Richard Armitage: podcast appearances and interviews

Richard Crispin Armitage is an English actor and author born on 22 August 1971. He gained recognition in the United Kingdom with his first leading role as John Thornton in the television series North & South, which aired in 2004. Armitage's portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit earned him international acclaim. His notable acting roles include John Proctor in a stage production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Francis Dolarhyde in the television series Hannibal, Lucas North in Spooks, John Porter in Strike Back, Daniel Miller in Berlin Station, and Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood. He also voiced Trevor Belmont in the Netflix adaptation of Castlevania and played the lead role in the 2020 Netflix miniseries The Stranger. After graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Armitage initially worked in theatre and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He shifted focus to film and television when he observed that leading stage roles often went to actors with significant name recognition, which could attract audiences. After twelfth years in the industry, he returned to the stage in 2014 with a leading role as John Proctor in The Crucible at The Old Vic, earning an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor. Armitage is known for his baritone voice, which he has employed as a voice actor since 2006, recording audiobooks and providing narration for various media. In 2022, he expanded into video game voice acting, notably voicing Be'lakor in Total War: Warhammer III. His recent works include the crime thriller Geneva, released in October 2023, and The Cut, published in August 2025.