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Richard McCabe

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For those of a similar name, see Dick McCabe (disambiguation).

Richard McCabe (born William McCabe, 1960) is a British actor who has specialised in classical theatre. He is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

Personal life

William (Bill) McCabe was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Scottish father and French mother. Following the early death of his father and his mother's remarriage, he grew up in Sussex, where he still lives with his partner, stage/film designer Fotini Dimou. He studied at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and adopted Richard as his Equity professional name as a tribute to an inspirational English teacher at secondary school.

Career

In 2017, McCabe acted in the role of Major General David Harding in the Bollywood film, Rangoon.[1] On 7 June 2015, McCabe won the Tony award for Best Featured Actor in the Broadway production of Peter Morgan's 2013 play The Audience, starring Dame Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II. Mirren won Best Actress award.[2][3] He also won awards for Outstanding Featured Actor (Outer Critics' Circle Awards)[4] and Distinguished Performance (Drama League Awards).[5]

On 28 April 2013, McCabe won an Olivier Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role as PM Harold Wilson in the original production of The Audience at the Gielgud Theatre.[6] He had previously been nominated for an Olivier Award in 1994 for his role as Autolycus in the 1992 RSC production of The Winter's Tale.[7]

McCabe is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), best known for his roles, ranging from comedy (Puck, Autolycus, Thersites, Apemantus) to drama (King John, Iago, Flamineo). He first gained major attention as Puck in the 1989 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, with a production that featured punk fairies and a scrapyard set. As Autolycus, McCabe entered Act III in The Winter's Tale, hanging from a bunch of huge balloons (1992–93; RST, Barbican, UK and international tour). His first leading part was creating the role of Christopher Marlowe in Peter Whelan's School of Night, a new play commissioned by the RSC to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Marlowe's death in 1993. (1993–94). Other major roles with the RSC have been the title role in King John (2006; Josie O’Rourke, Swan); Iago opposite Ray Fearon in Othello (1999-2000; Michael Attenborough, RST & Barbican); Flamineo in John Webster’s White Devil (1996–97; Gale Edwards, Swan & The Pit).[citation needed]

In September and October 2012, he played an older Romeo opposite Kathryn Hunter's Juliet in Ben Power's adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, called A Tender Thing (2009), directed by Helena Kaut-Hausen. He also played Hamlet over a period of three years (1999-2001) for Birmingham Rep's production directed by Bill Alexander. This included appearing at the Hamlet Festival at Elsinore Castle in Denmark in 2001.

McCabe has also been associated with Chichester's Festival Theatre playing a range of contrasting roles including the title role in Scapino or The Trickster by Molière (Festival Theatre 2005), directed by Silviu Purcarete. In 2010, McCabe played the critic Moon in The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard, and Mr. Puff in The Critic by Sheridan in a double bill at the Minerva theatre, as well as Jonson in "Bingo" by Edward Bond that subsequently transferred to the Young Vic.

In 2011 McCabe played Jim Hacker in a nationwide tour of "Yes, Prime Minister" which then transferred to both the Apollo and Gielgud theatres. He was last seen in London playing Tropachov in Fortunes Fool by Turgenev at the Old Vic theatre.

McCabe also played Cicero in the Imperium cycle of plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2017/8.[8]

Other

Described by Michael Billington of The Guardian as "One of our finest actors" and Charles Spencer of The Daily Telegraph as "One of the best actors of his generation", McCabe has received Olivier and Tony awards.[citation needed]

On television McCabe has recently played Frank Gresham Senior, owner of Greshamsbury Park, in Julian Fellowes' adaptation for ITV of Anthony Trollope's novel "Dr. Thorne."[9] He has also appeared recently in "Poldark", "Peaky Blinders", all four series of "Wallander", "Indian Summers" and "The Best of Men". On film McCabe has appeared in "Eye in the Sky"; "Mindhorn"; "The Constant Gardener"; "Master and Commander"; "Notting Hill" and "Persuasion". Other films include Cinderella; The Invisible Woman; The Duchess; "Vanity Fair" and "Nightwatching".

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Persuasion Captain Benwick
1999 Notting Hill Tony
2003 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Mr. Higgins, Surgeon's Mate
2004 The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 2: Vaux to the Sea Horace
2004 Vanity Fair The King
2005 The Constant Gardener Arthur Hammond
2007 Nightwatching Bloemfeldt
2008 The Duchess Sir James Hare
2008 Einstein and Eddington Frank Dyson TV Movie
2012 Epithet Alan Short
2012 The Best of Men Dr Cowan TV Movie
2013 National Theatre Live: The Audience Harold Wilson Recorded theatre performance
2013 The Invisible Woman Mr. Mark Lemon
2013 Legacy Gerry TV Movie
2015 Cinderella Baron
2015 Eye in the Sky George Matherson
2016 Mindhorn Jeffrey Moncrieff
2017 Rangoon Major General Harding
2017 Goodbye Christopher Robin Rupert
2018 The Little Stranger Dr. Steely
2019 From Preacher to Prophet A Sam Kinison Story Limo driver Short
2019 1917 Colonel Collins

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1985/1990/1995 The Bill Steve Naylor/Darryl/Colin Season 1, Episode 10/Season 6, Episode 40/Season 11, Episode 118
1987 Bulman Eddie
1991 For The Greater Good Trusty
1994 Between the Lines Philip Skinner
1995 Screen Two Captain Benwick
1997 Bramwell Osborne
1997 A Prince Among Men Tubby McFinnon
1998 Heat of the Sun Theodore Watcham Mini-Series
1998 Killer Net D.I. Colby Mini-Series
1999 The Vice Michael Walden
2000 Trial & Retribution Roger Barker
2003 The Family Jeremy Davison
2003 Walking the Dead Karl Meerman
2003 Family Jeremy Davison Mini-Series
2003 Foyle's War Colin Fowler
2004 The Inspector Linley Mysteries Theatre Manager
2005 To the Ends of the Earth Mr. Brocklebank Mini-Series
2006 Midsomer Murders Rev. Anthony Gant
2006 Jane Eyre Mr. Brocklehurst
2007 The Whistleblowers Charles Radford
2007 Heroes and Villains Barras TV Series Documentary
2008 Lewis Gavin Matthews
2008-15 Wallander Nyberg
2009 Spooks Matthew Plowden
2010 Masterpiece Mystery Nyberg
2012 Playhouse Presents Tim Szabo
2013 Borgia King Federigo d'Aragona
2014 Peaky Blinders Winston Churchill
2014 The Great Fire Lord Hyde Mini-Series
2014 The Game Prime Minister Mini-Series
2015 Indian Summers Stafford Armitage
2016 Doctor Thorne Frank Gresham Snr Mini-Series
2016-17 Poldark Mr. Trencrom
2017 Harlots Justice Cunliffe
2017 Electric Dreams Dr. Thaddeus Cutter
2017 Doc Martin Trevor Dodds
2018 Collateral Peter Westbourne Mini-Series

Awards and honours

  • 1994, nominated as Best Supporting Actor, Olivier Award[6]
  • 2013, won Best Supporting Actor, Olivier Award
  • 2015, won Best Featured Actor in a Play, Tony Award[10]
  • 2015 won Outer Critics Circle Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play[11]
  • 2015 nominated for Distinguished Performance Award, Drama League Awards[12]

References

  1. ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Shahid-injured-Rangoon-shoot-halted/articleshow/50586161.cms
  2. ^ "The Audience – Awards". Theaudiencebroadway.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  3. ^ "BWW TV: THE AUDIENCE's Richard McCabe on His Tony Win - 'It's a Good Award When It's Got Some Weight to It' Video". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  4. ^ http://outercritics.org/2014-2015-award-nominations
  5. ^ https://variety.com/2015/legit/news/drama-league-nominations-2015-full-list-1201476622/
  6. ^ a b "Olivier Awards with MasterCard". Olivierawards.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  7. ^ http://www.olivierawards.com/winners/view/item98528/olivier-winners-1994
  8. ^ "Imperium: About the Play". rsc.org.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  9. ^ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0564500/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t5
  10. ^ "Richard McCabe Wins Tony Award: Best Featured Actor in a Play 2015". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Outer Critic Circle Awards 2015". Variety. 11 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Drama League Nominations: Bradley Cooper, Helen Mirren, Jake Gyllenhaal". Variety. 21 April 2015.
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