Richard Madden (born 18 June 1986) is a Scottish actor. He was cast in his first role at age 11 and made his screen acting debut in 2000. He later began performing on stage whilst a student at theRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland. In 2007, he toured withShakespeare's Globe company asRomeo inRomeo and Juliet, a role he reprised in theWest End in 2016. Madden rose to fame with his portrayal ofRobb Stark in the fantasy drama seriesGame of Thrones from 2011 to 2013.
Madden was born on 18 June 1986 inElderslie, outside the city ofGlasgow,[1][2] where he grew up alongside his two sisters.[3][4] His mother is a primary school teacher, and his father worked as a firefighter.[5] At age 11, Madden joinedPACE Youth Theatre to help overcome his shyness.[6][7] At that same age, he was cast in his first role as young Andy in afilm adaptation ofIain Banks'Complicity,[8] which was released in 2000.[9] Next, he played the lead role of Sebastian in the children's television seriesBarmy Aunt Boomerang,[10] which aired from 1999 until 2000.[11] In addition to being shy, Madden struggled with body insecurities as a child.[12] He later stated that he also experienced bullying, especially in high school, which he attributed to his role inComplicity.[8]
Madden attendedCastlehead High School.[13] He studied at theRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland, formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, in Glasgow, graduating in 2007.[10][11] He worked withThe Arches and the Glasgow Repertory Company during his studies; he also performed inFranz Xaver Kroetz's playTom Fool at theCitizens Theatre. After receiving positive reviews, theTom Fool production transferred to London, where Madden was spotted by a team fromShakespeare's Globe.[11] In his final year at the conservatoire, he was cast asRomeo in the playRomeo and Juliet at the modern Globe Theatre in London, followed by a tour of the production during the summer of 2007.[11][14] In her review, Susan Elkin ofThe Stage deemed the actor's portrayal of Romeo "gravellyGlaswegian" and "almost childlike".[15]
Madden portrayedPrince Kit inCinderella, a romantic fantasy film andlive action adaptation of theanimated film of the same name.[30] While terrified of playing a classical fairy tale character, the actor found comfort in how audiences knew very little about the prince in the animated film and how he was able to create "a real young man."[31] Released in March 2015,Cinderella was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $542 million.[32][33] The following year, Madden starred as Romeo in aWest End production ofRomeo and Juliet, which opened at theGarrick Theatre on 25 May, reuniting with hisCinderella co-starLily James, who starred as Juliet, and directorKenneth Branagh.[34][35]Michael Billington ofThe Guardian praised Madden's articulation of Romeo's "challenge to fate", whileVariety's Matt Trueman criticised his speeches as "flat and regimented".[35][36] He departed the production in July after suffering an ankle injury.[37]
In 2016, Madden appeared as an American pickpocket in the thriller filmBastille Day.[38] He played the lead role ofCosimo de' Medici, a member of theHouse of Medici banking family during theItalian Renaissance, in the first season of the Italian-British television drama seriesMedici, subtitledMasters of Florence, which aired that same year.[39] In 2017, he appeared in the first episode ofElectric Dreams, an anthology series based onPhilip K. Dick's works. Writing forDigital Spy, Alex Mullane found the actor "particularly dashing" and added that his performance made the twist in the story "brutally effective".[40] Madden next played a DJ in theNetflix romantic comedy filmIbiza, embodying the part with hints of goofiness and loneliness.[41] In her review forThe Daily Telegraph, Lucy Jones deemed him a "fine and believable romantic lead."[42]
Madden garnered acclaim and recognition for playing Sergeant David Budd, a war veteran and police officer withpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in the 2018 BBC thriller seriesBodyguard.[43][44] He spoke to members of the armed forces who had experienced PTSD to frame a complex and intricate representation of the disorder.[43] Tim Goodman ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote that the actor executed the role with self-possession, whileThe Atlantic's Sophie Gilbert observed that he conveyed Budd's "superb instincts, his cool head under fire, and his complex psyche" successfully.[45][46] After the series finale became the most watched UK television drama episode since the beginning of current records, Netflix releasedBodyguard worldwide in October 2018.[47][48] Madden's performance earned him theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama.[49]
In 2019, Madden portrayed music managerJohn Reid in theElton John biopicRocketman, which was released in May,[5] and appeared as aWorld War I soldier inSam Mendes' war film1917, which was released in December.[50] Both films garnered positive reviews and became box office successes.[51][52][53][54] From December 2020 to January 2021, he starred in the science fiction podcast seriesFrom Now, voicing a survivor of a spaceship that returns 35 years after vanishing.[55] Madden starred asIkaris in theMarvel Cinematic Universe superhero filmEternals, directed byChloé Zhao. Released in 2021, the film garnered mixed responses from critics and audiences.[56][57]
Madden starred alongsidePriyanka Chopra Jonas inCitadel, an action thriller series onAmazon Prime Video. It premiered in 2023. With a production budget of US$300 million, the six-episode first season ranks as one of the most expensive television shows.[58] Madden considered working onCitadel to be "incredibly physically demanding".[59] Critics had mixed opinions on the series;[60][61] Daniel Fienberg ofThe Hollywood Reporter found Madden "adequately intense and sometimes funny in a way the insufficiently playful show needs".[62] Madden next starred inKiller Heat, a thriller directed byPhilippe Lacôte.[63]
In 2019, Madden was featured on theTime 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world compiled byTime magazine.[64] He was also recognised with theGQ Men of the Year Award for Hugo Boss Most Stylish Man that same year.[65]
Madden was in a relationship with actressJenna Coleman from 2011 to 2015.[66]
In an interview withBritish Vogue, Madden expressed pride in coming from a working class background and said that his social conscience is sparked by inequality in education and the lack of creative opportunities for working-class children in schools.[67] As of May 2019, he splits his time between his residence in London and Los Angeles.[5][67] In July 2019, Madden received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.[68] When asked about his personal life during aNew York Times interview following tabloid speculation about his relationships and sexuality, Madden stated: "I just keep my personal life personal."[22]
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
