Richard O'Brien: podcast appearances and interviews

Richard O'Brien was born Richard Timothy Smith on 25 March 1942. He is a British and New Zealand actor, writer, and singer. O'Brien is best known for writing the musical stage show The Rocky Horror Show in 1973, which has remained in continuous production. He also co-wrote the screenplay for its film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, released in 1975, and appeared on-screen as Riff Raff. Additionally, he co-wrote the musical film Shock Treatment in 1981, in which he played the role of Dr. Cosmo McKinley. From 1990 to 1993, O'Brien presented the Channel 4 game show The Crystal Maze. His voice acting includes the character Lawrence Fletcher in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb, which he voiced from 2007 to 2015 and again in 2025. He reprised the role in its films released in 2011 and 2020. O'Brien's acting credits extend to films such as Flash Gordon, Spice World, Ever After, Dark City, Dungeons & Dragons, and Elvira's Haunted Hills. He has had a long and successful career primarily based in the United Kingdom. In 2011, O'Brien gained dual citizenship with New Zealand, where he resides in Tauranga. He is transgender, identifies as third gender, and uses he/him pronouns.