Richard Madden

Early life and education

Madden was born on 18 June 1986 in Elderslie, outside the city of Glasgow, where he grew up alongside his two sisters. His mother is a primary school teacher, and his father worked as a firefighter. At age 11, Madden joined PACE Youth Theatre to help overcome his shyness. At that same age, he was cast in his first role as young Andy in a film adaptation of Iain Banks' Complicity, which was released in 2000. Next, he played the lead role of Sebastian in the children's television series Barmy Aunt Boomerang, which aired from 1999 until 2000. In addition to being shy, Madden struggled with body insecurities as a child. He later stated that he also experienced bullying, especially in high school, which he attributed to his role in Complicity.

Madden attended Castlehead High School. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, in Glasgow, graduating in 2007.

Career

Beginnings

Madden worked with The Arches and the Glasgow Repertory Company during his studies; he also performed in Franz Xaver Kroetz's play Tom Fool at the Citizens Theatre. After receiving positive reviews, the Tom Fool production transferred to London, where Madden was spotted by a team from Shakespeare's Globe. In his final year at the conservatoire, he was cast as Romeo in the play Romeo and Juliet at the modern Globe Theatre in London, followed by a tour of the production during the summer of 2007. In her review, Susan Elkin of The Stage deemed the actor's portrayal of Romeo "gravelly Glaswegian" and "almost childlike".

That same year, Madden played Callum McGregor in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses, which ran from December 2007 to February 2008. He then starred as Mark McNulty in the National Theatre of Scotland's production of the play Be Near Me in 2009, which The Timess Benedict Nightingale described as a "skilful adaptation" of the Andrew O'Hagan novel of the same name. Susan Mansfield of The Scotsman wrote that Madden had caught critics' attention, reporting additional positive reviews of his performances by The Daily Telegraph and The Observer. He later gained the lead role of Dean McKenzie in the 2009 BBC comedy-drama series Hope Springs, followed by his respective roles as Ripley and Theatre of Hate singer Kirk Brandon in the 2010 films Chatroom and Worried About the Boy.

Breakthrough (2011–2018)

Madden starred as Robb Stark in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones, based upon the series of novels titled A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, from 2011 to 2013. His work as Stark propelled him to prominence. Madden later spoke about being broke and even contemplating moving back in with his parents prior to his casting. Throughout his time on the series, the ensemble cast garnered Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2011 and 2013. During this period, he also appeared in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series Sirens and the BBC drama series Birdsong. Madden first obtained his Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card for the 2014 miniseries Klondike, in which he played Bill Haskell, a real-life adventurer who participated in the Klondike Gold Rush.

Madden portrayed Prince Kit in Cinderella, a romantic fantasy film and live action adaptation of the animated film of the same name. While terrified of playing a classical fairy tale character, the actor found comfort in how audiences knew very little about the prince in the animated film and how he was able to create "a real young man." Released in March 2015, Cinderella was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $542 million. The following year, Madden starred as Romeo in a West End production of Romeo and Juliet, which opened at the Garrick Theatre on 25 May, reuniting with his Cinderella co-star Lily James, who starred as Juliet, and director Kenneth Branagh. Michael Billington of The Guardian praised Madden's articulation of Romeo's "challenge to fate", while Varietys Matt Trueman criticised his speeches as "flat and regimented". He departed the production in July after suffering an ankle injury.

In 2016, Madden appeared as an American pickpocket in the thriller film Bastille Day. He played the lead role of Cosimo de' Medici, a member of the House of Medici banking family during the Italian Renaissance, in the first season of the Italian-British television drama series Medici, subtitled Masters of Florence, which aired that same year. In 2017, he appeared in the first episode of Electric Dreams, an anthology series based on Philip K. Dick's works. Writing for Digital Spy, Alex Mullane found the actor "particularly dashing" and added that his performance made the twist in the story "brutally effective". Madden next played a DJ in the Netflix romantic comedy film Ibiza, embodying the part with hints of goofiness and loneliness. In her review for The Daily Telegraph, Lucy Jones deemed him a "fine and believable romantic lead."

Madden garnered acclaim and recognition for playing Sergeant David Budd, a war veteran and police officer with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in the 2018 BBC thriller series Bodyguard. He spoke to members of the armed forces who had experienced PTSD to frame a complex and intricate representation of the disorder. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the actor executed the role with self-possession, while The Atlantics Sophie Gilbert observed that he conveyed Budd's "superb instincts, his cool head under fire, and his complex psyche" successfully. After the series finale became the most watched UK television drama episode since the beginning of current records, Netflix released Bodyguard worldwide in October 2018. Madden's performance earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama.

Film roles (2019–present)

In 2019, Madden portrayed music manager John Reid in the Elton John biopic Rocketman, which was released in May, and appeared as a World War I soldier in Sam Mendes' war film 1917, which was released in December. Both films garnered positive reviews and became box office successes. From December 2020 to January 2021, he starred in the science fiction podcast series From Now, voicing a survivor of a spaceship that returns 35 years after vanishing. Madden starred as Ikaris in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao. Released in 2021, the film garnered mixed responses from critics and audiences.

Madden starred alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Citadel, an action thriller series on Amazon Prime Video. It premiered in 2023. With a production budget of US$300 million, the six-episode first season ranks as one of the most expensive television shows. Madden considered working on Citadel to be "incredibly physically demanding". Critics had mixed opinions on the series; Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter found Madden "adequately intense and sometimes funny in a way the insufficiently playful show needs". Madden next starred in Killer Heat (2024), a thriller film directed by Philippe Lacôte.

Public image

In 2019, Madden was featured on the Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world compiled by Time magazine. He was also recognised with the GQ Men of the Year Award for Hugo Boss Most Stylish Man that same year. In July 2019, Madden received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Personal life

Madden was in a relationship with actress Jenna Coleman from 2011 to 2015. When asked about his personal life during a New York Times interview following tabloid speculation about his relationships and sexuality, Madden stated: "I just keep my personal life personal."

In an interview with British Vogue, Madden expressed pride in coming from a working class background and said that his social conscience is sparked by inequality in education and the lack of creative opportunities for working-class children in schools. As of May 2019, he splits his time between his residence in London and Los Angeles.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Other

Awards and nominations

References

References

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54. (6 April 2021). "Searchlight Lands Sam Mendes' Next Film 'Empire Of Light' With Olivia Colman Eyed To Star".
55. (14 December 2020). "Richard Madden & Brian Cox To Lead QCode Sci-Fi Podcast Series 'From Now'".
56. (25 October 2021). "Eternals: Mixed reviews for Chloé Zhao's 'insipid' Marvel movie". [[BBC News]].
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