Richard Griffiths

Career Trajectory

After graduating from drama school, Griffiths won early work with BBC Radio's Radio Drama Company and regional theatres before his breakthrough in the 1975 film *It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet*, establishing himself as a reliable character actor across film and television. He built a formidable reputation as a Shakespearean interpreter with the Royal Shakespeare Company, portraying roles including Pompey in *Measure for Measure* and Bottom in *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, while simultaneously becoming a recognizable presence in British cinema and television. His career reached its artistic apotheosis in his sixties when he originated the role of Hector in Alan Bennett's *The History Boys*, a performance that earned him the Olivier and Tony Awards and cemented his status as one of the finest actors of his era.