Richard E. Grant
Encyclopedia
Richard E. Grant is a Swaziland
-born British
actor
, screenwriter
and director
. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I
. He holds dual British
and Swazi
citizenship.
, Swaziland
. He adopted the stage name Grant when he moved to England
as an adult and registered with the British Actors' Equity Association
. His father, Henrik Esterhuysen, was of Afrikaner
extraction, and was head of education for the British government administration in the British Protectorate
of Swaziland
. His white South African mother was a local ballet teacher of German extraction
.
relationship between his mother and another man that subsequently led to the break-up of his parents' marriage. This event inspired him to keep a daily diary, which he has continued to do ever since. He wears a watch on each wrist, one given to him by his dying father, permanently set on Swaziland time.
Grant attended secondary school
at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa (UWCSA)
, an independent school
just outside Mbabane, where he was a day scholar. He studied English
and drama
at the University of Cape Town
.
in Cape Town
before moving to London
in 1982. He later stated:
Grant's first film role was the perpetually inebriated title character in Withnail and I
, which has established a large cult following. During the story his character drinks from a bottle of lighter fluid, which the set crew had intentionally filled with vinegar prior to filming. His reaction in the film was genuine.
Following his film Withnail and I, Grant began appearing in Hollywood films, and quickly established himself as a powerful character actor in a wide array of films, from blockbuster studio movies to small independent projects. Over the past twenty years, Grant has had strong supporting roles in the films Henry & June
, L.A. Story
, The Player
, The Age of Innocence
, The Portrait of a Lady
, Spice World, Gosford Park
, Bright Young Things
, and Penelope
.
Grant has twice portrayed the Doctor
from Doctor Who
, unofficially on both occasions. In the comedy sketch Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death
, he portrayed a version of the Tenth Doctor, referred to as the Quite Handsome Doctor. He also voiced a now non-canonical Ninth Doctor
for the BBC
original animated webcast Scream of the Shalka
.
On 1 December 2006, Grant turned real life investigator when, with the help of BBC Newsnight he exposed a $98 million scam to sell a bogus AIDS
cure.
Grant appeared as "The Voice" in 2+2+2 at American Nights at The King's Head Theatre
, from 3 July to 29 July 2007, and also recently co-starred in the London-based comedy Filth and Wisdom
, a film which marks the directorial debut of pop singer Madonna
.
On 22 November 2007, he gave a keynote speech at North London Collegiate School
in North London
as part of their Performing Arts Centre Opening Festival, and presented the 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards
.
In 2008, he made his musical theatre debut with Opera Australia
, playing the role of Henry Higgins
in My Fair Lady
, at the Theatre Royal
, Sydney
.
Grant is also an author, having written an autobiography and a novel called By Design that is set in Hollywood.
Richard E. Grant is a mentor on the British Airways
Great Britons Programme, and will mentor a British talent to write a script that will be produced into a short film and shown on BA flights and at the pre opening of the Olympic Games ceremony.
, loosely based on his own childhood experiences. A screenwriter recommended he write a screenplay, after reading Grant's memoirs of his Withnail and I
experience.
The film took him over seven years to complete, and starred Nicholas Hoult
in the lead role, with Gabriel Byrne
, Miranda Richardson
, Julie Walters
and Emily Watson
.
Grant kept a diary of the experience, later published as a book (The Wah-Wah Diaries). The book received positive reviews from critics, many of whom were impressed at the honesty of the tale, especially in regard to his difficult relationship with the "inexperienced" producer Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar.
Grant stated in subsequent interviews that she was a "control freak out of control", and that he would "never see her again as long as [he] lives". In a BBC
interview, he again mentioned his "disastrous" relationship with Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, relating that he received five emails in the last two months of pre-production from her, and that she rarely turned up on the set at all and failed to obtain clearance firstly for song rights, and secondly to actually film in Swaziland (without the knowledge of Grant, who eventually was forced to meet the King of Swaziland to seek clemency).
During an interview with an Australia
n chat show, he mentioned that Wah-Wah wasn't released in France
, and as a result, his producer didn't make money out of it.
