Julian Richings (born 30 August 1956)<!--- 1956 is correct, as per the English Birth Records ---> is a British-Canadian character actor, having appeared in over 225 films and television series. He is best known for his appearances in a variety of horror films, including Cube, Wrong Turn, The Witch, Beau is Afraid, Ejecta, and Anything for Jackson, as well as for portraying Death in the dark fantasy series Supernatural.
Early life
Richings was born in Oxford, England on August 30, 1956. He trained in drama at the University of Exeter.
Career
After touring the United States with a British stage production, Richings moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1984. He was a member of the repertory cast of the A&E TV original series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–02).
Richings performed in heavy makeup as cannibal-killer Three Finger in Wrong Turn (2003), and was a series regulars as the nearly-blind security guard Otto in Stephen King's 2004 miniseries Kingdom Hospital. Dramatic roles include stagehand Mr. Turnbull in the 2004 film Being Julia. That year, he began a recurring villain role on the horror comedy series Todd and the Book of Pure Evil. He was also Death in the short film Dave v. Death (2011).
He appeared in Zach Snyder's 2013 Superman film Man of Steel as Lor-Em, spokesman for the Kryptonian Council.
In 2014, he starred in the science fiction film Ejecta. The role earned him a Best Actor win at the Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival. In 2015, he appeared in Robert Eggers' horror film The Witch and the drama film Reign.
His portrayal of Henry Walsh in Justin G. Dyck's 2020 supernatural horror film Anything for Jackson, earned him his second Best Actor win at the Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival.
In 2022, Richings appeared in the television shows The Umbrella Academy, Reginald the Vampire, and Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. In 2023, he had a role in Ari Aster's tragicomedy horror film Beau is Afraid.
In 2024, Richings appeared as Procrustes, the half-giant and half-brother of the titular character, in the Disney+ fantasy show Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Personal life
Richings resides in Toronto with his wife and two children.
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| rowspan=2|2025
| Honey Bunch
| Delwyn
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| It Feeds
| Dr. Ronald Whittaker
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Television
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1986
|Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood
|
|TV film
|-
|1987
|Adderly
|
|Episode: "Nemsis"
|-
| 1989–1990
| War of the Worlds
| Ardix<br />Alien Scientist<br />Man with Hat
| 15 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1990
|Counterstrike
|Rettie
| Episode: "Art for Art's Sake"
|-
|Clarence
|Reynolds
|TV film
|-
| rowspan="2" |1991
|Maniac Mansion
|Tax Man
|Episode: "Turner: The Boss"
|-
|Rin Tin Kin: K-9 Cop
|
|Episode: "What the Doctor Ordered"
|-
| 1991-1995
| Heritage Minutes
| A.A. Milne / King Henry VII
| 2 episodes
|-
|1992
|data-sort-value="Valour and the Horror, The" | The Valour and the Horror
|John Crocker
|Episode: "In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944"
|-
| 1993
| Street Legal
| Harold Cooper-Haye<hr>Rolan Atkinson
| 1 episode<hr>1 episode
|-
| 1993–1994
| Ready or Not
| Mr. Boyle
| 4 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1994
|RoboCop
|Dr. Proctor
|Episode: "Faces of Eve"
|-
|data-sort-value="Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, The" | The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon
|Alien
|Episode: "Dudley Meets the Alien"
|-
| rowspan="5" |1995
|Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years
|Logan's Henchman
|Miniseries; Episode: "The Alliance"
|-
|Forever Knight
|Dr. Paul Dana
|Episode: "A More Permanent Hell"
|-
|data-sort-value="Shamrock Conspiracy, The" | The Shamrock Conspiracy
|Reader
| rowspan="3" |TV film
|-
|data-sort-value="Song Spinner, The" | The Song Spinner
|Callo
|-
|Strauss: The King of 3/4 Time
|Bono
|-
|1996
|Due South
|Miles Emery
|Episode: "The Promise"
|-
| rowspan="4" |1997
|PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
|Earl Cornell
|Episode: "The 13th Floor / The Believer"
|-
|Ms. Scrooge
|Christmas Yet to Come
| rowspan="3" |TV film
|-
|Artemisia
|Painter
|-
|Once a Thief: Brother Against Brother
| rowspan="2" |Cam
|-
| 1997–1998
| Once a Thief
| 11 episodes
|-
| 1997–1999
| La Femme Nikita
| Errol Sparks
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="4" |1998
|Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms
|Bix
|TV film
|-
| Highlander: The Raven
| Basil Morgan
| 2 episodes
|-
|data-sort-value="Adventures of Shirley Holmes, The" | The Adventures of Shirley Holmes
|Doctor Saul Sprockett
|Episode: "The Case of the Film Flam Farm"
|-
|Once a Thief: Family Business
|Camier
|TV film
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1999
| I Was a Sixth Grade Alien
| Meenom
| 22 episodes
