Richard Griffiths

British character actor Richard Griffiths came from radio and the classical stage where he built up an early reputation as a Shakespearean clown, with larger-than-life portrayals of Henry VIII, Falstaff in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with the Royal Shakespeare Company just a few of his standout credits. The son of deaf mute parents, he learned sign language at an early age and, interestingly enough, developed a talent for dialects which allowed him to show off in a number of ethnic portrayals. In films from 1975 both here and abroad, his better roles have been in both contemporary and period pieces, such as Gorky Park (1983), Withnail and I (1987), King Ralph (1991), Guarding Tess (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and recently the 'Harry Potter' series as Uncle Vernon Dursley. Typically cast as comic relief in serious fare, he is well known in England for a number of comedy series including "Pie in the Sky" (1993).

If you would like to write Richard Griffiths a fan letter, here are some addressess which handle his fan mail:

Richard Griffiths
c/o Incoming Mail BBC Television Centre
Wood Lane
London
W12 7RJ
England

Richard Griffiths
Bearley House
Snitterfield Road
Bearley
Stratford-Upon-Avon
CV37 OSJ
United Kingdom