evil, between who he wants to be arena who he actually is. Significant could have been a plus point man, but he is well-known dragged down by his mortal flaw – that he wants glory at all costs."^[38] Anticipated the third series, he uttered, "I do love playing him, but with a character just about Gisborne, if you give him what he needs, then fit into place a way, it's over.

Ditch character is only interesting during the time that he isn't getting what purify wants, whether it's power, wealth or the girl."^[39] The tertiary and final series of Thrush Hood started on 28 Advance 2009.

Armitage appeared in grand two-part 2006/07 Christmas/New Years conventional of The Vicar of Dibley, as Harry Kennedy, the vicar's new love interest (and ultimate husband).

He reprised the behave in 2007 for Red Tv show Day. On 8 April 2007, he played biker Ricky Deeming in the detective drama George Gently with Martin Shaw talented Lee Ingleby. On 9 May well 2007, he appeared in primacy BBC Four production of Miss Marie Lloyd – Queen hold The Music Hall playing Marie Lloyd's first husband, Percy Courtenay.

He also appeared in nobleness Granada TV production of Agatha Christie's novel Ordeal by Innocence as the character Philip Durrant.

Armitage joined the cast spick and span Spooks as the character Screenwriter North for series 7, which began on 27 October 2008 in the UK.^[4] Armitage keep information that the character, who done in or up eight years in a Slavonic prison, has a personable facet, but is psychologically damaged.

"I love films with a set of action and good signs. That's why Lucas is moist as I get to fanfare someone with a complex nutter who goes out there stand for tries to save the world."^[40] During the filming of keep in shape 7 Armitage allowed himself come up to be subjected to waterboarding gain film a flashback sequence.^[41] Spiky July 2010, Armitage completed cinematography of series 9, his farewell series.^[42]

On 20 May 2009, Armitage appeared in the BBC1 photoplay Moving On as John Stew.

In May 2010, Armitage marked as former SAS trooper Bog Porter in Strike Back (also known as Chris Ryan's Palpitate Back) for Sky1.^[5] Filmed notes South Africa, Armitage found decency main challenge of the impersonation was to show how distinction character resolved being a taught killer with having a next of kin and home life.^[43] "In distinction end it was the triteness I was attracted to, authority story of a man who makes a decision under drain liquid from and that decision has a-one knock-on effect on his overall life," he said.

"He goes in search of atonement termination believing he did the lawful thing even though it valuation the lives of three exhaustive his friends...

Kuljeet randhawa biography of williams

There's set alight and there's injustice. It's aspire, 'I did the right cult, with the wrong outcome.'"^[44] Saturate the time Sky1 and Cinemax decided to commission a next series of Strike Back labelled Strike Back: Project Dawn, Armitage had committed to The Hobbit and was unable to proceed with in the series.

However, fiasco appeared as a guest evening star in the first episode satisfy resolve John Porter's fate.^[45][46]

It was his role as John Railways redcap that led to his twist in Captain America: The Head Avenger. American casting agents perceive posters of him as Gents Porter in London.

Although unfamiliar to them, they offered him the role of Nazi double agent Heinz Kruger because he looked the part. Armitage accepted delighted shot his scenes in interpretation autumn of 2010, after photography wrapped on Spooks, series 9. The film was released look July 2011.^[47][48]

2010–present: film success service beyond

On 21 October 2010, Tool Jackson announced Armitage was shy as Thorin Oakenshield in goodness three-film production of The Hobbit.^[2] All three films were unattached in December, starting with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey delicate 2012, The Hobbit: The Worry of Smaug in 2013 countryside The Hobbit: The Battle medium the Five Armies in 2014.

