Richard Wilson
Richard Wilson’s portrayal of Victor Meldrew in ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE has won him numerous awards including the British Comedy Awards Top Television Comedy Actor Award and two Light Entertainment BAFTA Awards. In 1994 Richard was awarded the OBE for services to drama as a director and actor. From 1996 until 1999 he was Rector of Glasgow University. He is now the visiting professor for Drama at Glasgow University. He has honorary degrees from both Glasgow University and the University of Caledonia. He is a former associate director of the Royal Court Theatre. Richard is currently filming as a series regular ‘Gaius’ in MERLIN, a new 13 part series for BBC1 (taking the Doctor Who slot on Saturday at 7pm). He has just finished filming an episodes of the forthcoming ITV primetime series THE LAST VAN HELSING and is about to film a second episode. This year he will present six episodes of BRITAIN’S BEST DRIVES for BBC 4/ BBC 2, which celebrate 50 years of the AA Roadmap.
Television work includes: Dr Donald Neuman in BORN AND BRED for BBC 1 (2 series) and in KING OF FRIDGES, a one off comedy for ITV/ Baby Cow . Prior to this Richard appeared in JEFFERY ARCHER- THE TRUTH playing the Duke of Edinburgh. He filmed two series of HIGH STAKES for ITV and he costarred in LIFE AS WE KNOW IT with Stephanie Cole for BBC 1. Apart from six series of ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE, leading television roles include: LIFE SUPPORT, IN THE RED and THE LORD OF MISRULE, all for the BBC. He is renowned for his role as Eddie Clockerty in the award-winning BBC drama series TUTTI FRUTTI and the LWT comedy series HOT METAL.
Richard recently directed Antony Sher in PRIMO for HBO/BBC. THE EGG for BBC Factual & Learning, BBC Scotland television production Changing Step which won the Best Feature Award at the 1991 Banff TV Festival. Other directing credits include the Play for Today productions of THE COMMITMENTS, REMAINDER MAN and UNDER THE HAMMER. He also directed A WHOLLY HEALTHY GLASGOW and THE VISION THING for the BBC.
His theatre work as an actor has included WHAT THE BULTER SAW at the National Theatre, THE WEEKEND (by Michael Palin), on tour and in the West End. He has also played the title role in UNCLE VANYA and Vladimir in WAITING FOR GODOT at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and the Royal Exchange in Manchester. For the Royal Court he has appeared in OPERATION BAD APPLE, AN HONOURABLE TRADE and MAY DAYS.
He has given several performances at the Stables Theatre Manchester including in Trevor Griffiths’ first play OCCUPATIONS. He guest starred with The Right Size in THE PLAY THAT I WROTE in the West End and starred in WHIPPING IT UP directed by Terry Johnson at The Bush Theatre, due to its immense success transferred to the West End, then touring until end November 07.
Richard started his directing career in the theatre with two plays by Peter Ransley: DISABLED and ELLEN and later became Associate Director of the Oxford Playhouse. He directed Michael Gambon and Alec McCowen in TOM AND CLEM by Stephen Churchett which toured and enjoyed a run in the West End. At Chichester he has directed Alan Bates in Simon Grey’s SIMPLY DISCONNECTED; at Hampstead and the Royal Exchange Manchester he directed THE LODGER. He has directed two pieces by Dusty Hughes: COMMITMENTS at the Bush and HEAVEN AND HELL at the Royal Court. For the Royal Court Upstairs he directed VIEW OF KABUL and GOD’S SECOND IN COMMAND. At the Royal Exchange Manchester he has directed AN INSPECTOR CALLS and WOMEN LAUGHING, which transferred to The Royal Court and received the Manchester Evening News Best New Play Award and the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for Regional Theatre. At the Lyric Hammersmith he directed Sheila Hancock in the hugely successful PRIN which transferred to the West End. His production of IMAGINE DROWNING at Hampstead Theatre won the John Whiting Award. He directed the one man show of PRIMO at the National Theatre starring Antony Sher which was also performed in South Africa, Hampstead Theatre and on Broadway. Richard directed EAST COAST CHICKEN SUPPER for The Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival 2005 and ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB for The National Youth Theatre 2006.
Recent directing work at the Royal Court Upstairs includes: RAINBOW KISS, PLAYING THE VICTIM, Edinburgh Festival & tour. UNDER THE WHALEBACK, A DAY IN DULL ARMOUR &GRAFITTI, WHERE DO WE LIVE, NIGHTINGALE AND CHASE, FOUR, TOAST AND MR. KOLPERT for which he won Best Director at the TMA Awards 2000. For Downstairs at the Royal Court: THE WOMAN BEFORE. In 2000 he directed I JUST STOPPED TO SEE THE MAN. In 1999 at the Tricycle Richard directed Johnny Lee Miller in FOUR KNIGHTS IN KNARESBOROUGH.
Most recently in film Richard appeared in LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS, WOMEN TALKING DIRTY, co-starred with Bill Murray in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE, directed by Jon Amiel and appeared in A PASSAGE TO INDIA, WHOOPS APOCALYPSE, GULLIVERS TRAVELS, PRICK UP YOUR EARS, FELLOW TRAVELLERS, HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING, A DRY WHITE SEASON, CARRY ON COLUMBUS and SOFT TOP HARD SHOULDER.