. After casting him as the alcoholic Withnail, director Bruce Robinson
made Grant drink a bottle of champagne and half a bottle of vodka
during the course of a night so that he had experience of the sensation. Grant is allergic to alcohol, having no enzyme
s in the blood to metabolise
it. If he does drink alcohol, he can keep it down for 10 minutes and is then violently ill for 24 hours afterward. He is an avid follower of West Ham United, and appeared on Sky Sports' Soccer AM to show his support for the team on the morning of the 2006 FA Cup Final.
He also appeared on BBC1's show Saturday Kitchen
on 14 July 2007, where he confessed to detesting dairy products, while his favourite food is giant prawn
s on a bed of rice. In October 2008, he told The Times
that he is an atheist.
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
-born British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I
Withnail and I
Withnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while...
. He holds dual British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Swazi
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
citizenship.
Early life
Grant was born Richard Esterhuysen in MbabaneMbabane
-References:...
, Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. He adopted the stage name Grant when he moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as an adult and registered with the British Actors' Equity Association
British Actors' Equity Association
Equity is the trade union for actors, stage managers and models in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1930 by a group of West End performers....
. His father, Henrik Esterhuysen, was of Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
extraction, and was head of education for the British government administration in the British Protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
of Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. His white South African mother was a local ballet teacher of German extraction
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
.
Education
As a young child, Grant went to primary school at St Mark's, a local government school in Mbabane that had only recently become racially integrated. At the age of nine, he witnessed an adulterousAdultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
relationship between his mother and another man that subsequently led to the break-up of his parents' marriage. This event inspired him to keep a daily diary, which he has continued to do ever since. He wears a watch on each wrist, one given to him by his dying father, permanently set on Swaziland time.
Grant attended secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa (UWCSA)
Waterford Kamhlaba
Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa is one of thirteen international UWC schools and colleges and is located in Mbabane, Swaziland...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
just outside Mbabane, where he was a day scholar. He studied English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
.
Career
Grant was a member of the Space Theatre CompanySpace Theatre (Cape Town)
The Space Theatre was a fringe theatre in Cape Town, South Africa which was active in the 1970's.It re-opened in late 2008.-History:...
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
before moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1982. He later stated:
Grant's first film role was the perpetually inebriated title character in Withnail and I
Withnail and I
Withnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while...
, which has established a large cult following. During the story his character drinks from a bottle of lighter fluid, which the set crew had intentionally filled with vinegar prior to filming. His reaction in the film was genuine.
Following his film Withnail and I, Grant began appearing in Hollywood films, and quickly established himself as a powerful character actor in a wide array of films, from blockbuster studio movies to small independent projects. Over the past twenty years, Grant has had strong supporting roles in the films Henry & June
Henry & June
Henry & June is a 1990 American film directed by Philip Kaufman and stars Fred Ward, Maria de Medeiros, and Uma Thurman. It is loosely based on the book of the same name by the French author Anaïs Nin, and tells the story of Nin's relationship with Henry Miller and his wife, June.-Plot:The story...
, L.A. Story
L.A. Story
L.A. Story is a 1991 American romantic comedy film, written by and starring Steve Martin. Set in Los Angeles, California, it relates a series of episodes in the romantic life of an L.A. TV weatherman. It includes surreal sequences in which he is offered romantic advice flashed to him by a freeway...
, The Player
The Player
The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name....
, The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence (film)
The Age of Innocence is a 1993 American film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel of the same name. The film was released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder....
, The Portrait of a Lady
The Portrait of a Lady (film)
The Portrait of a Lady is a 1996 film adaptation of Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady directed by Jane Campion.The film stars Nicole Kidman, Barbara Hershey, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan, Shelley Duvall, Richard E...
, Spice World, Gosford Park
Gosford Park
Gosford Park is a 2001 British-American mystery comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, and Michael Gambon...
, Bright Young Things
Bright Young Things
Bright Young Things is a 2003 British drama film written and directed by Stephen Fry. The screenplay, based on the 1930 novel Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh, provides satirical social commentary about the Bright Young People: young and carefree London aristocrats and bohemians, as well as society in...
, and Penelope
Penelope (2006 film)
Penelope is a 2006 fantasy/romantic comedy film directed by Mark Palansky which was first released in 2006 as a premiere. It stars Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon.-Plot:...
