Richard Harrington (actor)


Richard Harrington is a Welsh stage and TV actor. He has had starring roles in the shows Hinterland, Bleak House, Gunpowder, Treason & Plot, and the film The All Together. He won a BAFTA Cymru Award for his role in the film Dafydd and another for his role in Hinterland.

Early life and education

Richard Harrington was born in Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and grew up in Dowlais.
He studied at a Welsh Medium school in Merthyr and as a result, speaks Welsh as a second language.

Career

Harrington has had starring roles in the Welsh show Hinterland, Bleak House, Jimmy McGovern's Gunpowder, Treason & Plot, and Gavin Claxton's comedy feature film The All Together. He has also had roles in Coronation Street, Spooks, Casualty, Holby City, Hustle, Dalziel and Pascoe, Silent Witness, Lark Rise to Candleford, and Poldark. He won a BAFTA Cymru Award for his portrayal of a young gay hustler in the BBC film Dafydd, part of the Wales Playhouse programme.
On stage, Harrington has toured with Fiction Factory/Y Cwmni's productions of Ed Thomas's plays House of America, Gas Station Angel and Stone City Blue. He also appeared in the 1997 film version of House of America.
In 2015, Harrington won another BAFTA Cymru Award for his role as DCI Tom Matthias in Y Gwyll / Hinterland.
In April 2017, Harrington presented the BBC Two Wales programme Richard Harrington: My Grandfather's War, in which he followed the journey his grandfather had made through Spain in 1937 in order to fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War.
In 2018 he appeared at the National Theatre in London in Home I'm Darling, a co-production with Theatr Clwyd.
In February 2021, speaking of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harrington revealed that he had worked as a Deliveroo driver to supplement his income during lockdown, due to the lack of work.

Personal life

Harrington has two children with a former girlfriend and two with his current girlfriend, Hannah Daniel, with whom he lives in Crystal Palace, London.
In 2012 and 2013, he took part in the Snowdonia Marathon alongside his friend and fellow actor Mark Lewis Jones. They both ran Marathon des Sables in 2014.

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1993Gadael Lenin Charlie
1996The PropositionEvan
1996Pobol y CymOssie
1997House of AmericaCat
1997BreedersJack
1997Motor Driving Made EasyReflex ActionShort
1998A Light in the ValleyCast member
1999Oh Little Town of BethlehemMartinShort
2000Care (film)Tony CollinsTV film
2001ScoreNeilTV film
2001A Day OutGirl's FatherShort
2002High SpeedSpike
2002MuleRayShort
2003RehabPowellTV film
2003The RideSpike
2004Secret PassageJoseph
2004Mathilde (film)Babyface
2005Fatigue
2006Daddy's GirlStephen
2007The All TogetherJerry Davies
2007The ContractorTerry Winchell
2008Strap-on Owl BeakActorShort
2008Hope EternalEvan
2011Little MunchkinMr. JonesShort
2011Burton: Y GyfrinachRichard BurtonTV film
2011My TimesShort
2012Elfie HopkinsTimothy Jenkins
2014Under Milk WoodNeighbourTV film
2015Just JimHeadmaster
2016Royal Wives at WarNarratorTV film
2016My Grandfather's WarHimselfBBC TV documentary about the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War
2018HatchbackJohnShort
2018GwenEdward Morris
2018Last SummerDai Hop
2019Bitter SkyRoyShort
2022Fisherman's Friends: One and AllMorgan Jenkins
2023ConsentHeadmasterChannel Four
2025HavocJake

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1987The District NurseDonald TurnerEpisode: "A Blind Eye"
1989Screen OneSeries 1: episode 2: "Nineteen 96"
1992CivviesTaffy's neighbour1 episode
1993, 1995Wales PlayhouseSion / Dafydd2 episodes: "Broken Glass" & "Dafydd"
BAFTA Cymru Award - Best Actor
1995Oliver's TravelsStudentMini-series
1995-1997A Mind to KillPaul Tam3 episodes
1997Tiger BayWarwick3 episodes
1999Coronation StreetOwen Williams4 episodes
2002The Hidden CityBarney
2003Holby CityLee Walmsley1 episode: "By Any Other Name"
2004HustleSam Richards1 episode: "Cops and Robbers"
2004Silent WitnessStephen Barnes2 episodes: "Nowhere Fast: Parts 1 & 2"
2004SpooksWill North6 episodes
2005Dalziel and PascoeGary MilehamSeries 9: episode 33: "Heads You Lose: Parts 1 & 2"
2005Bleak HouseAllan Woodcourt7 episodes
2006Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an EmpireYohanon1 episode: "Rebellion"
2006CasualtyJerry Goater1 episode: "Last Orders"
2007Five DaysDaf Parry3 episodes
2007Y PrisStuart1 episode: "Parch "
2007SoldPaul Bamforth1 episode
2007–2008HolbyBlueDS Luke French20 episodes
2008New TricksAsh1 episode: "Communal Living"
2009MissingRyan Long1 episode: "Deeper Problems"
2009Land GirlsAdam Blackfield2 episodes: "Trekkers" & "Destinies"
2009CollisionJames Taylor / Ben Hickman3 episodes
2010M.I. HighTommy Blumenheck1 episode: "Don't Cook Now"
2010Midsomer MurdersLeo Fincher1 episode: "Blood on the Saddle"
2010Pen TalarDefi Lewis7 episodes
2011Lark Rise to CandlefordGabriel CochraneSeries 4: 6 episodes
2012CasualtyChris Johnson2 episodes: "Duty of Care" & "Death and Doughnuts"
2012AlysSimon8 episodes
2013–2016Y Gwyll / HinterlandDCI Tom MathiasLead role
2014WolfbloodGerwyn4 episodes
2015–2016PoldarkCaptain Andrew Blamey5 episodes
2016StellaIan Meyer
2017Inspector George GentlyMichael Clements1 episode: "Gently and the New Age"
2018RequiemAron Morgan6 episodes
2018Father BrownBenedict Northam1 episode: "The Face of the Enemy"
2018Death in ParadiseBryn Williams1 episode: "Meditated in Murder"
2019The CrownFred PhillipsSeason 3: episode 3: "Aberfan"
2020Gangs of LondonMal4 episodes
2020EndeavourDr. Dai Ferman2 episodes: "Oracle" & "Zenana"
2021FflamBedwyr NealeS4C series; 6 episodes
2022The Chelsea DetectiveRory Fisk1 episode
2022“Dalgliesh”Dr David Rollinson2 episodes
2023Steeltown MurdersColin Dark4 episodes
2023Tree On A HillGlyn5 episodes
2024McDonald & DoddsLenny1 episode
2025 The One That Got AwayDS Rick Sheldon

TheatreHouse of America – Fiction FactoryGas Station Angel – Royal CourtStone City Blue – Theatre ClwydArt and Guff – Soho TheatreOther Hands – Soho TheatreLook Back in Anger –
Theatre Royal, BathCoriolanus – NTWHome I'm Darling – National Theatre