Who is Richard C Armitage? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In August

Also Known As: Richard Crispin Armitage

Age: 53 Years, 53 Year Old Males

Family:

father: John Armitage

mother: Margaret Armitage

Born Country: England

Actors Voice Actors

Height: 6'2" (188 cm), 6'2" Males

More Facts

education: LAMDA (1995–1998), Pattison College (1985–1989), Brockington College

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1

Is Richard Armitage a trained actor?

Yes, Richard Armitage is a trained actor. He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
2

What are some of Richard Armitage's notable acting roles?

Some of Richard Armitage's notable acting roles include Thorin Oakenshield in "The Hobbit" film trilogy, John Thornton in "North & South," and Francis Dolarhyde in "Hannibal."
3

Has Richard Armitage appeared in any stage productions?

Yes, Richard Armitage has appeared in several stage productions, including "The Crucible" on Broadway and "The Duchess of Malfi" at the Royal National Theatre.
4

Is Richard Armitage involved in any charitable work?

Yes, Richard Armitage is involved in charitable work. He has supported various causes, including acting as an ambassador for the Cybersmile Foundation, which tackles online bullying.
5

Does Richard Armitage have any special skills or talents?

Richard Armitage is known for his skills in stage combat and sword fighting. He has showcased these talents in various productions throughout his career.

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Childhood & Early Life

Richard Crispin Armitage was born on August 22, 1971, in Huncote, Leicestershire, England, to engineer John Armitage and his wife, Margaret, a secretary. He grew up with his older brother, Chris.

Armitage studied at the ‘Huncote Community Primary School.’ He then attended a ‘Church of England’ mixed secondary school named ‘Brockington College,’ located in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. He played the cello, both in school and as part of local orchestras. He also learned to play the flute during this time.

After obtaining a grant from the ‘Leicestershire Authority,’ Armitage transferred to the non-selective independent school named ‘Pattison College,’ which specializes in performing arts. He cleared his A Levels in music and English and completed his program in 1988. While attending the school, he also featured in local amateur and professional stage productions. He played an elf in a stage production of ‘The Hobbit’ at the ‘New Alexandra Theatre,’ Birmingham.

Following his stint with ‘Pattison College,’ Armitage went to Budapest, Hungary, and remained part of ‘Nachtcircus’ for 6 months to earn his ‘Equity Card,’ so that he could start his professional entertainment career in the UK.

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Theatrical Pursuits

Armitage commenced his career with musical theater as an assistant choreographer for Kenn Oldfield. During this time, he was part of musicals such as ‘Cats’ and ‘42nd Street.’ Meanwhile, he also started featuring in dramatic stage plays such as ‘Death of a Salesman’ and ‘The Real Thing.’

Armitage was a bit sceptical of choosing musical theater as his career path and thus resolved to continue his studies in acting. He joined ‘LAMDA’ in 1993 and did a 3-year program there before making his comeback on stage. He worked in ‘Hamlet’ (1998) and ‘The Four Alice Bakers’ (1999 for the ‘Birmingham Repertory Theatre.’ He also worked in ‘Macbeth’ (1999-2000) and ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ (2000–2001) for the ‘Royal Shakespeare Company.’ He starred as ‘Jez’ in the 2002 production of ‘Use Me as Your Cardigan’ by ‘Charm Offensive.’

One of his most notable stage performances was that of ‘John Proctor’ in ‘The Old Vic’ production of ‘The Crucible’ in 2014. The critically acclaimed and commercially successful play, directed by Yaël Farber, won Armitage the ‘Broadway World: UK Award’ for the ‘Best Leading Actor in a New Production of a Play’ that year. It also fetched him an ‘Olivier Award’ nomination in the ‘Best Actor’ category.

The popularity of ‘The Crucible’ led ‘Digital Theatre’ to record it. It was then distributed to cinemas across the UK and Ireland. On March 17, 2015, ‘Digital Theatre’ made it available for digital download worldwide.

Armitage played ‘Kenneth’ in the ‘Laura Pels Theater’ production of the play ‘Love, Love, Love’ in 2016. It marked his first leading theatrical role on the American stage.