.
Grant has twice portrayed the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
from Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, unofficially on both occasions. In the comedy sketch Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death
Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death
Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death is a four-episode special of Doctor Who made for the Red Nose Day charity telethon in the United Kingdom, and broadcast on BBC One on 12 March 1999...
, he portrayed a version of the Tenth Doctor, referred to as the Quite Handsome Doctor. He also voiced a now non-canonical Ninth Doctor
Shalka Doctor
The Shalka Doctor is the common fan name given to the character that appeared as an alternate incarnation of the Doctor in the flash-animated serial Scream of the Shalka in 2003 and the later short story The Feast of the Stone which were based on the British science fiction television series,...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
original animated webcast Scream of the Shalka
Scream of the Shalka
Scream of the Shalka is a flash-animated series based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was produced to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the series and was originally posted in six weekly parts from 13 November to 18 December 2003 on bbc.co.uk's Doctor Who...
.
On 1 December 2006, Grant turned real life investigator when, with the help of BBC Newsnight he exposed a $98 million scam to sell a bogus AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
cure.
Grant appeared as "The Voice" in 2+2+2 at American Nights at The King's Head Theatre
The King's Head Theatre
The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an Off-West End venue in London. It was the first pub theatre in the UK. Adam Spreadbury-Maher became Artistic Director in March 2010 .-Background:...
, from 3 July to 29 July 2007, and also recently co-starred in the London-based comedy Filth and Wisdom
Filth and Wisdom
Filth and Wisdom is the first film directed by Madonna, starring Eugene Hütz, Holly Weston, Vicky McClure and Richard E. Grant. It was filmed on location in London, England from May 14 to May 29, 2007 with additional scenes shot in July 2007....
, a film which marks the directorial debut of pop singer Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
.
On 22 November 2007, he gave a keynote speech at North London Collegiate School
North London Collegiate School
North London Collegiate School is an independent day school for girls founded in 1850 in Camden Town, and now in the London Borough of Harrow.The Good Schools Guide called the school an "Academically stunning outer London school in a glorious setting which, in 2003, demonstrated its refusal to rest...
in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
as part of their Performing Arts Centre Opening Festival, and presented the 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
.
In 2008, he made his musical theatre debut with Opera Australia
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...
, playing the role of Henry Higgins
Henry Higgins
Henry Higgins may refer to:*The fictional character: see Pygmalion or My Fair Lady*The Australian politician and judge H. B. Higgins* Henry Higgins -See also:*Harry Higgins, English cricketer*Henry Huggins, fictional character...
in My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
, at the Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Sydney
The Theatre Royal in Sydney is Australia's oldest theatrical institution. Sydney's original Theatre Royal was built in 1827 behind the Royal Hotel, but burned to the ground in 1840. The name was dormant for 35 years until 1875 when a new Theatre Royal was built in the location where the current...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Grant is also an author, having written an autobiography and a novel called By Design that is set in Hollywood.
Richard E. Grant is a mentor on the British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
Great Britons Programme, and will mentor a British talent to write a script that will be produced into a short film and shown on BA flights and at the pre opening of the Olympic Games ceremony.
Wah-Wah
Grant wrote and directed the 2005 film Wah-WahWah-Wah
Wah-Wah is a 2005 drama film, written and directed by British actor Richard E. Grant and loosely based on his childhood in Swaziland. Filmed and set in Swaziland, the film was premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival and also opened the Edinburgh Festival to critical acclaim...
, loosely based on his own childhood experiences. A screenwriter recommended he write a screenplay, after reading Grant's memoirs of his Withnail and I
Withnail and I
Withnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while...
experience.
The film took him over seven years to complete, and starred Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult is an English actor, best known for playing Marcus Brewer in the 2002 film About a Boy, Tony Stonem in the E4, BAFTA-winning television series Skins, and Beast in the X-Men prequel, X-Men: First Class.-Early life:Hoult was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, the third of four...
in the lead role, with Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
, Miranda Richardson
Miranda Richardson
Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
, Julie Walters
Julie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
and Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
.
