John Richardson(1934-2021)

Classically handsome John Richardson began his career with small roles in British movies at the end of the 1950s. His first role of note was opposite Barbara Steele in the gothic horror classic Le masque du démon (1960), directed by Mario Bava. His massive success was Don Chaffey's Un million d'années avant J.C. (1966) with Raquel Welch, produced by Hammer Films. Later, following the steps of some other actors, he went on to appear in various Italian movies such as Umberto Lenzi's horror movie Chats rouges dans un labyrinthe de verre (1975), Michele Soavi's Sanctuaire (1989) and many others. Richardson's great passion was collecting automobiles and he sometimes appeared in movies as long as an automobile was included in the contract. But his recent movies filmed in the 1980s convinced him to retire from acting completely. He was a noteworthy photographer with no interest whatsoever in looking back on his career in cinema. John Richardson passed away from complications of COVID-19 on January 4, 2021, only two weeks away from his 87th birthday.