Richard Griffiths

Richard Griffiths (born July 31, 1947 in Thornaby-on-Tees) is a British actor. He will portray George II in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Richard is best known for his role as the magic-disliking Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter films.

Griffiths came from radio and the classical stage where he built up an early reputation as a Shakespearean clown, with larger-than-life portrayals of Henry VIII, Falstaff in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with the Royal Shakespeare Company just a few of his standout credits. The son of deaf mute parents, he learned sign language at an early age and, interestingly enough, developed a talent for dialects which allowed him to show off in a number of ethnic portrayals. In films from 1975 both here and abroad, his better roles have been in both contemporary and period pieces. Griffiths was considered by the producers of Doctor Who for the role of the Doctor himself, however, the original series did not continue from 1989. He has been in over 60 productions in both films and theatre. He also appeared in the British-Film made for TV, Ballet Shoes.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - King George II of Great Britain