Career Early

Early Career (1988-2001)

An intensely musical child, Richard took tap dancing classes from the age of four to correct pigeon toes. He excelled at the cello and played in the Leicestershire youth orchestra before winning a local authority grant to a school in Coventry that specialised in musical theatre. (Me a sex god? Spooks star Richard Armitage on his army of female fans, Mail Online, October 10, 2009)

When he was in the chorus of 42nd Street, he was so much taller than the other dancers that he had to stand right at the back and wear a specially shortened top hat. (Me a sex god? Spooks star Richard Armitage on his army of female fans, Mail Online, October 10, 2009)

I actually worked with Sean Pertwee ... a few years ago on a ... US mini series about Cleopatra ... filmed in Morocco. We had a chuckle about that when I ran into him on set (Cold Feet). ("The TV script said I had a perfect six-pack ... ", Louise Hancock, Sunday Mirror, August 25, 2002)

Production details

Cast
Julius Caesar - Timothy Dalton
Cleopatra - Leonor Varela
Marc Antony - Billy Zane
Octavian - Rupert Graves
Marcus Brutus - Sean Pertwee
Olympos - Art Malik
Cornelius - Philip Quast
Epiphanes - Richard Armitage

It’s a, permanent stone circus that exists in a park in Budapest and it’s funny because we shot Robin Hood in Budapest so I went back to the circus and it’s more or less exactly the same show. (GMTV Interview with Kate Garraway and Andrew Castle, March 25, 2009)

The Budapest Circus opened in 1871 as a permanent circus. The original building was replace in 1971. Today, it is a major tourist attraction. (www.hungarybudapestguide.com, accessed October 4, 2009)

I also worked front of house at the theatre, which was like some kind of torture - watching other actors, sometimes not very good actors, doing it. I used to sit there with my Stanislavski 'How to Act' books, ripping tickets.

But I actually enjoyed front of house. When I came to be on the other side of the curtain you really got a feel for who it is coming to the theatre and the sense of event that is about to happen. ("I rarely turn down work after years of struggling" says Spooks star Richard Armitage, Daily Record, October 24, 2009)

A very grateful thank you! to C4 for watching and rewatching the series to find this.

Richard's brief appearance in Boon is his first television role. (The series revolves around the story of two middle-aged ex-firemen who start out in business together, Ken Boon (Michael Elphick) and Harry Crawford (David Daker), and it aired from 1986 until 1995.)

Richard appeared as "Man in Pub" in season 7, episode 6, "Message in a Bottle". Richard had one line, ""Yaaay!" shouted when the fruit machine he's playing pays out. Two other characters, Alex Wilton (Saskia Wickham) and Rocky Cassidy (Neil Morrissey) both turn and look at him. The episode was filmed at The Steamboat Inn, Long Eaton, Derbyshire.

Production details

Cast
Michael Elphick ... Ken Boon
David Daker ... Harry Crawford
Neil Morrissey ... Rocky Cassidy
Elizabeth Carling ... Laura Marsh

THE FOUR ALICE BAKERS

February 19, 1999 - March 13, 1999

(The Four Alice Bakers on Arts Archive - accessed August 15, 2010)

One of my first jobs, as Sophia Miles will testify, was at the Birmingham Rep, and I played a dancing banana in a Faye Weldon play ... (BBC1 Interview with Scott Mills & Becky, May 4, 2010)

2001

Cleopatra

Made for television
First aired in January 1999

It was after playing a piece of seaweed in a Sarah Brightman video that he wisely decided he was 'in the wrong lane'.
(Me a sex god? Spooks star Richard Armitage on his army of female fans, Mail Online, October 10, 2009)

The dvd of the film is available at:

Region 1
Amazon.com (region 2)

Those were the days when you needed an Equity card to work, so that was my opportunity to get one, so I was shipped off for six weeks. ... I slept very close to the elephants. You could sort of smell them in the middle of the night ... I was throwing hoola hoops at a skateboarder and throwing juggling sticks ... and I did actually ride on the back of an elephant, and learned to back flip. (Good Morning TV – Interview with Lorraine Kelly, October 2007)

Director
Franc Roddam

Writers
Stephen Harrigan
Anton Diether

Margaret George (novel "Memoirs of Cleopatra")

I saw an advert and thought it sounded like a laugh. What I didn't realise at the time was that it was in Budapest. And the furthest I'd been was France. But I had a great time for six months. I earned 135 pounds a week, sleeping in a room with a Russian hoopla artist next to the elephant truck. (Louise Hancock, "The TV script said I had a perfect six-pack ...", Sunday Mirror, August 25 2002)

That was straight out of drama school. I had a one-line part in Star Wars Episode I. ...I was quite intimated but, you know, excited, obviously, to be there. (Radio 2, The Johnny Walker Show - Interview with Matthew Wright, March 16, 2005)

Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace

First released in May 1999

Is THIS Richard?

The finest, most observant minds in RA fandom have been through the film with a fine toothed comb and have identified Richard in several scenes. These are some 'Richard' moments. Can you spot him?

I was an unnamed fighter pilot with two lines. But it was kind of cool to be on a big budget epic as your first acting job.
I met Ewan MacGregor, who was polite but pretty intense, and Natalie Portman who was just pretty. I kept embarrassing myself because I kept bumping into her double, who looked a lot like her, and thinking it was Natalie.
I’d be like “Hi Natalie, how are you” – and she’d be looking at me blankly. (Louise Hancock, "The TV script said I had a perfect six-pack ... ", Sunday Mirror, August 25, 2002)

1999

2000

1988

When he was 17, in order to gain his required Equity card, Richard joined the Budapest Circus.