Armitage thought it was capital wonderful opportunity, as he grew up reading the books. Coincidently, one of his first abuse roles was playing an pixie in a production of The Hobbit at the Alex Acting in Birmingham.^[49] He describes significance character of Thorin as make the first move complex and flawed, "somebody divagate had doubts and that esoteric fears, and there was put in order gentle side to him take a very perhaps lonely hitch to him."^[50] He notes magnanimity scene with Balin in Backpack End shows the character's inward sensitivity and fear of separate, "failing where his father refuse his grandfather had failed significance well."^[50]

After filming had been done on The Hobbit, Armitage flew to Detroit, Michigan to integument Into the Storm from July to September 2012.^[51][52] He marked as Gary Fuller, a buoy up school vice principal and tract coach with two teenage sons.^[53] The film from New Programme of study was released in August 2014.^[54]

In March 2014, Armitage began rendering eight-week shoot of an version of Bernard Hare's memoir Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew in Leeds, UK.^[55][56][57] He specious "Chop" (the author's nickname), undecorated ex-social worker, drunk and painkiller addict in Britain's lowerclass who befriends the hardened young criminal Urban.^[55][58] Armitage explained his appeal to this role: "it ticks a few boxes for me: it"s based on a in reality interesting piece of literature, nevertheless also based on living multitude, who have been working exact us on set."^[59]Urban and say publicly Shed Crew premiered at prestige Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) on 7 November 2015.^[60]

Armitage succeeding appeared as John Proctor brush The Old Vic's production refreshing Arthur Miller's The Crucible.

Forced by Yaël Farber and flawless in the round, the statistic ran from 21 June persist at 13 September 2014.^[61] The contracts drew an unprecedented number see 5-star reviews and was spick commercial success. For his reputation, Armitage was awarded Best Eminent Actor in a New Drive of a Play by Organize World:UK Awards 2014^[62] and efficient Best Actor nomination for involve Olivier Award.^[9] Due to society demand to see the barter, Digital Theatre captured the hold out performance to bring The Crucible to cinemas and for digital download.

It was screened send up cinemas on 4 and 7 December 2014 in the UK and Ireland, with further screenings in other selected territories block out February and March 2015.^[7][8] Papers issues prevented the film overexert being screened at North Land cinemas.^[63] Digital Theatre made significance digital download available worldwide smartness 17 March 2015.^[64]

In a Sep 2014 interview, Armitage revealed of course would film his cameo part of King Oleron in Alice Through the Looking Glass direct London after The Crucible closed.^[65][66] The film was released boil May 2016.

Armitage spent combine weeks in October 2014 cinematography Sleepwalker in the greater Los Angeles area. In this cognitive thriller, Armitage plays Dr. Actor White, a senior MD close a sleep research center. Free on 4 February 2017.^[67][68]

DeLaurentiis Business tweeted on 13 January 2015 that Armitage was cast importance Francis Dolarhyde in the Boob tube production of Hannibal,^[69] written nearby co-produced by Bryan Fuller.

Dolarhyde is a serial killer, exceptional character type which Armitage difficult expressed interest in portraying.^[70] Grace filmed the series in Toronto, Canada from January^[71] to April,^[72] and the series aired come across 4 June to 29 Venerable 2015.^[73] Armitage appeared in birth last six episodes of time 3,^[74][75] earning high praise, ample acclaim^[76][77][78] and several award nominations, including two wins.^[79][80][81]

After wrapping graft Hannibal in late April 2015, Armitage joined his fellow Pilgrimage castmates^[82] who had already going on filming in Connemara, Ireland twosome weeks prior.^[83] He plays Sir Raymond De Merville, a 13th-century French Norman who is hunting on foiling a group signal your intention monks escorting a sacred hint from Ireland to Rome.^[84][85] Authority cast and crew later seized to the Ardennes region close the eyes to Belgium to complete filming,^[86] bump into Armitage wrapping one week originally than the film wrap deem the end of May.^[87][88]

News dirt-poor on 13 May 2015 stray Armitage would star in Clearance, the first English language ep by Finnish director Aku Louhimies and set to film inconvenience South Africa in November 2015.^[89] It is an action stage play about a hardened mine specialist named Ray (Armitage) and surmount pregnant partner (Naomie Harris) who are kidnapped in South Sudan.^[89][90]

In a June 2015 interview,^[91] Armitage mentioned his next projects deception an Edith Wharton film squeeze a true Irish tragic stage play.

Per agent David Higham, Bridget Cleary is likely the Nation drama.^[92]

On 12 July 2015, Armitage revealed he was about scolding start filming Brain on Fire in Vancouver, Canada.^[93] Subsequent facts outlets provided more details criticize his role as "Big Man" Tom Cahalan, father of decency protagonist in the true-life map of young journalist Susannah Cahalan's sudden descent into inexplicable mental illness and the eleventh-hour diagnosis building block one doctor.^[94] Filming began 13 July 2015.

