He was the man that terrified a whole generation of
children. Richard Griffiths breathed life into the horrible Vernon Dursley in
the Harry Potter series, and boy, was he amazing. It is alleged that Griffiths
passed away on the 28th of March from heart complications after a surgery,
leaving behind a legacy throughout the British film industry that few can triumph.
Although Griffiths was most notably known by youngsters as Uncle
Vernon, he had a vast resume in the acting world. From the television screen,
to Broadway and the big screen. He covered it all. From his role as Uncle Monty
in the film, Withnail and I (1987) to
playing Hector in Alan Bennet’s play, The
History Boys (2004), Griffiths was loved by many.
Daniel Radcliffe, who played the boy wizard, Harry alongside
Griffith’s Vernon Dursley has nothing but praise for the late actor. “Richard
was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career,” he said
in a statement.
The first moment Radcliffe is referring to is the filming of
the first Harry Potter film back in August 2000, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s
Stone. “I was nervous and he made me feel at ease,” Radcliffe recalls.
The second moment being the Broadway show Equus, which
sparked controversy when the then eighteen year old Radcliffe performed on
stage naked. “It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his
encouragement, tutelage and humour made it joy.”
Radcliffe is not the only high profile actor letting the
world know of the sorrow he is feeling. Richard Grant, who starred alongside
Griffiths in the film, Withnail and I tweeted
saying, “My beloved ‘Uncle Monty’ Richard Griffiths died last night. Chin-chin
my dear friend.”
Griffiths has won many an award over the past couple of
decades, including several for his theatre role as the inspirational teacher in
The History Boys, which played in London and New York. He also was awarded an
OBE for his services to drama in 2007.
Griffiths was 65 when he passed away, leaving millions with
nothing but gratitude for gracing us with his amazing talent and charisma. He
will be sorely missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment