Richard Madden (born 18 June 1986 in Elderslie, Scotland) is a Scottish stage, film, and television actor. Starting his career as a child actor in sitcoms, he broke into the public consciousness for his portrayal of Robb Stark in HBO's wildly popular Game of Thrones. He would later win the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Television Series Drama for his role as Police Sergeant David Budd in Bodyguard (2018).
Selected roles:
Films:
- 2010 Chatroom as Ripley
- 2013 A Promise as Friedrich Zeitz
- 2015 Cinderella as Prince Kit
- 2015 Lady Chatterley's Lover as Oliver Mellors
- 2016 Bastille Day as Michael Mason
- 2018 Ibiza as Leo West
- 2019 Rocketman as John Reid
- 2019 1917 as Lieutenant Joseph Blake
- Marvel Cinematic Universe (2021-present)
Live-Action TV:
- 2009 Hope Springs as Dean McKenzie
- 2011-2013 Game of Thrones as Robb Stark
- 2011 Sirens (UK) as Ashley Greenwick
- 2012 Birdsong as Captain Weir
- 2014 Klondike as Bill Haskell
- 2016 Medici as Cosimo de' Medici
- 2018 Bodyguard (UK 2018) as Sergeant David Budd
- 2023 Citadel (2023) as Mason Kane
Video Games:
- 2013 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate as Trevor Belmont / Alucard
- 2014 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 as Alucard
Tropes associated with his work:
- Actor-Inspired Element: It was his idea to have Talisa killed off in the Red Wedding (her book counterpart isn't present at the event and simply disappears from the narrative).
- Casting Gag: In both Game of Thrones and Cinderella he plays the next in line to the throne who turns down the good political match to Marry for Love with an Impoverished Patrician (the only difference being that Talisa was willingly impoverished). There's also the likelihood that Medici capitalized on this only to subvert it.
- Celebrity Resemblance: To Sebastian Stan, to the point that a lot of fans mistook Ikaris for Bucky and people started making memes
. - Creator Breakdown: Admits he sobbed on the plane home after filming the Red Wedding.
- Fake American: In Bastille Day. He's joked that it was easier for his co-stars to understand him in that accent than his own.
- Fake Brit: He's Scottish and for some of his most famous roles, he has affected an English accent. Ranging from Oop North (Game of Thrones) to Received Pronounciation (Cinderella (2015)).
- Meme Acknowledgement: It's not specific to just him, but he's aware of the "Marvel snipers" memenote . He's even used the meme verbatim, joking that he's afraid to say anything about Eternals because "the Marvel snipers might take me out."
- Mr. Fanservice: Many of his roles are quick to draw attention to his good looks.
- Playing Against Type:
- Bodyguard (UK 2018) by his word was something he was attracted to because it was a difference from playing straightforward heroes in fantasy pieces. It also marked the first major role he got to use his natural accent.
- And then there's his turn as a sleazy manipulator in Rocketman (2019).
- Weight Woe: In 2019 he came out and admitted he struggled with body image issues and anxiety about whenever a role required a Shirtless Scene. He was also Formerly Fat in his teen years until he got a role in a play that required nudity.