Grant kept a diary of the experience, later published as a book (The Wah-Wah Diaries). The book received positive reviews from critics, many of whom were impressed at the honesty of the tale, especially in regard to his difficult relationship with the "inexperienced" producer Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar.
Grant stated in subsequent interviews that she was a "control freak out of control", and that he would "never see her again as long as [he] lives". In a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
interview, he again mentioned his "disastrous" relationship with Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, relating that he received five emails in the last two months of pre-production from her, and that she rarely turned up on the set at all and failed to obtain clearance firstly for song rights, and secondly to actually film in Swaziland (without the knowledge of Grant, who eventually was forced to meet the King of Swaziland to seek clemency).
During an interview with an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n chat show, he mentioned that Wah-Wah wasn't released in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and as a result, his producer didn't make money out of it.
Personal life
Grant married voice coach Joan Washington in 1986 and has one daughter with her (Olivia) and a stepson (Tom). Grant is a teetotalerTeetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
. After casting him as the alcoholic Withnail, director Bruce Robinson
Bruce Robinson
Bruce Robinson is an English director, screenwriter, novelist and actor. He is arguably most famous for writing and directing the cult classic Withnail and I , a film with comic and tragic elements, set in London during the 1960s which drew on his experiences as 'a chronic alcoholic and resting...
made Grant drink a bottle of champagne and half a bottle of vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
during the course of a night so that he had experience of the sensation. Grant is allergic to alcohol, having no enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
s in the blood to metabolise
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
it. If he does drink alcohol, he can keep it down for 10 minutes and is then violently ill for 24 hours afterward. He is an avid follower of West Ham United, and appeared on Sky Sports' Soccer AM to show his support for the team on the morning of the 2006 FA Cup Final.
He also appeared on BBC1's show Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen Live is a 90 minute cookery programme, which is broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday mornings. It is currently presented by James Martin; previous presenters have included Antony Worrall Thompson and Gregg Wallace. The programme is currently produced by Cactus TV...
on 14 July 2007, where he confessed to detesting dairy products, while his favourite food is giant prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
s on a bed of rice. In October 2008, he told The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
that he is an atheist.
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Withnail and I Withnail and I Withnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while... |
Withnail | |
| 1989 | Warlock Warlock (1989 film) Warlock is a 1989 American cult horror film directed by Steve Miner, written by David Twohy and produced by Roger Corman. It was also produced by New World Pictures and distributed by Trimark Pictures. The cast includes Julian Sands, Lori Singer, and Richard E. Grant... |
Giles Redferne | |
| How to Get Ahead in Advertising How to Get Ahead in Advertising How to Get Ahead in Advertising is a 1989 British film written and directed by Bruce Robinson and starring Richard E. Grant and Rachel Ward. The title is a pun and can be literally taken as "How to Get a Head in Advertising".-Plot:... |
Denis Dimbleby Bagley | ||
| Killing Dad | Ali Berg | ||
| 1990 | Mountains of the Moon Mountains of the Moon (film) Mountains of the Moon is a 1990 theatrical film depicting the 1857-58 journey of Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke in their expedition to central Africa — the project that culminated in Speke's discovery of the source of the Nile River. The expedition led to a bitter rivalry between the... |
Larry Oliphant | |
| Henry & June Henry & June Henry & June is a 1990 American film directed by Philip Kaufman and stars Fred Ward, Maria de Medeiros, and Uma Thurman. It is loosely based on the book of the same name by the French author Anaïs Nin, and tells the story of Nin's relationship with Henry Miller and his wife, June.-Plot:The story... |
Hugo Guiler | ||
| 1991 | Hudson Hawk Hudson Hawk Hudson Hawk is a 1991 American action comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann. Bruce Willis stars in the title role and also co-wrote the story. Danny Aiello, Andie MacDowell, James Coburn, David Caruso, Lorraine Toussaint, Frank Stallone, Sandra Bernhard, and Richard E... |
Darwin Mayflower | Nominated - Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor The Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst supporting actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated. Brooke Shields is the... |
