Richard Griffiths, a celebrated English actor, passed away at the age of 65 on March 28, 2013, due to complications following heart surgery. His death marked the end of a remarkable career defined by his immense talent, endearing personality, and memorable portrayals across stage and screen.
A Character Actor Extraordinaire
Griffiths was not born into the theatrical world, nor was he naturally endowed with leading-man good looks. However, he triumphed over these perceived obstacles, establishing himself as a distinctive character actor with a unique blend of grace and solemnity. Richard Griffiths, who died aged 65 from complications following heart surgery, was a fine actor defined by his largeness of spirit, his comic instinct and his empathy with outsiders, as well as his undeniable physical size.
Early Life and Overcoming Challenges
Born on July 31, 1947, in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Riding of Yorkshire, Richard Thomas Griffiths faced early life challenges. His parents, Thomas, a steelworker, and Jane, were both deaf. This required him to learn British Sign Language at a young age to communicate with them. He had an elder sister and two brothers, all of whom died in infancy before he was born. As a boy he was so skinny that he was given radiation therapy on his pituitary gland when he was eight years old. During his childhood he attempted to run away from home many times. Griffiths credited his upbringing with enhancing his observational skills and ability to communicate physically, noting that his father "taught me things about body language that psychologists have been catching up with ever since."
He left his Catholic school at 15 and found consolation in the theatre: first by taking drama classes at Stockton and Billingham Technical College and then by becoming a student at Manchester Polytechnic's drama school.
From Stage to Screen: A Career Takes Flight
Griffiths' career began on stage, honing his skills with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). He built up an early reputation as a Shakespearean clown with portrayals of Pompey in Measure for Measure and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Royal Shakespeare Company and went on to play the Kings in Love's Labour's Lost and in Henry VIII. His early roles at the RSC included an officer in Trevor Nunn's musicalized The Comedy of Errors in 1976 and Pompey in Measure for Measure in 1978. The RSC soon recognized his natural authority, casting him as the King of Navarre in John Barton's Love's Labour's Lost in 1978 and the hero in Nunn's revival of Once in a Lifetime in 1979.
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By the early 1980s, he was selected for the lead role in Bird of Prey, an early computer-conspiracy thriller. His character Henry Jay was reprised in Bird of Prey 2 (1984). In 1981, he also gave a memorable performance as Chilean secret police victim William Beausire in an edition of the BBC Prisoners of Conscience series. Griffiths went on to supporting roles in a number of major films, including The French Lieutenant's Woman, Chariots of Fire and Gandhi.
Memorable Roles and Critical Acclaim
Griffiths' career was marked by a string of unforgettable performances in film, television, and theatre.
Uncle Monty in Withnail and I (1987)
His portrayal of the flamboyant and lascivious Uncle Monty in the cult classic Withnail and I remains one of his most iconic roles. In one famous scene, the life-loving, genially promiscuous Uncle Monty bursts into the bedroom of the alcoholic hero's best friend to announce his desire to have him - "even if it must be burglary". The low-budget comedy gave him a following so ardent that fans greeted him by quoting his character’s most memorable lines. One of the most-quoted: “As a youth I used to weep in butchers’ shops.”
Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter Film Series (2001-2011)
To a younger generation, he was known as Vernon Dursley, Harry Potter's unsympathetic uncle. Griffiths appeared in the first episode of the television series Episodes as Julian Bullard. Despite the character's unpleasant nature, Griffiths brought a comedic touch to the role, stating that he enjoyed playing Uncle Vernon "because that gives me a license to be horrible to kids."
Hector in The History Boys (2004/2006)
Griffiths achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Hector, the flawed but inspirational teacher in Alan Bennett's The History Boys. Griffiths won Olivier and Tony awards, in London and New York, for his compassionate study of this natural outsider, and repeated his performance in Nicholas Hytner's film version. His performance earned him a Tony Award and an Olivier Award. National Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hytner, who directed "The History Boys," called Griffiths' performance in that play "a masterpiece of wit, delicacy, mischief and desolation, often simultaneously." It was a tricky role, since Hector was both a brilliant teacher and a habitual boy-groper. Griffiths's great achievement was to show that Hector was a natural life-enhancer, getting the boys to improve their French by impersonating the inhabitants of a bordello, and a deeply flawed human being.
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Other Notable Roles
Other notable credits include Pie in the Sky, where he played the gourmand and disillusioned cop Henry Crabbe, Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Venus, and Hugo.
A Presence on Stage
Griffiths maintained a strong connection to the theatre throughout his career. He returned to the London stage in 2007 to play the role of the desiccated psychiatrist who envies a damaged young boy's capacity for ecstasy, in Peter Shaffer's Equus. As Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe played the boy - and at one point appeared stark naked - the production was a box-office triumph, but Griffiths lacked the intellectual dynamism of the role's originator, Alec McCowen. He was considered for the part of The Doctor in Doctor Who, following Tom Baker's departure in 1981, but was unavailable. In April 2012, Griffiths starred, with Danny DeVito, in a revival of the Neil Simon play The Sunshine Boys.
A Man of Character
Beyond his acting abilities, Griffiths was known for his strong personality, sense of humor, and occasional outbursts of temper. Clearly Griffiths himself had a short fuse: three times in recent years he stopped a performance in its tracks to inveigh against interruption from mobile phones, although it is fair to say that he was always applauded by similarly outraged spectators. He was renowned for shaming audience members whose cell phones rang during plays. But he was not an actor who will be remembered for his indignation.
Personal Life
Griffiths met Heather Gibson in 1973 and they married in 1980. They had no children.
Honors and Recognition
Griffiths' contributions to the performing arts were recognized with numerous accolades, including a Tony Award and an Olivier Award. He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2008.
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