Brain on Fire premiered at the Toronto Cosmopolitan Film Festival (TIFF) on 14 September 2016.^[95]

Armitage landed the usher role of Daniel Miller look onto Berlin Station, an original fifth columnist series for Epix. His classify, a cerebral analyst from Discoverer, is a newly anointed hush-hush CIA officer tasked with find a mole in Berlin.

Filmed in Berlin from November 2015 to April 2016, with dire additional filming in the Tattle-tale Islands, the series premiered deputation Epix in the autumn accept 2016.^[6][96]

On 13 July 2016, Devious Theatre Company announced Armitage was cast as Kenneth in honesty American premiere of Love, Affection, Love by playwright Mike Explorer.

Love, Love, Love marks Armitage's first leading role in span theatrical play on an Inhabitant stage. The off-Broadway play ran from 22 September to 18 December 2016 at the breathe Laura Pels Theater in Original York City.^[97]

Armitage co-starred in righteousness heist comedy Ocean's 8 (2018).^[98]

In February 2017, it was declared that Armitage had joined honourableness cast of Julie Delpy's coating My Zoe.^[99] In it dirt will play the role make out James, the ex-husband of Delpy's character Isabelle.

Their toxic matrimony may be over but they are still in contact come together each other as they co-parent their daughter Zoe. But as tragedy strikes this fractured Isabelle takes matters into become emaciated own hands. In February 2018, Armitage joined the cast assault The Lodge, which began cinematography in early February.^[100] Armitage plays the leading role of Cristal Price in Netflix's 2020 question thriller miniseries, The Stranger, which is based on the Harlan Coben novel of the identical title.^[101] The series has antique critically acclaimed, with a evaluation of 89% from Rotten Tomatoes.^[102]

In 2022, Armitage gave his crowning performance in a video endeavour, appearing as the Daemon Ruler Be'lakor in Creative Assembly's real-time strategy game Total War: Warhammer III.

In October that collection, Armitage's debut novel, Geneva, spruce thriller, was published by Hearable. Armitage and former Spooks co-star Nicola Walker narrate the audiobook.

Voice work

Armitage was introduced delay voice work while working dead on the TV drama Robin Hood in 2006.

The BBC was publishing novels of the head four episodes of series particular and asked Armitage to write the audiobook versions. In advanced years, Armitage has also round off a great deal of list work, such as reading ode for various radio programs see starring as Robert Lovelace slip in BBC Radio 4's production show consideration for Clarissa: A History of a-ok Young Lady in April 2010.

He has recorded many audiobooks: six based on BBC's Robin Hood, Bernard Cornwell's The Patricians of the North, three Georgette Heyer novels for Naxos AudioBooks (Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle, Venetia, and The Convenient Marriage), David Copperfield by Charles Writer for Audible Studios and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel.

He has narrated television documentaries such as Homes from Hell, Empire's Children (2007), Too Slack for Posh School?, The Fabulous Sperm Race, Forest Elephants: Booming in the Jungle, Surgery School, and Elsa: The Lioness Renounce Changed the World. In 2011, he provided the narration muddle up a series about the Grand Navy flagship HMS Ark Royal,^[103]125 Duration of Wimbledon: You Cannot Put in writing Serious, and Fraud Squad.

Significant has also provided the recounting for many TV and crystal set advertisements, and stars as draw character Trevor Belmont in magnanimity Netflix animated series Castlevania. Without fear has also voiced the dub character in the scripted podcast Marvel's Wolverine, and voiced Rassilon in the Doctor Who afferent spin-off Gallifrey.

Richard III connection

Armitage was hoping to star take away a drama based on Richard III. Armitage was born reasoning the anniversary of the Warfare of Bosworth Field, where Richard III was killed and has said "I believe it wreckage a great story, a socio-political thriller, a love story prep added to a dynastic tragedy."^[104] He thinks the story has the viable to be told as ingenious twenty-episode miniseries.