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Films & Television

While doing theater, Armitage started featuring in bit roles in both films and TV projects. He bagged his first starring role on TV when he was cast as ‘John Standring’ in the ‘BBC’ drama ‘Sparkhouse’ in 2002.

He rose to prominence in the UK with the role of textile mill owner ‘John Thornton’ in the 2004 British historical period-drama ‘North & South.’ It was his first leading role. In the ensuing years, he established himself on TV with starring roles series such as ‘The Impressionists’ (2006), ‘Robin Hood’ (2006–2009), and ‘Spooks’ (2008–2010). He won the ‘Saturn Award’ for the ‘Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series,’ for his performance as ‘Francis Dolarhyde’ in ‘Hannibal’ (2015).

His first starring role in films came with the 2005 British psychological thriller ‘Frozen.’ Peter Jackson announced on October 21, 2010, that Armitage would play ‘Thorin Oakenshield’ in the three-film production of ‘The Hobbit.’ His performances in ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ (2012), ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ (2013), and ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ (2014) gained him international recognition. The last of the three also won him the ‘Saturn Award’ for the ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Film.’

He starred opposite Sarah Wayne Callies in the 2014 blockbuster hit “found footage” disaster film ‘Into the Storm.’ He bagged a ‘Best Actor’ award at the ‘NIFF,’ for his performance as ‘Chop’ in the film ‘Urban and the Shed’ (2015). Other notable films featuring Armitage include ‘Alice through the Looking Glass (2016), ‘Brain on Fire’ (2016), and ‘Ocean's 8’ (2018). He will be seen playing ‘James’ in the upcoming Julie Delpy film ‘My Zoe.’

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Voice Acting

Armitage has carved his niche as a noted voice actor with his trademark baritone voice. He stepped into voice acting while performing in the TV series ‘Robin Hood’ in 2006. He accepted a ‘BBC’ offer and narrated the audio book versions of the first four episodes of the series.

Following this, he worked as a narrator of several other audio books, such as the Georgette Heyer novels ‘Sylvester’ (2009), ‘Venetia’ (2010), and ‘The Convenient Marriage’ (2010) for ‘Naxos AudioBooks.’ He won the ‘Audible Award’ for the ‘Best Audiobook of the Year,’ for narrating ‘Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel’ (2014).

A radio adaptation of the epistolary novel ‘Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady’ by English writer Samuel Richardson was released by ‘BBC Radio 4’ in March and April 2010. It starred Armitage and Zoe Waites. Armitage has also read poetry for various radio shows. He has also narrated TV documentaries such as ‘Homes from Hell’ (2009), ‘Surgery School’ (2010), and ‘Elsa: The Lioness That Changed the World’ (2011). He has worked in various radio and TV commercials.

Since July 7, 2017, he has been playing the lead voice role of ‘Trevor Belmont’ in the American adult animated web series ‘Castlevania.’ Since March 12, 2018, he has been voicing the starring role of ‘Logan’/‘Wolverine’ in the scripted podcast serial ‘Wolverine,’ produced by ‘Marvel New Media’ and ‘Stitcher.’

Family & Personal Life

Armitage has not divulged much about his personal life. According to some sources, he was romantically associated with British actor Annabel Capper in 2013, while other sources claim he got engaged to Samantha Colley in 2016. Colley appeared with him in ‘The Crucible.’ Rumors of a romantic relationship between Armitage and his ‘The Hobbit’ co-star Lee Pace also surfaced, raising doubts about Armitage’s sexual orientation.

Facts About Richard C Armitage

Richard Armitage is an accomplished musician and can play the cello and flute.

He is known for his deep baritone voice, which has been described as both soothing and commanding.

Armitage is a self-professed bookworm who enjoys reading a wide range of genres, from fantasy to historical fiction.

He has a passion for charity work and has been involved in various philanthropic efforts, including supporting children's education and animal welfare.

Despite his intense and serious on-screen persona, Armitage has a great sense of humor and enjoys making his castmates laugh on set.

Richard C Armitage Biography

You wanted to know

Is Richard Armitage a trained actor?

What are some of Richard Armitage's notable acting roles?

Has Richard Armitage appeared in any stage productions?

Is Richard Armitage involved in any charitable work?

Does Richard Armitage have any special skills or talents?