| L.A. Story L.A. Story L.A. Story is a 1991 American romantic comedy film, written by and starring Steve Martin. Set in Los Angeles, California, it relates a series of episodes in the romantic life of an L.A. TV weatherman. It includes surreal sequences in which he is offered romantic advice flashed to him by a freeway... |
Roland Mackey | ||
| 1992 | The Player The Player The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name.... |
Tom Oakley | |
| Bram Stoker's Dracula | Dr. Jack Seward | ||
| 1993 | The Age of Innocence The Age of Innocence (film) The Age of Innocence is a 1993 American film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel of the same name. The film was released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder.... |
Larry Lefferts | |
| Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life is a short comic film for BBC Scotland. It was written and directed by Peter Capaldi, it stars Richard E. Grant as Franz Kafka, and co-stars Ken Stott.... |
Franz Kafka Franz Kafka Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century... |
Short Film Subject | |
| 1994 | Prêt-à-Porter Prêt-à-Porter (film) Prêt-à-Porter is a 1994 American satirical black comedy film co-written, directed, and produced by Robert Altman and shot during the Paris, France, Fashion Week with a host of international stars, models and designers... |
Cort Romney | |
| 1995 | Jack and Sarah Jack and Sarah Jack and Sarah is a 1995 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Tim Sullivan. The film was originally released in the UK on 2 June 1995.The theme song in this film is Stars by British pop group Simply Red.- Plot :... |
Jack | |
| Pocahontas Pocahontas (1995 film) Pocahontas is the 33rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was originally released to selected theaters on June 16, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures... |
Percy | Voice Only | |
| 1996 | The Portrait of a Lady The Portrait of a Lady (film) The Portrait of a Lady is a 1996 film adaptation of Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady directed by Jane Campion.The film stars Nicole Kidman, Barbara Hershey, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan, Shelley Duvall, Richard E... |
Lord Warburton | |
| Twelfth Night: Or What You Will Twelfth Night: Or What You Will (1996 film) Twelfth Night or What You Will is a 1996 British film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, directed by Trevor Nunn and featuring an all-star cast. The adaptation is given a northern Central European feel, set in the late 19th century, with Orsino and his followers shown wearing Czapka... |
Sir Andrew Aguecheek | ||
| The Cold Light of Day | Victor Marek | ||
| 1997 | The Serpent's Kiss The Serpent's Kiss The Serpent's Kiss is a 1997 film directed by Philippe Rousselot. It is a story about a Dutch garden architect named Meneer Chrome who has been hired by a wealthy metalworker to create an extravagant garden. The film also stars Greta Scacchi and Richard E... |
James Fitzmaurice | |
| Keep the Aspidistra Flying Keep the Aspidistra Flying (film) Keep the Aspidistra Flying is a 1997 romance/comedy film directed by Robert Bierman and based on the comic novel by George Orwell. The screenplay was written by Alan Plater and was produced by Peter Shaw. The film stars Richard E... |
Gordon Comstock | ||
| Spiceworld: The Movie | Clifford | ||
| 1998 | St. Ives St. Ives (1998 film) St. Ives is a 1998 television film based on the unfinished Robert Louis Stevenson novel, St Ives. The film features Miranda Richardson, Anna Friel, Richard E Grant and Jean-Marc Barr.... |
Major Farquhar Chevening | |
| 1999 | The Match | Gorgeous Gus | |
| 2000 | The Little Vampire The Little Vampire The film version of the story was released in 2000 and stars Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Jim Carter, and Alice Krige.-Plot:Tony Thompson is an only child whose family has moved to Scotland from California. In the new country, he has no friends, and he is picked on and beaten up by bullies... |
Frederick Sackville-Bagg | |
| The Miracle Maker | John the Baptist John the Baptist John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River... |
Voice Only | |
| 2001 | Gosford Park Gosford Park Gosford Park is a 2001 British-American mystery comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, and Michael Gambon... |
George | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Satellite Special Achievement Award - Ensemble Cast Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama... Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast The Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast is an annual award given by the Phoenix Film Critics Society.-2000s:*2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring... |
| 2003 | Monsieur N. Monsieur N. Monsieur N. is a 2003 British-French movie directed by Antoine de Caunes. It tells the story of the last years of the life of Napoleon Bonaparte who was imprisoned by the British on St Helena. Napoleon retained a loyal entourage of officers who helped him plot his escape, and evaded the attentions... |
Hudson Lowe Hudson Lowe Sir Hudson Lowe KCB, GCMG was an Anglo-Irish soldier and colonial administrator who is best known for his time as Governor of St Helena where he was the "gaoler" of Napoleon Bonaparte.-Early life and career:... |
|
| Bright Young Things Bright Young Things Bright Young Things is a 2003 British drama film written and directed by Stephen Fry. The screenplay, based on the 1930 novel Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh, provides satirical social commentary about the Bright Young People: young and carefree London aristocrats and bohemians, as well as society in... |
Father Rothschild | ||
| 2004 | The Story of an African Farm The Story of an African Farm (film) The Story of an African Farm is a South African film from 2004, directed by David Lister and based on the 1883 novel by South African author Olive Schreiner.... |
Bonaparte Blenkins | |
| Tooth | Jarvis Jarvis | ||
| 2005 | Wah-Wah Wah-Wah Wah-Wah is a 2005 drama film, written and directed by British actor Richard E. Grant and loosely based on his childhood in Swaziland. Filmed and set in Swaziland, the film was premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival and also opened the Edinburgh Festival to critical acclaim... |
- | Writer, Director |
| Corpse Bride Corpse Bride Corpse Bride, often promoted as Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, is a 2005 stop-motion-animated fantasy musical film directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton. It is set in a fictional Victorian era village in Europe. Johnny Depp led an all-star cast as the voice of Victor, while Helena Bonham Carter ... |
Lord Barkis Bittern | Voice Only | |
| Colour Me Kubrick Colour Me Kubrick Colour Me Kubrick: A True...ish Story is a French/British Dramedy film directed by Brian W. Cook, released in 2006 . The film stars John Malkovich as Alan Conway, a man who had been impersonating director Stanley Kubrick since the early 1990s... |
Jasper | ||
| 2006 | Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties is the 2006 sequel to 2004's live-action feature film Garfield: The Movie... |
Preston | Voice Only |
| 2007 | Always Crashing in the Same Car | James Booth | |
| 2008 | Penelope Penelope (2006 film) Penelope is a 2006 fantasy/romantic comedy film directed by Mark Palansky which was first released in 2006 as a premiere. It stars Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon.-Plot:... |
Franklin Wilhern | |
| The Garden of Eden | Colonel Philip Boyle | ||
| Filth and Wisdom Filth and Wisdom Filth and Wisdom is the first film directed by Madonna, starring Eugene Hütz, Holly Weston, Vicky McClure and Richard E. Grant. It was filmed on location in London, England from May 14 to May 29, 2007 with additional scenes shot in July 2007.... |
Professor Flynn | ||
| 2009 | Love Hurts Love Hurts (2009 film) Love Hurts is a 2009 romantic comedy film with Richard E. Grant, Carrie-Anne Moss, Johnny Pacar, Jenna Elfman, Janeane Garofalo, and Camryn Manheim. It was written and directed by Barra Grant.-Synopsis:... |
Ben Bingham | |
| 2010 | Cuckoo Cuckoo (film) Cuckoo is a British thriller film starring Laura Fraser, Richard E. Grant, Tamsin Greig, Antonia Bernath and Adam F, set in London, UK. It was created, written, and directed by Richard Bracewell and produced by Richard and Tony Bracewell.... |
Professor Julius Greengrass | |
| Jackboots on Whitehall Jackboots on Whitehall Jackboots on Whitehall is a satirical film portraying an alternate history of the Second World War, in which Nazi Germany has seized London, causing the British to band together at Hadrian's Wall if they are to thwart the German invasion... |
Campbell Babbitt | Voice Only | |
| The Nutcracker in 3D The Nutcracker in 3D The Nutcracker in 3D is a 2010 3D fantasy film adaption of the ballet The Nutcracker, directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. The film met with universally negative reviews from critics upon its release, and became a failure at the box office.-Plot:... |
Father | ||
| 2011 | Horrid Henry: The Movie Horrid Henry the Movie Horrid Henry: The Movie is a 3D family comedy film based on the fictional character Horrid Henry. The first British film for children to be shot in 3D, its UK release date was 29 July 2011... |
Vic Van Wrinkle | |
| The Iron Lady The Iron Lady (film) The Iron Lady is an upcoming biographical film about former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, portrayed by Meryl Streep. Thatcher's husband, Denis Thatcher, will be portrayed by Jim Broadbent, and Thatcher's longest-serving cabinet member and eventual deputy, Geoffrey Howe, will be... |
Michael Heseltine Michael Heseltine Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major... |
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| 2012 | Foster Foster (film) Foster is an upcoming 2012 English comedy-drama film written and directed by Jonathan Newman, based on his 2005 short film. Part of it was shot at Legoland Windsor in April 2010... |
Mr. Potts |
Television
- Screen Two in episode "Honest, Decent & True" (1985) as Moonee Livingstone
- Codename: KyrilCodename: KyrilCodename: Kyril is a 208-minute British serial, first broadcast in 1988. It is a Cold War espionage drama, starring Ian Charleson, Edward Woodward, Denholm Elliott, Joss Ackland, and Richard E. Grant...
(1988) as Sculby - Absolutely FabulousAbsolutely FabulousAbsolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
(1995) as Edina's dream Justin - Captain StarCaptain StarCaptain Star was an animated television series starring Richard E. Grant as Captain Jim Star, based on a comic by Steven Appleby: Rockets Passing Overhead. Only thirteen episodes of thirty-minutes each were produced and aired. The series ran on the British ITV and Canadian TELETOON networks from...
(1997) as Captain Jim Star - A Royal ScandalA Royal ScandalA Royal Scandal is a 1996 British television docudrama produced and directed by Sheree Folkson. The teleplay by Stanley Price focuses on the ill-fated marriage of George IV and Duchess Caroline of Brunswick. Dialogue from actual historical records reveals how each party tries to humiliate the...
(1996) as King George IV - The Scarlet PimpernelThe Scarlet Pimpernel (TV Series)The Scarlet Pimpernel is a series of television drama programmes loosely based on Baroness Emmuska Orczy's series of novels, set during the French Revolution....
(1998) as Sir Percy Blakeney - Trial & Retribution IIITrial & RetributionTrial & Retribution is a feature-length ITV police proceduraltelevision drama series that began in 1997. It was devised and written by Lynda La Plante as a follow-on from her successful television series Prime Suspect. Each episode of the Trial & Retribution series is broadcast over two nights. The...
(1999) as Stephen Warrington - Let Them Eat CakeLet Them Eat Cake (TV series)Let Them Eat Cake is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One in 1999. Starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, it is one of the few programmes in which French and Saunders have appeared which they did not create themselves.-Plot:...
in episode "The Portrait" (1999) as Monsieur Vigée-Lebrun - Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal DeathDoctor Who and the Curse of Fatal DeathDoctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death is a four-episode special of Doctor Who made for the Red Nose Day charity telethon in the United Kingdom, and broadcast on BBC One on 12 March 1999...
(1999) as The Conceited Doctor - A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (1999 film)A Christmas Carol is a 1999 television film adaptation of Charles Dickens's famous novel A Christmas Carol. It was directed by David Hugh Jones and stars Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge and Richard E. Grant as Bob Cratchit...
(1999) as Bob Crachit - The Kumars at No. 42 in episode 1 "Richard E Grant and Michael Parkinson" (2001) as himself
- The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles (2002 film)The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 2002 television adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel of the same name.-Production:Produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for the BBC, it was shown on BBC One on Boxing Day, 2002. It was directed by David Attwood, and adapted by Allan Cubitt. The film stars...
(2002) as Jack Stapleton - Sherlock: Case of EvilCase of EvilSherlock: Case of Evil is a 2002 made-for-television movie focusing on Sherlock Holmes as a young adult in his 20s. The story noticeably departs from the style and backstory of the original material.-Plot summary:...
(2002) as Mycroft HolmesMycroft HolmesMycroft Holmes is a fictional character in the stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. He is the elder brother of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.- Profile :... - Posh NoshPosh NoshPosh Nosh is a 2003 BBC television programme parodying television chefs; the title and basic outline a reference to a cooking show pilot pitched by Neil Hamilton and Christine Hamilton. Written by Jon Canter and Arabella Weir from an idea by Weir, and directed and script edited by Chris Langham,...
