Richard Dillane (born 1964) is an English actor. He appears in Soldier Soldier (1995), Cold Feet (2000), Space Race (2005), Tristan & Isolde (2006), Spooks (2007), Casualty (2008-2009), Oranges and Sunshine (2010), Doctor Who (2011), Argo (2012), Dead in Tombstone (2013), Wolf Hall (2015), Peaky Blinders and Poldark (2016), Giri/Haji (2019), Young Wallander (2020),The Crown and Andor (2022).

Richard Dillane in Foyle's War 2013

Early life and education edit

Dillane is from Kent,[1] and grew up near London with his brother Stephen (also an actor). Their mother is English and their father was born in Australia to Irish parents.[2] He took a philosophy degree at Manchester University,[citation needed] and lived in Australia for ten years,[3] working in white-water rafting as a guide,[2] also as an actor and director.[4]

Career edit

In 2020, he appears in a lead role of the Netflix series Young Wallander,[4] based on the character Kurt Wallander created by novelist Henning Mankell. He played British intelligence agent Peter Nicholls in Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning 2012 political thriller Argo,[3] and Merv Humphreys, husband of Margaret Humphreys (played by Emily Watson) in Jim Loach's fact-based movie Oranges and Sunshine.[4]

He was Wernher von Braun in the BBC television docudrama Space Race,[4] Nero in Howard Brenton's play Paul at the National Theatre of Great Britain and appeared several times as Stephen Maturin in the BBC radio adaptations of the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey–Maturin novels and Peter Guillam in three John le Carré adaptations.[4] Dillane's other film work includes The Dark Knight (as Acting Commissioner),[4] Mindscape[3] with Mark Strong, The Dinosaur Project,[3] The Edge of Love, The Jacket,[3] Tristan & Isolde (2006),[3] and as Cole Porter's last lover Bill Wrather (a composite character) in Irwin Winkler's biopic De-Lovely, which starred Kevin Kline.[4]

Recent television work includes Giri/Haji,[3] The Last Kingdom, Peaky Blinders,[2] Counterpart,[4] Outlander,[2] The Last Post,[3] and Star Wars: Andor.[4]

In 2015, he played Duke of Suffolk in the BBC TV series Wolf Hall,[2] and in 2016 he appeared in the lead role of DCI Michael Waite in a double episode of the BBC TV series Silent Witness.[2]

Prior to this, he played the captain of the shape-changing justice robot Teselecta in two episodes of Doctor Who[4] ("Let's Kill Hitler" and "The Wedding of River Song"), rogue spy John Richardson in Spooks (2007),[2] Australian conman Graham Poole in Hustle,[4] photographer and old flame Miles Brodie in Cold Feet,[4] posh drug addict Theodore Platt in the first episode of Lewis[3] and the relationship counsellor Ben in Men Behaving Badly,[4] as well as regular characters Sean Anderson in Casualty,[2] and Australian sergeant Brad Connor in the ITV series Soldier Soldier.[3]

On stage, Dillane has performed at the National Theatre of Great Britain in London and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon.[4] In 2000, he was the 1st Duke of Suffolk in the Olivier Award-winning Michael Boyd productions of Henry VI parts 1, 2 and 3 in Stratford, London and Michigan.[5] He played Hamlet in Perth, Australia, directed by Ray Omodei.[4]

He is also a regular radio actor and voice-over artist.[3]

Personal life edit

His essay 'Making Sense of "To be, or not to be"', about Hamlet's soliloquy, was published in Shakespeare and Montaigne.

He is married to Scottish actress Jayne McKenna, and they live in Brighton, East Sussex (in 2015).[1] They were married in 2005, and had three children, all boys, Austin, Murray and Ray.[1]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Emmerdale: Revenge D.S. Dan Campbell Direct-to-Video
1999 Wing Commander Lieutenant Hunter
2000 Seeing Red Steve TV film
2001 Doc Martin Tim TV film
2002 George Eliot: A Scandalous Life John Cross TV film
2004 EMR Victor
De-Lovely Bill Wrather
2005 The Jacket Captain Medley
Our Hidden Lives S TV film
2006 Tristan & Isolde Aragon
One Hundredth of a Second Connor Short film
2008 The Edge of Love Lieutenant Colonel David Talbot Rice
The Dark Knight Acting Commissioner
2009 Free Agents Theatre Actor TV film
Moonshot Tom Stafford TV film
Mad, Sad & Bad Roger
2010 Oranges and Sunshine Merv
2012 The Dinosaur Project Jonathan Marchant
Argo OSS Officer Nicholls
2013 Dead in Tombstone Jack Sutter Direct-to-Video
Mindscape Robert
2014 United Passions Larsen
Altar Greg
The Last Hand John Short film
2017 Against the Law Prosecutor Roberts TV film
2018 Mother's Day Dr. Tarring TV film
2019 The Last Vermeer Colonel Jenkins
2020 The Show Flash Avenger
The Forgotten Battle Sinclair
2021 Munich – The Edge of War Colonel Menzies

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Soldier Soldier Sergeant Brad Connor Recurring role; 10 episodes
1997 Heartbeat Terry Episode: "Peace and Quiet"
Men Behaving Badly Ben Episode: "Ten"
Solomon Jeroboam Mini-series
1998 The Grand Sean Villiers Series 2, Episode 6
Big Women Brian Mini-series
Verdict Robert Horton-Smith Episode: "Split Second"
1999 An Evil Streak David Mereday Mini-series
2000 Cold Feet Miles Brodie Recurring role; 2 episodes
2003 Jean Moulin, une affaire française Anthony Harper Mini-series
Red Cap Captain Finbar Glover Episode: "Cover Story"
Adventure Inc. Michael Drake Episode: "Spirit of the Mask"
2004 Spartacus Julius Caesar Episode: "Julius Caesar"
2005 Space Race Wernher von Braun Series regular
2006 Hustle Graham Poole Episode: "Law and Corruption"
2007 Casualty Anthony Sharman Episode: "The Silence of Friends"
Waking the Dead Ricardo Rivelli Episode: "Mask of Sanity"
Lewis Theodore Platt Episode: "Whom the Gods Would Destroy"
Rome Centurion Vallo Episode: "De Patre Vostro"
Spooks John Richardson Episode: "The Broadcast"
2008 Agatha Christie's Poirot Major Summerhayes Episode: "Mrs McGinty's Dead"
2008-2009 Casualty Sean Anderson Series regular
2011 Doctor Who Carter Recurring role; 2 episodes
2012 DCI Banks DCI Stuart Burgess Episode: "Dry Bones That Dream"
2013 Midsomer Murders Oliver Ordish Episode: "Schooled in Murder"
Foyle's War Charles Roper Series 7 Episode 3: "Sunflower"
Atlantis Pallos Episode: "A Boy of No Consequence"
2014 Vera Will Peyton Episode: "The Deer Hunters"
New Tricks Lawrence Devlin Episode: "Tender Loving Care"
2015 Wolf Hall Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk Series regular
Partners in Crime Bulldog Episode: "The Secret Adversary"
2016 Endeavour Leo Richardson Episode: "Arcadia"
Silent Witness DCI Michael Waite Episode: "Flight"
Peaky Blinders General Curran Episode: "Series 3, Episode 1"
Poldark Henry Bull Episode: "Series 2, Episode 2"
Berlin Station Gerald Ellman Episode: "Station to Station"
Daye's Work DI Harry Daye Episode: "Pilot"
2017 The White Princess Sir Thomas Stanley Series regular
The Last Post Harvey Tilbrook Series regular
Outlander Captain Raines Recurring role; 2 episodes
2018 Counterpart Ricky Langston Episode: "Something Borrowed"
2019 West of Liberty Ron Herriman Series regular
Twice Upon a Time David Arron Recurring role; 2 episodes
Strike Back Whitehall Recurring role; 2 episodes
Giri/Haji Brian Series 1, Episode 3
2020 The Last Kingdom Ludeca Recurring role; 4 episodes
Betaal Colonel Lynedoch Series regular
Young Wallander Hemberg Series regular
2021 Call the Midwife Mr. Scarisbrick Recurring role; 2 episodes
Dalgliesh Dr. Stephen Courtney-Briggs Episode: "Shroud for a Nightingale"
2022 Father Brown Sir Charles Hakeworth Episode: "The Red Death"
Andor Davo Sculdun Episode: "One Way Out"
The Crown George V Episode: "Ipatiev House"

Theatre credits edit

Year Title Role Venue Ref
1996 Twelfth Night Antonio Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Theatre [6]
Troilus and Cressida Diomedes Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Theatre [7]
2000 Henry VI Suffolk Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon [5]
2001 Double Indemnity Walter Huff Playhouse, Salisbury & New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich [8]
Richard III Rivers Young Vic, London [4]
2002 Measure for Measure Malaya Angelo Riverside Studios, London [9]
2004 Uncle Varick Dr. Michael Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh [10]
2005 Paul Nero Royal National Theatre, London [11]
2006 The Taming of the Shrew Petruchio Theatre Royal, Bristol [12]
2012 The Lady from the Sea Arnholm Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames [13]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "East Kilbride actress lands starring role in West End musical War Horse". dailyrecord.co.uk. 10 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Richard Dillane". tvguide.com. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Richard Dillane Voice". sueterryvoices.com. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Richard Dillane". conwayvangeldergrant.com. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b "RSC Performances Henry VI". Shakespeare Theatre Company. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  6. ^ "RSC Performances Twelfth Night". Shakespeare Theatre Company. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  7. ^ "RSC Performances Troilus and Cressida". Shakespeare Theatre Company. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Reflex Action for Ipswich Wolsey Theatre". etNow. 19 November 2001.
  9. ^ Billington, Michael (8 November 2002). "Theatre - Measure for Measure Malaya". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  10. ^ Jones, Sarah (22 April 2004). "Uncle Varick, Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh". The Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  11. ^ Billington, Michael (10 November 2005). "Theatre - Paul". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  12. ^ Gore-Langton, Robert (16 May 2006). "The Taming Of The Shrew, Old Vic, Bristol". The Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  13. ^ Fox, Killian (4 March 2012). "The Lady from the Sea – review". The Guardian. The Observer. Retrieved 11 February 2022.

External links edit