Budapest Circus

In Gale Edwards' production of The Duchess of Malfi, Richard played Delio - Antonio's staunch and faithful friend. His character has no direct impact on the action of the play.

Production details

Cast
Qi-Gong Jinn - Liam Neeson
Obi-Wan Kinobe - Ewan MacGregor
Queen Padmé Amidala - Natalie Portman
Anakin Skywalker - Jake Lloyd
Shmi Skywalker - Pernilla August
Yoda (voice) - Frank Oz
C-3PO - Anthony Daniels
R2-D2 - Kenny Baker
Senator Palpatine - Ian McDiarmid
Supreme Chancellor Valorum - Terence Stamp
Boss Nass (voice) - Brian Blessed
Jar Jar Binks (voice) - Jar Jar Binks
Uncredited "Naboo Fighter Pilot" - Richard Armitage

Director
George Lucas

Writer
Geoge Lucas

The dvd is available at:

Amazon (region 1)
Amazon.co.uk (region 2)

The dvd is available at:

Amazon.co.uk (region 2)

(IMDb, accessed October 6, 2009 )

A London Review, Lizzie Loveridge, Curtain Up (accessed October 5 2009)

Theatre (accessed October 5 2009)

1992

That was when I was doing background work at Central TV in Birmingham. I, I, yes, I thought, I took it upon myself to, to get some experience of being on a set so I was an extra ... in a pub. (BBC Radio 6 Music, The Chris Hawkins Show, November 3-7 2008)

Boon

Television series.
Aired from January 1986 until May 1995.

Series Creators
Jim Hill
Bill Stair

Director (series 7 episode 6)
Nick Hurran

Writers (series 7 episode 6)
Matthew Faulk (storyline) Mark Skeet (storyline)
Harry Holmes (written by)

Our thanks to Asolutely Sophia Myles for this fantastic still.

Production details
(Thanks to Richard Armitage Online for this information)

Michael Cashman - Harry Harper
David Hargreaves - Richie Baker
Richard Armitage - Young Richie Baker
Sophia Myles - Young Alice Baker

Fay Weldon's novel, The Cloning of Joanna May, on which the play is based, was published in 1989 and the television series, starring Patricia Hodge was released in 1992. A genetic scientist (Richie Baker) clones his wife to 'create' three daughters. ("Send in the Clones", Michael Billington, February 25, 1999, The Guardian.co.uk)

Director
Bill Alexander

Writer
Fay Weldon

Venue
Birmingham Reperatory Theatre

1991

42nd Street

Musical theatre

Between receiving his Equity card in 1989 and his first television role as 'Man in Pub' in Boon in 1992, Richard performed as a member of the chorus in several West End musical productions, including 42nd Street.

42nd Street follows the story of the hopeful and naïve actress, Peggy Sawyer, as she looks for work on Depression Broadway. It is based on the 1933 musical of the same name. It was first performed in 1980 when it won several Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical, and Drama Desk awards. It has been revived many times since then. The 1984 London production won the Laurence Oliver and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. The book was written by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin. Songs from the musical include 'You're Getting to be a Habit With Me', 'Lullaby of Broadway', 'I Only Have Eyes for You' and '42nd Street'.

Richard Armitage performed as part of the Ensemble for the 1991 production, staged at the Dominion Theatre in London.

Production Details

Cast
Peggy Sawyer - Jenna Ward
Julian Marsh - Kenneth Nelson
Billy Lawler - Richard Cuerdon
Dorothy Brock - Elaine Loudon

Member of Ensemble - Richard Armitage

Executive Producer
Adrian leggett

Director
Mark Bramble

Book
Michael Stewart
Mark Bramble

Music
Hal Warren

Lyrics
Al Dubin

A larger photo of Richard can be found here in the RAC Library. And the full cast list from the 1991 Dominion Theatre production can be found at the RAC Library.

Our thanks to Rob Wilton Theatricalia for a copy of this program.

Macbeth

Theatre (RSC)

His acceptance to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) gave Richard his first theatrical speaking roles.

The RSC began its winter (November) 1999 season with what became an acclaimed production of Macbeth at the Swan Theatre in Stratford and in London. It then toured both Japan and the US during 1999 and 2000. In 2001 the production was filmed with the original director and cast at the London Roundhouse.

Richard played Angus in both productions.

Our thanks to Leslieg for her help in obtaining the screencaps of the film version.

Director
Gregory Doran

Writer
William Shakspeare

Production Details

Cast
Macbeth - Antony Sher
Lady Macbeth - Harriet Walter
Duncan - Joseph O'Conor
Malcolm - John Dougall
Donalbain - Robert Whitelock
Banquo - Ken Bones
Macduff - Nigel Cooke
Angus - Richard Armitage

1994

Cats

Theatre West End

Thanks to Sandrac for her help locating this picture.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Cats, opened in London on the West End in 1981, then on Broadway in 1982 where it ran for 18 years, and ran for 21 years. It has been produced throughout the world in Australia, South America, South Korea, the Philippines, Hungary, Spain, America and Austria. It is based on the TS Eliot poem, "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats". It has won both the Tony and the Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Musical. The original production team was led by Trevor Nunn as director and Gillian Lynne as choreographer.

It has won both Tony and Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Musical. It is the fourth longest-running West End musical and the second longest-running production on Broadway. It was filmed for television in 1998.

Richard performed as 'swing' during 1994 and 1995 - performing different roles in any production, in particular, Macavity Cat and Admetus.

This Year's Love

Film (first aired February 1999)

Production Details

Cast
Sophie - Jennifer Ehle
Danny - Douglas Henshall
Cameron - Dougray Scott
Liam - Ian Hart
Smug Man at Party - Richard Armitage

Director
David Kane

Writer
David Kane