(2004) as Simon Marchmont - FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
in episode "Goodnight, SeattleGoodnight, Seattle"Goodnight, Seattle" is the title of the series finale of the long-running American sitcom Frasier. It aired on May 13, 2004, in the 11th year of the series...
" (2004) as Stephen Moon - 90 Days in Hollywood (2004) as the narrator
- The story of Bohemian RhapsodyThe Story of Bohemian RhapsodyThe Story of Bohemian Rhapsody is a 2004 documentary about the song "Bohemian Rhapsody", written by the lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury.- The programme :...
(2004) as the narrator - Home Farm Twins (2005) as Paul Baker
- Above and BeyondAbove and Beyond (mini series)Above and Beyond is a four-hour 2006 miniseries aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on October 29 and 30. The miniseries is about the Atlantic Ferry Organization, which was tasked with delivering aircraft from North America to Europe in the early years of the Second World War. It...
(2006) as Don Bennett - Dalziel and PascoeDalziel and Pascoe (BBC TV series)Dalziel and Pascoe is a popular British television crime drama based on the Dalziel and Pascoe books by Reginald Hill, which was first broadcast in March 1996. It is set in Yorkshire, and is about two detectives...
(2007) as Lee Knight - Mumbai CallingMumbai CallingMumbai Calling is a British-Indian comedy series, starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, set in the fictional Teknobable call centre in Mumbai. The series was shot on location in India. The pilot first aired on ITV on 30 May 2007...
(2007) as Benedict T. Harlow - The Crimson Petal and the WhiteThe Crimson Petal and the White (TV miniseries)The Crimson Petal and the White is a 2011 four part television miniseries, adapted from Michel Faber's 2002 novel The Crimson Petal and the White. Starring Romola Garai as Sugar and Chris O'Dowd as William Rackham, the miniseries aired in the UK during April 2011 on BBC Two. The supporting cast...
(2011) as Doctor Curlew - A Quiet Word With ... (2011) as himself
- Rab C Nesbitt (2011) as Chingford Steel
Voice acting
- The Pillars of the EarthThe Pillars of the EarthThe Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel by Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. It is set in the middle of the 12th century, primarily during the Anarchy, between the time of the sinking of the White Ship and the...
- audiobook by Ken FollettKen FollettKen Follett is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels. He has sold more than 100 million copies of his works. Four of his books have reached the number 1 ranking on the New York Times best-seller list: The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, and World Without End.-Early...
, as the narrator - World Without End - audiobook by Ken FollettKen FollettKen Follett is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels. He has sold more than 100 million copies of his works. Four of his books have reached the number 1 ranking on the New York Times best-seller list: The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, and World Without End.-Early...
, as the narrator - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
: Scream of the ShalkaScream of the ShalkaScream of the Shalka is a flash-animated series based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was produced to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the series and was originally posted in six weekly parts from 13 November to 18 December 2003 on bbc.co.uk's Doctor Who...
(2003) as The Doctor (online) - Pinocchio's Daring JourneyPinocchio's Daring JourneyPinocchio's Daring Journey is a dark ride at the Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Park theme parks. Located in Fantasyland, this ride is based on Disney's animated film version of the classic story, which was the studio's second animated feature film. Stromboli's marionette show is also...
as Stromboli and the Coachman - The Legends of Treasure IslandThe Legends of Treasure IslandThe Legends Of Treasure Island is an animated cartoon from the UK that ran from 1993-1995. It had two series of 13 episodes each and each episode runs for 22–25 minutes....
(1993) as Long John Silver (Voice Only) - an animated TV series, series one only.
External links
- "Memories of Mischief". The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, August 6, 2005. (Interview and profile pertaining to the release of his film Wah-WahWah-WahWah-Wah is a 2005 drama film, written and directed by British actor Richard E. Grant and loosely based on his childhood in Swaziland. Filmed and set in Swaziland, the film was premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival and also opened the Edinburgh Festival to critical acclaim...
.)