Ian Richardson: Obituary
Compiled by Jack Foley
IAN Richardson, the popular British actor best known for playing scheming chief whip Francis Urquhart in the BBC’s House of Cards, has died suddenly at the age of 72.
The veteran of stage, TV and film had not been ill and was due to begin filming an episode of ITV’s Midsomer Murders next week, according to his agent.
Richardson won a Bafta for his portrayal of Urquhart in 1990’s House of Cards and was also nominated for both its sequels, To Play The King and The Final Cut, as well as the 1992 drama An Ungentlemanly Act.
He also appeared in movies such as Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, Richard Attenborough’s Cry Freedom and The Fourth Protocol, as well as on the stage in the 1976 revival of My Fair Lady, in which he played Professor Higgins both on Broadway and the West End.
Born in Edinburgh in 1934 to a working-class family with no acting tradition, he was encouraged by his mother to join a local amateur dramatic group while his father was serving abroad at the start of the Second World War.
Yet it was during his own National Service during the 1950s that he honed his distinct delivery. Following a spell with the Army’s Special Investigations Branch, he transferred to Forces radio and became an announcer.
Upon returning to acting he attended a successful audition at Glasgow’s College of Dramatic Art following a chance encounter with actress Nancy Mitchell and had joined the Birmingham Repertory Company by 1958, agyer being chosen to replace Albert Finney.
In 1960, he was recruited by Peter Hall for what was to become the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and enjoyed a 15-year association with them at Stratford and London’s Aldwych Theatre, appearing in all its major productions including the title roles in Hamlet, Richard I and Richard II.
That same year, Richardson also met his wife, Maroussia, a fellow actor with whom he had two sons.
After his successful stint in My Fair Lady, he began pursuing roles in film and television, giving memorable performances as Bill Haydon in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Sir Godber Evans in Porterhouse Blue and Sherlock Holmes in The Hounds of the Baskervilles.
He was deservedly awarded a CBE in the 1989 New Year’s Honours List for his contribution to the performing arts.
Most recently, he enjoyed success alongside Johnny Depp in From Hell and as Lord Groan in the BBC’s adaptation of Gormenghast.
He was also seen in the BBC’s acclaimed Bleak House and Sky One’s Christmas hit Hogfather, as narrator, the Voice of Death.
He will shortly be seen on scene-stealing form in the upcoming Jane Austen film Becoming Jane, alongside Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy.
Colleagues, fans, writers and directors have been quick to pay tribute to Richardson as “a superb actor” and a wonderful ambassador for his industry, who never let fame compromise his personal integrity. He will be sorely missed.
The local amateur dramatic group was The Edinburgh People’s Theatre
David Clayton Feb 12 #