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Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor who, along with his contemporaries Peggy Ashcroft, John Gielgud, and Laurence Olivier, dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He worked in films throughout most of his career, and played more than sixty cinema roles. From an artistic but not theatrical background, Richardson had no thought of a stage career until a production of Hamlet in Brighton inspired him to become an actor. He learned his craft in the 1920s with a touring company and later the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. In 1931 he joined the Old Vic, playing mostly Shakespearean roles. He led the company the following season, succeeding Gielgud, who had taught him much about stage technique. After he left the company, a series of leading roles took him to stardom in the West End and on Broadway.
Birth Name
Ralph David Richardson
Born
Friday, 19 December 1902
Died
Monday, 10 October 1983
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Fifty Years on Stage | Hirst | 2013 |
Time to Remember | Self - Narrator | 2010 |
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories | Self | 2000 |
American Masters | Self | 1986 |
The 57th Annual Academy Awards | The Sixth Earl of Greystoke | 1985 |
Give My Regards to Broad Street | Jim | 1984 |
Six Centuries of Verse | Reader | 1984 |
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | The Sixth Earl of Greystoke | 1984 |
Wagner | Pfordten | 1983 |
Invitation to the Wedding | Uncle Willie | 1983 |
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Fifty Years on Stage | Hirst | 2013 |
Time to Remember | Self - Narrator | 2010 |
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories | Self | 2000 |
American Masters | Self | 1986 |
The 57th Annual Academy Awards | The Sixth Earl of Greystoke | 1985 |
Give My Regards to Broad Street | Jim | 1984 |
Six Centuries of Verse | Reader | 1984 |
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | The Sixth Earl of Greystoke | 1984 |
Wagner | Pfordten | 1983 |
Invitation to the Wedding | Uncle Willie | 1983 |
Witness for the Prosecution | Sir Wilfred Robarts | 1982 |
Time Bandits | Supreme Being | 1981 |
Dragonslayer | Ulrich | 1981 |
Early Days | Sir Richard Kitchen | 1981 |
A Deadly Game | Sir Archibald Willoughby | 1979 |
Watership Down | Chief Rabbit (voice) / Chief Rabbit | 1978 |
No Man's Land | Hirst | 1978 |
Jesus of Nazareth | Simeon | 1977 |
The Man in the Iron Mask | Colbert / Colbert de Voliere | 1977 |
SCTV | Self - Special Guest Star | 1976 |
Arena | Self | 1975 |
Rollerball | Librarian | 1975 |
Frankenstein: The True Story | Mr. Lacey | 1973 |
A Doll's House | Dr. Rank | 1973 |
O Lucky Man! | Sir James Burgess / Monty | 1973 |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | The Caterpillar | 1972 |
Lady Caroline Lamb | George IV | 1972 |
ABC Afterschool Specials | Various Roles | 1972 |
Tales from the Crypt | The Crypt Keeper | 1972 |
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? | Mr. Benton | 1972 |
Eagle in a Cage | Sir Hudson Lowe | 1972 |
Film '72 | Self | 1971 |
Parkinson | Self | 1971 |
Play for Today | Jack (as Sir Ralph Richardson) | 1970 |
Upon This Rock | Himself (Narrator) / James III of Scotland / Narrator | 1970 |
David Copperfield | Mr. Micawber | 1969 |
The Bed Sitting Room | Lord Fortnum / Lord Fortnum of Alamein | 1969 |
The Battle of Britain | Sir David Kelly - British Minister to Switzerland | 1969 |
The David Frost Show | Self - Guest | 1969 |
The Looking Glass War | Leclerc | 1969 |
Midas Run | Lord Henshaw | 1969 |
Oh! What a Lovely War | Sir Edward Grey | 1969 |
ITV Saturday Night Theatre | Sir Toby Belch | 1969 |
The Movie Orgy | Brief Clip from Unidentified Film / Self (archive footage) | 1968 |
NET Playhouse | Jack | 1966 |
The Wrong Box | Joseph Finsbury | 1966 |
Khartoum | William Gladstone | 1966 |
Doctor Zhivago | Alexander / Alexander Gromeko | 1965 |
Chimes at Midnight | Narrator (voice) / Narrator | 1965 |
The Great War | Douglas Haig / Douglas Haig (voice) | 1964 |
Woman of Straw | Charles Richmond | 1964 |
Hedda Gabler | Judge Brack | 1962 |
Shakespeare: Soul of an Age | Narrator | 1962 |
Long Day's Journey Into Night | James Tyrone | 1962 |
The 300 Spartans | Themistocles of Athens | 1962 |
Oscar Wilde | Sir Edward Carson | 1960 |
Exodus | Gen. Sutherland | 1960 |
Our Man in Havana | 'C' | 1960 |
A Novel Affair | Roger Wynter / Sir Clement | 1957 |
Smiley | Rev. Lambeth / Reverend Lambeth | 1956 |
Camera Three | Self | 1956 |
Richard III | Duke of Buckingham | 1955 |
This Is Your Life | Self | 1955 |
The Holly and the Ivy | Rev. Martin Gregory / Reverend Martin Gregory | 1952 |
The Sound Barrier | J.R. / John Ridgefield | 1952 |
Murder on Monday | David Preston | 1952 |
Outcast of the Islands | Captain Lingard / Captain Tom Lingard | 1951 |
What's My Line? | Himself - Mystery Guest | 1950 |
The Heiress | Dr. Austin Sloper | 1949 |
Fireside Theatre | Ebenezer Scrooge | 1949 |
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall | Himself | 1948 |
The Fallen Idol | Baines | 1948 |
Anna Karenina | Karenin / Alexei Karenin | 1948 |
Secret Flight | Prof. Heatherville | 1946 |
The Volunteer | Himself / Narrator / Self | 1944 |
The Silver Fleet | Jaap van Leyden | 1943 |
Day Will Dawn, The | Frank Lockwood | 1942 |
The Avengers | Frank Lockwood | 1942 |
The Lion Has Wings | Wing Commander Richardson | 1939 |
The Fugitive | Will Kobling | 1939 |
Smith | John Smith / Smith | 1939 |
Q Planes | Major Charles Hammond / Maj. Charles Hammond | 1939 |
The Four Feathers | Captain John Durrance / John Durrance | 1939 |
The Citadel | Denny / Dr. Philip Denny | 1938 |
The Divorce of Lady X | Lord Mere | 1938 |
South Riding | Robert Carne | 1938 |
Thunder in the City | Manningdale / Henry V. Manningdale | 1937 |
The Man Who Could Work Miracles | Colonel Winstanley | 1936 |
Things to Come | The Boss | 1936 |
Alias Bulldog Drummond | Morelle | 1935 |
The Return of Bulldog Drummond | Major Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond | 1934 |
Java Head | William Ammidon | 1934 |
The Ghoul | Nigel Hartley | 1933 |
Friday the Thirteenth | Horace Dawes | 1933 |
The Dreyfus Case | Extra | 1931 |
Director Filmography
Title | Year |
---|
Murder on Monday | 1952 |
Producer Filmography
Title | Year |
---|
The Silver Fleet | 1943 |
Year | Type | Category | Won |
---|
1985 | Oscar | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
1950 | Oscar | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |