Richard Armitage

Richard Crispin Armitage is an English actor noted for his character Thorin Oakenshield in the movie The Hobbit. His other movies credit Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) as Naboo fighter pilot, Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) as Heinz Kruger, Alice Through the Looking Gla s s (2016) as King Oberon, Ocean's 8 (2018) as Claude Becker and among others. He is also known for his role as John Thornton on the British television program, North & South, and John Porter in the TV drama, Strike Back. His other television roles are Cleopatra (1999) as Cleopatra, Robin Hood (2006–2009) as Guy of Gisborne, Strike Back: Project Dawn (2015) as Francis Dolarhyde, Berlin Station as Daniel Miller, and Castlevania as Trevor Belmont. Armitage formerly also was involved in various theatrical performances and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Some of his popular Theatre works include The Long and the Short and the Tall (1995) as Macliesh, Hamlet (1998) as Bernardo, The Crucible (2014) as Brothel Patron, Love, Love, Love (2016) as Kenneth.

Early Life And Education Of Richard Armitage 

Richard Crispin Armitage was born to parents John Armitage (an engineer) and Margaret (a secretary) on 22^nd August 1971 in Leicester, England. Richard attended Huncote Community Primary School in Blaby district and later joined Brockington College in Enderby where he studied music. He played cello, orchestras, and flute.

Richard expanded his knowledge by including dance and acting in Coventry’s Pattison College. Richard gained an A-Level in music and English. Richard then went to Budapest and joined a circus for six weeks to gain his Equity card.

Richard Armitage's Professional Bio

Richard then returned to England and fulfilled his dream to perform in a theater. He performed in musical theatre in numerous productions including the ensembles of 42^nd Street and Annie Get Your Gun. Richard then pursued his dream of acting in dramatic theatre production and thus performed as various characters in The Real Thing and death of a Salesman.

In order to hone his acting skills, Richard joined the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Richard came back to the theatre stage as a supporting player with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Macbeth and the Duchess of Malfi. Richard also performed in Hamlet (1998) and Four Alice Bakers in the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Richard first starred in the Charm Offensive’s production of Use Me As Your Cardigan but his major television role was in 2002 as John Standring in the BBC’s Sparkhouse. Then later Richard took a supporting role in the TV productions of Between the Sheets, Cold Feet (series 5), and Ultimate Force (series 2). Later in 2004, Richard appeared in his first leading role as John Thornton in the BBC’s Elizabeth Gaskell’s North & South.

A Year later in 2005, Richard played Peter MacDuff in Macbeth in the BBC’s Shakespeare-Told. Armitage then went on to star in The Impressionists where he played as the Young Claude Monet. In the meantime, he also acted as Dr. Alec Track in ITV’s The Golden Hour. Richard’s first-ever considerable role in a movie was in the independent picture Frozen. In 2006, Richard was cast in the BBC’s Robin Hood. In the same year, Richard appeared in a two-part Christmas Special of The Vicar of Dibley.  

Richard played Ricky Deeming on 8^th April 2007 in the detective drama George Gently. Then on 9^th May, he appeared in the BBC’s Miss Marie Lloyd Queen of the Music Hall. The same year, Richard also appeared in the Granda TV production of Agatha Christie’s novel Ordeal by Innocence as character Philip Durrant.

In October 2008, Richard appeared in the cast of Spooks as character Lucas North for the 7^th series. Richard completed filming of the 9^th series in July 2010 which was his final series. Richard appeared in BBC1’s Moving On as character John Mulligan. Then in May 2010, Richard starred in Strike Back for Sky1. In an interview, Richard said that in the end he was attracted to the character.

Richard is mostly noted for his character Heinz Kruger in the film Captain America: The First Avenger which was released in July 2011. Later in December 2012, Richard appeared as Thorin Oakenshield in the three-film production of The Hobbit. Richard describes his character as complex and flawed. In August 2014, Richard starred in Into the Storm.

Richard began filming an adaptation of Bernard Hare’s Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew in March 2014. Richard will appear in the Old Vic production of The Crucible which is scheduled to run from 21 June to 13 September 2014. Richard had always wanted to star in a drama based on Richard III because he was born on the anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth Field where Richard III was killed. Recently Richard stated that he is still in the project, although he is too tall and too old to play Richard III.

Richard who calls himself a method actor is undoubtedly going to write his names in the history of the entertainment arena with his remarkable acting abilities.  During an interview, he said:

"Yeah, I suppose I am. In a way it's slightly lazy because it means you don't have to pretend – you just have to believe. As much as it's possible to be like that I suppose I kind of do step in and out, I'm not one of these people that can't talk to other people because I'm in my character, but I kind of do stay with the character, yeah. He's always there. It's like marinating something – you're sitting in a marinade the whole time."

As of 2018, he is working in two popular television series, Berlin Station-a drama created by Olen Steinhauer. He portrays the character named Daniel Miller sharing the screen with Rhys Ifans, Michelle Forbes, Richard Jenkins, and Leland Orser. Castlevania; an adult animated web television series that was based on the Japanese video game Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse as Trevor Belmont.

Richard Armitage's Net worth

The net worth of the Strike Back actor, Richard is estimated to be around $13 million. His main source of income is his acting career. 

Richard Armitage's Personal Life

Richard Armitage has a masculine body and stands tall at the height of 6 feet 2 inches. Richard has posed shirtless on many of his TV series and movies which gives you an idea about his incredibly built body and which has also built accusations that he is gay.

There have been strong rumors about Richard Armitage and The Hobbit costar Lee Pace being lovers due to various get-together pictures being publicized. When an interviewer in Comic-Con asked Lee about his thoughts on Richard, Lee commented that Richard was an amazing man and that he loved him, which raised more suspicion about both the actors’ sexuality.

Although Richard was in a relationship with English actress Annabel Capper in 2013 nobody knows their current relationship status. But Annabel is certainly not his wife looking at the current a s sumptions of Richard being gay. Richard likes keeping his personal life away from the media thus no one particularly knows about his dating list, divorce, or if he is married. 

He was also rumored to be dating actress Daniela Denby-Ashe.