Biography
Who is Richard Madden?
Early life
Richard Madden was born on June 18, 1986, in Elderslie, United Kingdom. He grew up outside the city of Glasgow alongside his two sisters. His mother worked as a primary school teacher, while his father was employed as a firefighter. During his childhood, Richard experienced shyness and struggled with body insecurities and bullying during his high school years.
To help overcome his shyness at age 11, Richard joined the PACE Youth Theatre. At that same age, he secured his first acting role as young Andy in a film adaptation of Iain Banks's novel Complicity, which was released in 2000. Shortly after, he played the lead role of Sebastian in the children's television series Barmy Aunt Boomerang from 1999 until 2000.
Education and early career
Richard attended Castlehead High School before pursuing professional actor training. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, formerly known as the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, located in Glasgow. While still a student there, he performed with The Arches, the Glasgow Repertory Company, and the Citizens Theatre in Franz Xaver Kroetz's play Tom Fool.
After positive reviews, the Tom Fool production transferred to London, where Richard was spotted by representatives from Shakespeare's Globe. In his final year at the conservatoire, he was cast as Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the modern Globe Theatre, followed by a summer tour in 2007. That same year, he played Callum McGregor in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Noughts and Crosses.
Rise to fame
Richard achieved international prominence when he was cast as Robb Stark in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones. He appeared in the series from 2011 to 2013, an experience that propelled him to global recognition. Prior to this breakthrough casting, he spoke about facing financial difficulties and considering moving back in with his parents. The ensemble cast earned Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations during his time on the show.
Following his success on Game of Thrones, Richard played Prince Kit in the live action romantic fantasy film Cinderella in 2015, which grossed over $542 million worldwide. In 2016, he returned to the stage as Romeo in a West End production of Romeo and Juliet at the Garrick Theatre, though he had to depart early due to an ankle injury. That same year, he portrayed Cosimo de' Medici in the historical fiction series Medici.
Awards and recent work
In 2018, Richard gained widespread critical acclaim and recognition for his performance as Sergeant David Budd in the BBC thriller series Bodyguard. His complex portrayal of a police officer with post-traumatic stress disorder earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama. The following year, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Richard continued taking on prominent film and television roles in subsequent years. He portrayed music manager John Reid in the Elton John biopic Rocketman and appeared as a World War I soldier in the war film 1917, both released in 2019. He later starred as Ikaris in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Eternals in 2021 and began starring as a spy in the action thriller series Citadel in 2023.
Birthday and age
Richard Madden was born on June 18, 1986, which makes Richard 40 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Richard shares the date with 34 other famous people.
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