Richard Ridings

Richard Ridings
Born
Richard John Ridings

(1958-09-19) 19 September 1958 (age 66)
Alma materBretton Hall College
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
OccupationActor
Years active1983–present
Spouse
Catherine Jensen
(m. 1983)
[1]
ChildrenFreya Ridings[2]

Richard John Ridings (born 19 September 1958) is an English actor. He portrayed Alan Ashburn in the ITV television drama Fat Friends, Bernard Green in the BBC One comedy-drama Common as Muck, Mr. Bumble in the BBC series Dickensian, and is the voice of Daddy Pig in Peppa Pig. He trained as an actor at Bretton Hall College, then the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He is the father of singer-songwriter Freya Ridings.

Career

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He had roles in a series of other television series and feature films, among them Clockwise, The Ink Thief, Red Dwarf, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Fierce Creatures and as Silas in Highlander: The Series. Ridings voices Daddy Pig in the animated children's series Peppa Pig, Father Christmas and Boss Dwarf in Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, and Grooby in Q Pootle 5. In 2005, he took the lead role in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Clement Doesn't Live Here Anymore, playing a sexually obsessed overweight ghost alongside Steve Furst and Amanda Abbington. The second series was transmitted in May, 2007.[3]

Ridings has also provided voiceovers in video games, including the voice of Sarge in Quake III Arena, the Mentor in Dungeon Keeper and Dungeon Keeper 2, Mendechaus in War for the Overworld, Roach in Heavenly Sword, General Pig in Puppeteer, and ex-lawman Giles the Farmer in Fable II, on the Xbox 360 video game console. In 2010 he also provided the voice of Pigsy, in the video game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and of Cornell (the Dark Lord of the Lycanthropes) in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. In 2011 he provided the voice of the leader of the Machina refugees, Miqol, in Xenoblade Chronicles and in 2013 he provided the voice of the Hunter in DmC: Devil May Cry, the Daemon Lord in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, and the Green Man in Tearaway. In 2016 he voiced Thorgrim Grudgebearer in Total War: Warhammer.

Most recently, Ridings played a courageous ape named "Buck" in the "Planet of the Apes" prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which was released in August 2011. In 2015, he played Mr Bumble in the BBC miniseries Dickensian.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Film Role Director Notes
1984 Lassiter German Guard #2 Roger Young
1986 Clockwise Policeman at Crash Christopher Morahan
1987 The Fourth Protocol Skinhead John Mackenzie
1987 Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire Egypt Alan Clarke
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Angelo Robert Zemeckis
1989 Out of Town Labourer Norman Hull Short film
1989 Erik the Viking Thorfinn Skullsplitter Terry Jones
1990 King of the Wind Jailer Peter Duffell
1996 Different for Girls Richard Spence Uncredited
1996 The Wind in the Willows The Guard Terry Jones
1997 Fierce Creatures Hugh Primates Fred Schepisi
Robert Young
1998 Up 'n' Under Frank John Godber
1999 The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc La Hire Luc Besson
2002 The Pianist Mr. Lipa Roman Polanski
2002 Puckoon Alex Walker Terence Ryan
2002 The Princess and the Pea King Windham / Button Mark Swan Voice
2003 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Mr. Monza Jan de Bont
2005 Frozen Lorry Driver Juliet McKoen
2005 The Brothers Grimm Bunst Terry Gilliam
2005 Oliver Twist Warder Roman Polanski
2006 Amazing Grace Speaker of the House Michael Apted
2008 Faintheart Collin Vito Rocco
2009 Creation Thatcher Jon Amiel
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes Buck Rupert Wyatt
2011 Isle of Spagg Bob / Mel The Brothers McLeod Voice
Short film
2012 The Scapegoat Landlord Charles Sturridge
2012 The Horsemen Gary Samuel Bailey Short film
2013 National Theatre Live: This House Joe Harper Jeremy Herrin
2013 Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart Arthur Stéphane Berla
Mathias Malzieu
Voice (English version)
2013 The Physician Tough Guy Philipp Stölzl
2015 Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots Daddy Pig (UK) Mark Baker
Neville Astley
Voice
Short film
2016 The Carer Pub Landlord János Edelényi

