Biography
Richard Armitage has been a favorite of critics and audiences alike for several years. He is best known for his role as Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit, alongside Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and Cate Blanchett. Most recently, Armitage appeared as a series regular in the popular television drama “Hannibal.” Armitage will next be seen as ‘The King of the Underland’ in Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass alongside Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway; and in the EPIX thriller, “Berlin Station”, premiering this fall. Last year, Armitage played the lead in Arthur Miller’s modern drama, The Crucible at The Old Vic Theatre, a performance for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the 2015 Olivier Awards. His starring roles in such high-profile TV productions as “North and South”, “Spooks (US title: MI-5)”, “Robin Hood” and “Strike Back” have established him as one the most popular actors in the UK, with a massive fan following. With several well-established projects in the United States, Armitage has quickly risen to be a leading man in Hollywood as well. Last summer, Armitage starred in New Line Cinema’s Steven Quale directed tornado disaster film, Into the Storm opposite Sarah Wayne Callies. For his first US film, Armitage appeared in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, directed by Joe Johnston. Armitage played Heinz Kruger, Captain America’s nemesis, alongside Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci and Hayley Atwell. Other British TV projects include BBC’s “Macbeth”, opposite James McAvoy and Keeley Hawes, and appearances in “Sparkhouse”, “Cold Feet”, “Ultimate Force” and “Between the Sheets”. Armitage also has appeared in numerous theater productions, including Hamlet, The Four Alice Bakers, Macbeth and The Duchess of Malfi. Born and raised in Leicester, England, Armitage was classically trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Armitage currently resides in New York.