Richard Wilson’s portrayal of Victor Meldrew in ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE has won him numerous awards including the British Comedy Awards Top Television Comedy Actor Award and two Light Entertainment BAFTA Awards. In 1994 Richard was awarded the OBE for services to drama as a director and actor. From 1996 until 1999 he was Rector of Glasgow University. He is now the visiting professor for Drama at Glasgow University. He has honorary degrees from both Glasgow University and the University of Caledonia. He is a former associate director of the Royal Court Theatre. Richard is currently filming as a series regular ‘Gaius’ in MERLIN, a new 13 part series for BBC1 (taking the Doctor Who slot on Saturday at 7pm). He has just finished filming an episodes of the forthcoming ITV primetime series THE LAST VAN HELSING and is about to film a second episode. This year he will present six episodes of BRITAIN’S BEST DRIVES for BBC 4/ BBC 2, which celebrate 50 years of the AA Roadmap.Television work includes: Dr Donald Neuman in BORN AND BRED for BBC 1 (2 series) and in KING OF FRIDGES, a one off comedy for ITV/ Baby Cow . Prior to this Richard appeared in JEFFERY ARCHER- THE TRUTH playing the Duke of Edinburgh. He filmed two series of HIGH STAKES for ITV and he costarred in LIFE AS WE KNOW IT with Stephanie Cole for BBC 1. Apart from six series of ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE, leading television roles include: LIFE SUPPORT, IN THE RED and THE LORD OF MISRULE, all for the BBC. He is renowned for his role as Eddie Clockerty in the award-winning BBC drama series TUTTI FRUTTI and the LWT comedy series HOT METAL.
Richard recently directed Antony Sher in PRIMO for HBO/BBC. THE EGG for BBC Factual & Learning, BBC Scotland television production Changing Step which won the Best Feature Award at the 1991 Banff TV Festival. Other directing credits include the Play for Today productions of THE COMMITMENTS, REMAINDER MAN and UNDER THE HAMMER. He also directed A WHOLLY HEALTHY GLASGOW and THE VISION THING for the BBC.
His theatre work as an actor has included WHAT THE BULTER SAW at the National Theatre, THE WEEKEND (by Michael Palin), on tour and in the West End. He has also played the title role in UNCLE VANYA and Vladimir in WAITING FOR GODOT at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and the Royal Exchange in Manchester. For the Royal Court he has appeared in OPERATION BAD APPLE, AN HONOURABLE TRADE and MAY DAYS.
He has given several performances at the Stables Theatre Manchester including in Trevor Griffiths’ first play OCCUPATIONS. He guest starred with The Right Size in THE PLAY THAT I WROTE in the West End and starred in WHIPPING IT UP directed by Terry Johnson at The Bush Theatre, due to its immense success transferred to the West End, then touring until end November 07.
Richard started his directing career in the theatre with two plays by Peter Ransley: DISABLED and ELLEN and later became Associate Director of the Oxford Playhouse. He directed Michael Gambon and Alec McCowen in TOM AND CLEM by Stephen Churchett which toured and enjoyed a run in the West End. At Chichester he has directed Alan Bates in Simon Grey’s SIMPLY DISCONNECTED; at Hampstead and the Royal Exchange Manchester he directed THE LODGER. He has directed two pieces by Dusty Hughes: COMMITMENTS at the Bush and HEAVEN AND HELL at the Royal Court. For the Royal Court Upstairs he directed VIEW OF KABUL and GOD’S SECOND IN COMMAND. At the Royal Exchange Manchester he has directed AN INSPECTOR CALLS and WOMEN LAUGHING, which transferred to The Royal Court and received the Manchester Evening News Best New Play Award and the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for Regional Theatre. At the Lyric Hammersmith he directed Sheila Hancock in the hugely successful PRIN which transferred to the West End. His production of IMAGINE DROWNING at Hampstead Theatre won the John Whiting Award. He directed the one man show of PRIMO at the National Theatre starring Antony Sher which was also performed in South Africa, Hampstead Theatre and on Broadway. Richard directed EAST COAST CHICKEN SUPPER for The Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival 2005 and ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB for The National Youth Theatre 2006.
Recent directing work at the Royal Court Upstairs includes: RAINBOW KISS, PLAYING THE VICTIM, Edinburgh Festival & tour. UNDER THE WHALEBACK, A DAY IN DULL ARMOUR &GRAFITTI, WHERE DO WE LIVE, NIGHTINGALE AND CHASE, FOUR, TOAST AND MR. KOLPERT for which he won Best Director at the TMA Awards 2000. For Downstairs at the Royal Court: THE WOMAN BEFORE. In 2000 he directed I JUST STOPPED TO SEE THE MAN. In 1999 at the Tricycle Richard directed Johnny Lee Miller in FOUR KNIGHTS IN KNARESBOROUGH.
Most recently in film Richard appeared in LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS, WOMEN TALKING DIRTY, co-starred with Bill Murray in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE, directed by Jon Amiel and appeared in A PASSAGE TO INDIA, WHOOPS APOCALYPSE, GULLIVERS TRAVELS, PRICK UP YOUR EARS, FELLOW TRAVELLERS, HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING, A DRY WHITE SEASON, CARRY ON COLUMBUS and SOFT TOP HARD SHOULDER.