TV series

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 Reilly, Ace of Spies Vanderberg 1.02 "Prelude to War"
1984–1986 Fairly Secret Army Ron Boat 10 episodes
1986 Dempsey and Makepeace Tulley's Sidekick 3.08 "The Cortez Connection"
1987 The Ritz Mad Mick 6 episodes
1987 Matlock Nicky 2.01 "The Billionaire"
1987 Home to Roost Millwall 3.05 "Crime Watch"
1987 The Continental Mad Mick Television film
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... Yob 1 4.04 "The Yob"
1988 Casualty Kevin 3.02 "Desperate Odds"
1988 Watching Alistair 2.16 "Twitching"
1989 The Bill Campbell 5.49 "A Quiet Life"
1989 Saracen Bulmer 1.10 "Three Blind Mice"
1990 The Castle of Adventure Nico 8 episodes
1991 Red Dwarf D.N.A. Ship Computer Voice
4.02 "DNA"
1992 Sean's Show Steve 1.06 "Blind Date"
1992 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Andre 2.02 "Somme, Early August 1916"
1992 Liquid Television Diner Cook #1 5 episodes
1992 Boon Keith 7.07 "The Sharp End"
1993 Minder Warren 9.02 "No Way to Treat a Daley"
1993 Comics Tommy Karr 2 episodes
1993 Casualty Jack 8.02 "Riders on the Storm"
1993 Red Dwarf Crazed Astro 6.01 "Psirens"
1993 Screen One Kevin 5.06 "Money for Nothing"
1994 A Pinch of Snuff Brian Burkhill Television film
1994 Pie in the Sky Gary Bourne 1.09 "Who Only Stand and Wait"
1994 Wild Justice Carl Television film
1994 The Ink Thief Aloysius 7 episodes
1994–1997 Common As Muck Bernard Green 12 episodes
1994 Heartbeat Thorpe 4.15 "A Bird in the Hand"
1995 The All New Alexei Sayle Show 2.03 "Episode #2.3"
1995 Sorry About Last Night Greg Television film
1995 Cruel Train Percy Cotton Television film
1996 On Dangerous Ground Thomas Borga Television film
1997 Highlander: The Series Silas 2 episodes
1997 The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Reverend Thwackum 5 episodes
1998 Casualty Ted Stokes 12.22 "Love Me Tender"
2000 This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper Det. Supt. Dick Holland Television miniseries
2000 Nature Boy Ted Television miniseries
2000 Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) PC Buns 1.06 "A Man of Substance"
2000 Relic Hunter Johnny the Jackhammer 1.21 "Nothing But the Truth"
2000–2004 Fat Friends Alan Ashburn 14 episodes
2001 Murder in Mind DCI Quarry 1.01 "Teacher"
2001 Where the Heart Is Paul Foster 5.13 "Declaration"
2001 Merseybeat Ben Ormerod 1.09 "Crying Out Loud"
2002 Born and Bred Horace Trubshaw 1.03 "The Inspector Calls"
2002 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet D.I. Andy Hateley 3.06 "An Inspector Calls"
2003 Margery & Gladys Terry Mason Television film
2004 Dalziel and Pascoe Trevor Nesbitt 8.03 "Great Escapes"
2004–present Peppa Pig Daddy Pig (UK) Voice (main character)
2004 Casualty Robbie Beresford 18.39 "The Good Father"
2005 Timewatch Elder Sextus 24.02 "Murder in Rome"
2005 The Shape of the Future Narrator (voice) Television documentary
2005 New Tricks Robbie 2.07 "Fluke of Luck"
2005 Coronation Street Barry 3 episodes
2005 ShakespeaRe-Told Maurice 1.02 "Macbeth"
2005 The Worst Week of My Life PC Tait 2 episodes
2006 Mayo Mark Castello 1.02 "Requiem for a Dove"
2006 The Royal Malcolm Hogg 5.11 "Keep on Running"
2007 Roman Mysteries Venalicius 3 episodes
2008 Casualty Vince 23.16 "This Will Be Our Year"
2009 Merlin Halig 2.09 "The Lady of the Lake"
2011 Doctors Jeff Hollins 13.67 "Sunday Sunday"
2012 Holby City Roy Benson 14.21 "Fresh Blood"
2009–2012 Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom Big Bad Barry
Dwarf Boss
Dwarf Mine Door
Father Christmas
Voice
16 episodes
2013–2014 Q Pootle 5 Groobie / Planet Dave Voice
49 episodes
2013 50 Greatest Kids Shows Himself Television documentary
2013 Great MoVie Mistakes Himself (voice) Television documentary
2014 Our Zoo Henning 1.03 "The Village Rivals"
2014 Q Pootle 5: Pootle All the Way! Groobie / Planet Dave Voice
Television film
2014 Borgia Adriano Castellesi 3.09 "1503, Part One"
2015 Chuggington Hamish Voice
4 episodes
2016 Jericho Thornhill 2 episodes
2015–2016 Dickensian Mr. Bumble Voice
15 episodes
2013 The TV That Made Me Himself 2.12 "Richard Ridings"
2016 Highlander: Dark Places Narrator Voice
Television film
2016 Six Wives with Lucy Worsley King Henry, VIII 1.03 "Divorced, Beheaded, Survived"
2018 Thunderbirds Are Go Bob Gray Voice
3.04 "Night and Day"

