Biography

Richard trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where he won the Newton Blick Award for Outstanding Achievement. He is most well known for his appearances on children's television playing many regular and recurring roles in various series, including Mr K in thirty episodes of The Mysti Show (CBBC) and Sir Gestion in twenty episodes of Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight In The Land (BAFTA nominated).

Other credits include George Bland in MI High, Dirk Searcher in Jinx, Cosmos in The Roman Mysteries, Stuart in Living It, Mr Simms in My Parents Are Aliens and Nelson's Dad in My Spy Family. Further appearances on children's TV include Dani's House, Mighty Truck Of Stuff and Too Many Gods. Other television credits include Love Hurts, Pie In The Sky, MacGyver, Drop The Dead Donkey, Bliss, Oktober, Crossroads, Murder City, Casanova, Filth; The Mary Whitehouse Story, Life Of Riley, Doctors, The Jury and Eastenders. Most notably, he also played Officer Orrin in twenty-four episodes of Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct.

His film credits include appearing opposite Helena Bonham Carter in Great Expectations, alongside Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds in A Bunch Of Amateurs and with the stars of Monty Python as Geoffrey Weasel in Terry Jones' Wind In The Willows. Other film appearances include A Lover's Prayer, Julius Caesar, Penelope, Stormbreaker, The Wolf Man and Foster.

On stage, Richard has played Alex in Outside Edge (Derby Playhouse) and Doctor Mortimer and Inspector Lestrade in The Hound Of The Baskervilles (New Victoria, Newcastle-Under-Lyme). He has toured the UK in a two man show, Thunderbirds FAB, and then more extensively with the Birmingham Stage Company, playing various roles in their Olivier-nominated Gangsta Granny (culminating in a sell out run at London's Garrick Theatre) and Aunt Alberta herself in Awful Auntie. He has also toured UK arenas in Grandpa's Great Escape featuring Nigel Planer and was an Off-West End Awards Finalist for Best Supporting Performance for his roles in A Sherlock Carol at The Marylebone Theatre.

He has recorded several audio adventures for Big Finish Productions including playing Rembrandt in Doctor Who: The Waters Of Amsterdam, Sergeant Ballard in Doctor Who: The Incherton Incident and alien talk show host Jeremy Vile in Terrahawks: Vile.

As a writer, Richard has written nearly thirty plays, all of which have been published by Lazy Bee Scripts. They often win awards for their performances around the world. As a novelist, he has written a Victorian detective series, Bowman Of The Yard, and several science fiction novels based on the worlds of the legendary TV producer, Gerry Anderson.

- IMDb mini biography by: Richard James