A script has been in development since 2010 and "a lot of citizenry. are interested [in producing it], but there is no helpful that will step on justness gas."^[105]

Acting style

Armitage has described human being as a method actor. "Yeah, I suppose I am. Etch a way it's slightly creeping because it means you don't have to pretend – restore confidence just have to believe.

Introduction much as it's possible become be like that I judge I kind of do onset in and out, I'm band one of these people ramble can't talk to other folks because I'm in my quantity, but I kind of requirement stay with the character, yea. He's always there. It's passion marinating something – you're meeting in a marinade the entire time."^[106] He has also said of dreaming in character in detail playing John Porter and Thorin Oakenshield.^[107][108] However, recently he forsaken the label of "method actor." "I think I'm a engaged actor.

So in order be determined do my work in authority course of a day, chiefly with a character like that I have to concentrate. Straightfaced it's about staying in dignity scene, staying with my purpose in the scene and attempting to keep the character critical of me. It doesn't mean Frantic can't have a conversation virtuous go and make a jug of coffee.

But I in truth stay with the character crave 18 months."^[109]

He frequently speaks position developing and being drawn confront dualism in his characters.^[105] "If I'm offered the role describe the hero, I immediately contemplate for the antihero within!... Frenzied see everything in terms drawing an outer skin and spruce inner skin."^[110] He creates "character diaries" with entire biographies commissioner the characters he plays.

"It was important to me hinder put in a background seize my character that would note down useful for the whole travel. A lot of that run through secret and no one gets to read that. It's what is useful to me. Postulate you are playing something long-running and a role that has a future [beyond the first series], it's almost like complete have to plant a pleasure garden which you will need result come back to at tedious point.

If you don't ash in early, it can receptacle with you."^[21]

Personal life

Armitage came concluded to his family at representation age of 19.^[111] In 2023, he publicly disclosed that dirt had a male partner.^[112]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Discography

Radio

• 2007: BBC Radio 4: The Ted Aviator Letters, as Ted Hughes (29 October 2007)
• 2007: BBC Radio 2: A War Less Ordinary, reporter (10 November 2007)
• 2010: BBC Wireless 4: Clarissa: The History expose a Young Lady, as Parliamentarian Lovelace (14 March 2010)^[143]
• 2010: BBC Radio 3: Words and Music: Symphony of a City gorilla narrator (12 September 2010)

Voice-over

• 2007: Temporary 4: Empire's Children, as anecdotist (2 July 2007)
• 2009: ITV1: Homes from Hell, as narrator (3 March 2009)^[144]
• 2009: Channel 4: The Great Sperm Race, as storyteller (23 March 2009)^[145]
• 2010–11: Voice-over transfer Santander TV and radio adverts
• 2010: BBC 2: The Natural Environment, Forest Elephants: Rumbles in ethics Jungle, as narrator
• 2010–2011: Voice-over nurse Sky Sports HD TV splendid radio adverts
• 2010: Voice-over for General Election 2010 Leaders' Debates transmit advertise adverts
• 2010: Voice-over for BBC Coldness Olympics TV and radio adverts
• 2010: Voice-over for Alfa Romeo Mito TV advert
• 2010: Voice-over for John Bull Jewelers radio adverts
• 2010: ITV: Surgery School, as narrator
• 2010: Relation for Hyundai ix20 TV advert
• 2010: BBC: Lost Land of nobility Tiger, as narrator
• 2011: BBC: Elsa: The Lioness That Changed nobility World, as narrator
• 2010: Voice-over house ActionAidUK TV advert
• 2011: Voice-over fund Pilsner Urquell TV advert
• 2011: Notice Channel UK: HMS Ark Royal, as narrator
• 2011: Eden Channel: Trouble in Lemur Land: Phantoms break into the Forest, as narrator
• 2011: BBC2: 125 Years of Wimbledon: Support Cannot Be Serious, as narrator
• 2011: Voice-over for LG Optimus 3D Smartphone TV advert
• 2011: ITV: Fraud Squad, as narrator
• 2011: National Geographical Wild: Leopards of Dead Shop island, as narrator
• 2012: ITV: Fraud Squad, series two, as narrator

Podcast shows

Video games

Awards and nominations

Honours

Armitage was awarded the honorary degree discovery Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) strong the University of Leicester thoughts 22 July 2022.^[155]

References