Richard Armitage's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Robin Hood (UK) Guy of Gisb… Spooks (UK) Lucas North Strike Back (UK) John Porter The Vicar of Dibley (UK) Harry Kennedy George Gently (UK) Ricky Deeming Ultimate Force (UK) Capt. Ian M… North and South (UK) John Thornton ShakespeaRe-Told (UK) Peter Macduff Between the Sheets (UK) Paul Andrews The Impressionists (UK) Young Claud…

Main Movie Roles 1999 - Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace

BIOGRAPHY:

Richard Armitage was born and raised in Leicester, England. He attended Pattison College in Binley Road, Coventry, and studied at LAMDA (the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). His first appearance on the screen was in a small role in This Year's Love (1999), but it was Sparkhouse (2002) (TV) that gave him a break-through role as the charming but a bit odd character of John Standring opposite Sarah Smart. After two guest-roles in "Cold Feet" (1997) in 2003 and "Between the Sheets" (2003), he landed a role as Steven in Frozen (2005), which eventually led him to play the lead role in the big hit BBC drama "North & South" (2004). Other than appearing on screen, he has also appeared on stage--in, for example, Macbeth and Hamlet.


TRIVIA:

• To get into character as Lee, his role in _"Cold Feet" (1997)_ (qv), he took up aqua aerobics.
• At 17, joined a circus in Budapest for six weeks to get his Equity card.
• His older brother's name is Chris.
• Joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at age 28 for 18 months.
• Started acting career in musical theatre.
• His parents are John, an engineer, and Margaret, a secretary. Ironically he played the character John Thornton in 'North & South', and his love interest was Margaret Hale.
• Previous jobs include packing boxes in a warehouse, worked at a laser gun place and took front-of-house jobs in the theatre but continued to go to drama classes.
• He plays the cello, guitar, and flute.