{{Short description|English actor}} {{BLP sources|date=May 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Richard Ridings | honorific_suffix = | image = | caption = | alt = | birth_name = Richard John Ridings | birth_date = | birth_place = [[Henley-on-Thames]], [[Oxfordshire]], England | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1983–present | spouse = {{marriage|Catherine Jensen|c. 1984}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+cried+for+ages+after+Dunblane%3B+Questions+%2B+Answers%3A+RICHARD+RIDINGS.-a061127061 |title=I cried for ages after Dunblane; Questions + Answers: RICHARD RIDINGS. |date=22 January 1997 |work=The Mirror}}</ref> | children = [[Freya Ridings]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/music/freya-ridings-interview-love-island-a4004651.html |title=Freya Ridings interview: 'I feel like it was a horse race, and I'm a zebra' |last=McClean |first=Craig |date=30 November 2018 |work=Evening Standard}}</ref> | alma_mater = [[Bretton Hall College]]<br>[[Bristol Old Vic Theatre School]] }} '''Richard John Ridings''' is an English actor. He portrayed Alan Ashburn in the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] television drama ''[[Fat Friends]]'', Mr. Lipa in the Academy Award-nominated World War II drama [[The Pianist (2002 film)|''The Pianist'']] (2002), Bernard Green in the [[BBC One]] comedy-drama ''[[Common as Muck]]'', [[Mr. Bumble]] in the [[BBC]] series [[Dickensian (TV 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== He had roles in a series of other television series and feature films, among them ''[[Clockwise (film)|Clockwise]]'', ''[[The Ink Thief]]'', ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', ''[[Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)]]'', ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'', ''[[Fierce Creatures]]'' and as [[Silas (Highlander)|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.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}
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 (video game)|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 (video game)|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 (video game)|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 (TV series)|Dickensian]]''.
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable" ! width="33"|Year ! width="225"|Film ! width="175"| Role ! width="175"| Director ! width="175"| Notes |- |1984 |''[[Lassiter (film)|Lassiter]]'' |German Guard #2 |[[Roger Young (director)|Roger Young]] | |- |1986 |''[[Clockwise (film)|Clockwise]]'' |Policeman at Crash |[[Christopher Morahan]] | |- |1987 |''[[The Fourth Protocol (film)|The Fourth Protocol]]'' |Skinhead |[[John Mackenzie (film director)|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 (film)|King of the Wind]]'' |Jailer |[[Peter Duffell]] | |- |1996 |''[[Different for Girls (film)|Different for Girls]]'' | |[[Richard Spence (director)|Richard Spence]] |Uncredited |- |1996 |''[[The Wind in the Willows (1996 film)|The Wind in the Willows]]'' |The Guard |[[Terry Jones]] | |- |1997 |''[[Fierce Creatures]]'' |Hugh Primates |[[Fred Schepisi]]<br/>[[Robert Young (director)|Robert Young]] | |- |1998 |''[[Up 'n' Under (film)|Up 'n' Under]]'' |Frank |[[John Godber]] | |- |1999 |''[[The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc]]'' |[[La Hire]] |[[Luc Besson]] | |- |2002 |''[[The Pianist (2002 film)|The Pianist]]'' |Mr. Lipa |[[Roman Polanski]] | |- |2002 |''Puckoon'' |Alex Walker |[[Terence Ryan (director)|Terence Ryan]] | |- |2002 |''[[The Princess and the Pea (2002 film)|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 (2005 film)|Frozen]]'' |Lorry Driver |Juliet McKoen | |- |2005 |''[[The Brothers Grimm (film)|The Brothers Grimm]]'' |Bunst |[[Terry Gilliam]] | |- |2005 |''[[Oliver Twist (2005 film)|Oliver Twist]]'' |Warder |[[Roman Polanski]] | |- |2006 |''[[Amazing Grace (2006 film)|Amazing Grace]]'' |Speaker of the House |[[Michael Apted]] | |- |2008 |''[[Faintheart]]'' |Collin |Vito Rocco | |- |2009 |''[[Creation (2009 film)|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<br/>Short film |- |2012 |''[[The Scapegoat (2012 film)|The Scapegoat]]'' |Landlord |[[Charles Sturridge]] | |- |2012 |''The Horsemen'' |Gary |Samuel Bailey |Short film |- |2013 |''[[This House (play)|National Theatre Live: This House]]'' |Joe Harper |[[Jeremy Herrin]] | |- |2013 |''[[Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart]]'' |Arthur |Stéphane Berla<br/>[[Mathias Malzieu]] |Voice (English version) |- |2013 |''[[The Physician (2013 film)|The Physician]]'' |Tough Guy |[[Philipp Stölzl]] | |- |2015 |''Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots'' |Daddy Pig (UK) |Mark Baker<br/>Neville Astley |Voice<br/>Short film |- |2016 |''The Carer'' |Pub Landlord |János Edelényi | |}
===TV series=== {| class="wikitable" |- !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 (TV series)|The Ritz]]'' |Mad Mick |6 episodes |- |1987 |[[Matlock (1986 TV series)|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 (TV series)|Casualty]]'' |Kevin |3.02 "Desperate Odds" |- |1988 |''[[Watching (TV series)|Watching]]'' |Alistair |2.16 "Twitching" |- |1989 |''[[The Bill]]'' |Campbell |5.49 "A Quiet Life" |- |1989 |''[[Saracen (TV series)|Saracen]]'' |Bulmer |1.10 "Three Blind Mice" |- |1990 |''[[The Castle of Adventure]]'' |Nico |8 episodes |- |1991 |''[[Red Dwarf]]'' |D.N.A. Ship Computer |Voice<br/>4.02 "[[DNA (Red Dwarf)|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 (TV series)|Boon]]'' |Keith |7.07 "The Sharp End" |- |1993 |''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' |Warren |9.02 "No Way to Treat a Daley" |- |1993 |''Comics'' |Tommy Karr |2 episodes |- |1993 |''[[Casualty (TV series)|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 (TV series)|A Pinch of Snuff]]'' |Brian Burkhill |Television film |- |1994 |''[[Pie in the Sky (TV series)|Pie in the Sky]]'' |Gary Bourne |1.09 "Who Only Stand and Wait" |- |1994 |''[[Wild Justice (novel)#TV adaptation|Wild Justice]]'' |Carl |Television film |- |1994 |''[[The Ink Thief]]'' |Aloysius |7 episodes |- |1994–1997 |''[[Common As Muck]]'' |Bernard Green |12 episodes |- |1994 |''[[Heartbeat (British TV series)|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 (Highlander)|Silas]] |2 episodes |- |1997 |''[[The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling (TV series)|The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling]]'' |Reverend Thwackum |5 episodes |- |1998 |''[[Casualty (TV series)|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) (2000 TV series)|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 (TV series)|Murder in Mind]]'' |DCI Quarry |1.01 "Teacher" |- |2001 |''[[Where the Heart Is (British TV series)|Where the Heart Is]]'' |Paul Foster |5.13 "Declaration" |- |2001 |[[Merseybeat (TV series)|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 (TV series)|Dalziel and Pascoe]]'' |Trevor Nesbitt |8.03 "[[List of Dalziel and Pascoe episodes#ep31|Great Escapes]]" |- |2004–present |''[[Peppa Pig]]'' |Daddy Pig (UK) |Voice (main character) |- |2004 |''[[Casualty (TV series)|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 "[[ShakespeaRe-Told#Macbeth|Macbeth]]" |- |2005 |''[[The Worst Week of My Life]]'' |PC Tait |2 episodes |- |2006 |''[[Mayo (TV series)|Mayo]]'' |Mark Castello |1.02 "Requiem for a Dove" |- |2006 |''[[The Royal]]'' |Malcolm Hogg |5.11 "Keep on Running" |- |2007 |''[[Roman Mysteries (TV series)|Roman Mysteries]]'' |Venalicius |3 episodes |- |2008 |''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' |Vince |23.16 "This Will Be Our Year" |- |2009 |''[[Merlin (2008 TV series)|Merlin]]'' |Halig |2.09 "The Lady of the Lake" |- |2011 |''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|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<br/>Dwarf Boss<br/>Dwarf Mine Door<br/>Father Christmas |Voice<br/>16 episodes |- |2013–2014 |''[[Q Pootle 5]]'' |Groobie / Planet Dave |Voice<br/>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<br/>Television film |- |2014 |''[[Borgia (TV series)|Borgia]]'' |Adriano Castellesi |3.09 "1503, Part One" |- |2015 |''[[Chuggington]]'' |Hamish |Voice<br/>4 episodes |- |2016 |''[[Jericho (2016 TV series)|Jericho]]'' |Thornhill |2 episodes |- |2015–2016 |''[[Dickensian (TV series)|Dickensian]]'' |[[Bumble (Oliver Twist)|Mr. Bumble]] |Voice<br/>15 episodes |- |2013 |''[[The TV That Made Me]]'' |Himself |2.12 "Richard Ridings" |- |2016 |''Highlander: Dark Places'' |Narrator |Voice<br/>Television film |- |2016 |''Six Wives with Lucy Worsley'' |King Henry, VIII |1.03 "Divorced, Beheaded, Survived" |- |2018 |''[[Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series)|Thunderbirds Are Go]]'' |Bob Gray |Voice<br/>3.04 "Night and Day" |}
===Video games=== {| class = "wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1997 | ''[[Dungeon Keeper]]'' |The Mentor (voice) | |- | 1997 | ''[[Virus: The Game]]'' |Viruses (voice) |- | 1999 | ''[[Silver (video game)|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: Way of the Ninja|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 (video game)|Risen]]'' |Karakos (voice)<br />Drok (voice)<br />Ukkos (voice) |English version |- | 2010 | ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)|Xenoblade Chronicles]]'' |Miqol (voice) |English version |- | 2010 | ''[[Enslaved: Odyssey to the West]]'' |Pigsy (voice) | |- | 2010 | ''[[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow]]'' |[[List of Castlevania characters#Cornell|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)<br />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 (video game)|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)<br />Balthasar Gelt (voice)<br />Thorgrim Grudgebearer (voice)<br />Vlad von Carstein (voice)<br />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=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- !scope=col| Year !scope=col| Title !scope=col| Role !scope=col| Director !scope=col class=unsortable|Performance history |- !scope=row| 1984 | ''Bouncers'' | Lucky Eric / Judd | [[John Godber]] | West End, Tour |- !scope=row| 1984 | ''[[Up 'n' Under]]'' | Frank Rowley | John Gobler | Hull Truck Theatre |- !scope=row| 1987 | ''Putting on the Ritz'' | Mad Mick | John Godber | Haymarket Leicester |- !scope=row| 1988 | ''[[Major Barbara]]'' | Bill Walker | [[Christopher Morahan]] | Chichester |- !scope=row| 1990 | ''[[Love's Labour's Lost]]'' | Constable Dull | [[Terry Hands]] | RSC |- !scope=row| 1991 | ''[[Troilus & Cressida]]'' | Ajax | [[Sam Mendes]] | RSC |- !scope=row| 1991 | ''[[King Lear]]'' | Duke of Cornwall | [[Nicholas Hynter]] | RSC |- !scope=row| 2013 | ''[[This House (play)|This House]]'' | Joe Harper | [[Jeremy Herrin]] | National Theatre |}
==References== '''General''' * {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weQqYThhMDg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/weQqYThhMDg |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Dungeon Keeper Interview: Richard Ridings |last=Skalski |first=Jeff |date=5 February 2014 |website=YouTube |publisher=[[EA Mobile|EA Mobile Games]] }}{{cbignore}} * {{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/richard-ridings-interview-daddy-pig-from-peppa-pig/ |title=Richard Ridings interview: Daddy Pig from Peppa Pig |last=Connelly |first=Brendon |date=7 April 2017 |website=[[Den of Geek]] }}
'''Specific''' {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0725956|Richard Ridings}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridings, Richard}} [[Category:20th-century English male actors]] [[Category:21st-century English male actors]] [[Category:Actors from Henley-on-Thames]] [[Category:English male film actors]] [[Category:English male television actors]] [[Category:English male voice actors]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Male actors from Oxfordshire]] [[Category:Male motion capture actors]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]