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Dungeon Keeper The Mentor (voice)
1997 Virus: The Game Viruses (voice)
1999 Silver Fuge (voice)
1999 Quake III: Arena Sarge (voice)
1999 Dungeon Keeper 2 The Mentor (voice)
2000 Imperium Galactica II: Alliances Additional Voices (voice) English version
2005 Kameo: Elements of Power Thorn (voice)
2005 Shinobido Kabuto (voice) English version
2007 Heavenly Sword Roach (voice)
2008 Viking: Battle for Asgard Additional Voices (voice)
2008 Fable II Farmer Giles (voice)
2009 Killzone 2 Additional Helghast Voices (voice)
2009 Risen Karakos (voice)
Drok (voice)
Ukkos (voice)
English version
2010 Xenoblade Chronicles Miqol (voice) English version
2010 Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Pigsy (voice)
2010 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Cornell (voice) English version
2010 Fable III Additional Voices (voice)
2011 Killzone 3 Helghast Soldiers (voice)
2011 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Space Marine (voice)
Chaos Space Marine (voice)
2011 Star Wars: The Old Republic Duke Kendoh (voice)
2013 DmC: Devil May Cry Hunter (voice)
2013 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate Daemon Lord (voice)
2013 Puppeteer General Pig (voice)
2014 Dungeon Keeper Mobile Horned Reaper (voice)
2014 Lego The Hobbit: The Video Game Additional Voices (voice)
2014 GRID Autosport Additional Voices (voice)
2014 Assassin's Creed: Unity Additional Voices (voice)
2015 Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below Additional Voices (voice) English version
2015 War for the Overworld Mendechaus (voice)
2015 Tearaway Unfolded The Green Man (voice)
2016 Total War: Warhammer Azhag the Slaughterer (voice)
Balthasar Gelt (voice)
Thorgrim Grudgebearer (voice)
Vlad von Carstein (voice)
Wurrzag the Great Green Prophet (voice)
2016 Dragon Quest Heroes II King of Harba (voice) English version
2018 Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom King Leonhard (voice) English version
2020 SpellForce 3: Fallen God Chieftain Kabrax Faithful (voice) English version
2023 Total War: Warhammer III Thorgrim Grudgebearer (voice) Immortal Empires Trailer and Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs DLC

Theatre

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Year Title Role Director Performance history
1984 Bouncers Lucky Eric / Judd John Godber West End, Tour
1984 Up 'n' Under Frank Rowley John Gobler Hull Truck Theatre
1987 Putting on the Ritz Mad Mick John Godber Haymarket Leicester
1988 Major Barbara Bill Walker Christopher Morahan Chichester
1990 Love's Labour's Lost Constable Dull Terry Hands RSC
1991 Troilus & Cressida Ajax Sam Mendes RSC
1991 King Lear Duke of Cornwall Nicholas Hynter RSC
2013 This House Joe Harper Jeremy Herrin National Theatre

References

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General

  • Skalski, Jeff (5 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Interview: Richard Ridings". YouTube. EA Mobile Games. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
  • Connelly, Brendon (7 April 2017). "Richard Ridings interview: Daddy Pig from Peppa Pig". Den of Geek.

Specific

  1. ^ "I cried for ages after Dunblane; Questions + Answers: RICHARD RIDINGS". The Mirror. 22 January 1997.
  2. ^ McClean, Craig (30 November 2018). "Freya Ridings interview: 'I feel like it was a horse race, and I'm a zebra'". Evening Standard.
  3. ^ "Richard Ridings". IMDb. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
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