|-
| Amazon
| Elder Malakai
| 10 episodes
|-
|Thrill Seekers
|Murray Trevor
| rowspan="3" |TV film
|-
| rowspan="3" |2000
|Hustle
|Detective Walsh
|-
|data-sort-value="Crossing, The" | The Crossing
|McKenzie
|-
|data-sort-value="Zack Files, The" | The Zack Files
|The Mad Hatter
|Episode: "Library of No Return"
|-
| rowspan="3" |2001
|MythQuest
|Loki
|Episode: "Hammer of the Gods"
|-
|Prince Charming
|Wacktazar
|TV film
|-
|data-sort-value="Pretender: Island of the Haunted, The" | The Pretender: Island of the Haunted
|Brother Clote
|TV film
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2002
| data-sort-value="Nero Wolfe Mystery, A" | A Nero Wolfe Mystery
| Poet / Jerome Åland /
Peter Jay / Alger Kates
|6 episodes
|-
|Tracker
|Max
|Episode: "To Catch a Desserian"
|-
|Salem Witch Trials
|Jonathan Walcott
|TV film
|-
| rowspan="3" |2003
|Eloise at the Plaza
|Patrice
|TV film
|-
| Slings and Arrows
| Reg Mortimer
| Episode: "Geoffrey Returns"
|-
|data-sort-value="Wonderful World of Disney, The" | The Wonderful World of Disney
|Patrice
|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2004
| Kingdom Hospital
| Otto
| 13 episodes
|-
|data-sort-value="Last Casino, The" | The Last Casino
|Orr
|TV film
|-
|2004 - 2006
| Puppets Who Kill
| French Painter / Mr. Portnoy
| 2 episodes
|-
|2005
|1-800-Missing
|Doc
|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |2006
|At the Hotel
|Baby Man
|Episode: "That's How You Wave a Towel"
|-
|data-sort-value="Shakespeare Comedy Show, The" | The Shakespeare Comedy Show
|Ranting Bard
|3 episodes
|-
|Drive Time Murders
|'The Doc'
|TV film
|-
| rowspan="3" |2007
|Grossology
|Darko Crevasse
|Voice role; Episode: "Lights Out"
|-
|Nature of the Beast
|Dr. Chamberlain
| rowspan="5" |TV film
|-
|Roxy Hunter and the Mystery of the Moody Ghost
| rowspan="4" |Mr. Tibers
|-
| rowspan="5" |2008
|Roxy Hunter and the Secret of the Shaman
|-
|Roxy Hunter and the Horrific Halloween
|-
|Roxy Hunter and the Myth of the Mermaid
|-
|XIII
|Mr. Cody
|2 episodes
|-
|data-sort-value="Trojan Horse, The" | The Trojan Horse
|Barrie
|Miniseries; Episode: "Part One"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2009
|data-sort-value="Boarder, The" | The Boarder
|Professor Adrian Maguire
|Episode: "Dying Art"
|-
|Sea Wolf
|Mugridge
|Episode: "#1.2"
|-
| 2009–2010
| Heartland
| Levon Hanley
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2010
| Wingin' It
| William Shakespeare
| 1 Episode
|-
| Lost Girl
| Arval
| Episode: "Food for Thought"
|-
| 2010–2012
| Todd and the Book of Pure Evil
| Hooded Leader / Atticus Murphy Sr.
| 15 episodes
|-
| 2010–2015
| Supernatural
| Death
| 5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |2011
|Dave vs Death
|Death
|TV short
|-
|Three Inches
|Ethan
|TV film
|-
|Bag of Bones
|Elmer Durgin
|Episode: "Part 1"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2012
| Republic of Doyle
| Lionel Harris
| Episode: "3x11"
|-
| Transporter: The Series
| Edouard Orlande / The Voice
| 5 episodes
|-
|2012; 2023
| Murdoch Mysteries
| Phillip Uxbridge / Carny
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |2013
|Hemlock Grove
|Swiss Doctor
|Episode: "Catabasis"
|-
|Rookie Blue
|Cedric
|Episode: "Poison Pill"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
|Hell on Wheels
|SLC Records Clerk
|Episode: "Further West'
|-
|data-sort-value="Listener, The" | The Listener
|Miles Mellini
|Episode: "Smoke and Mirrors"
|-
| 2014–2016
| Orphan Black
| Benjamin Kertland
| 7 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2015
| Hannibal
| Caged Man
| Episode: "Secondo"
|-
| data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | The Expanse
| Vargas
| 1 episode
|-
| 2015 - 2018
| Patriot
| Peter Icabod
| 15 episodes
|-
|2016
|Killjoys
|Ancient Scarback
|Episode: "Full Metal Monk"
|-
|2017
|Fare Trade
|Shifty
|Episode: "In Search of: A Super Miracle"
|-
| rowspan="5" |2018
| data-sort-value="Magicians, The" | The Magicians
| Asteroth
| Episode: "The Losses of Magic"
|-
| Channel Zero
| The Gardener
| 3 episodes
|-
| 12 Monkeys
| The Adviser
| 5 episodes
|-
|Frontier
|Mr. Pickersgill
|Episode: "All For All and None For One"
|-
| Creeped Out
| Zephaniah
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="7" | 2019
| Doom Patrol
| Sturmbannführer Heinrich Von Fuchs
| 2 episodes
|-
|data-sort-value="Christmas Temp, The" | The Christmas Temp
|Luca
|TV film
|-
|Carter
|Ray Understone
|Episode: "Harley Loses a Finger"
|-
|Perpetual Grace, LTD
|Jonathan Joy
|4 episodes
|-
|Blood & Treasure
|Alessandro
|4 episodes
|-
|Talent Drivers
|Vince
|Episode: "Give Him What He Wants"
|-
| American Gods
| Iktomi
| Episode: "Muninn"
|-
|2020
|Detention Adventure
|
|2 episodes
|-
|2021
|Chapelwaite
|Phillip Boone
|5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2022
| data-sort-value="Umbrella Academy, The" | The Umbrella Academy
| Chet Rodo
| Recurring role (season 3)
|-
|Reginald the Vampire
|Logan
|2 episodes
|-
|Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
|Dooley
|Episode: "Graveyard Rats"
|-
| 2024
| Percy Jackson and the Olympians
| Crusty / Procrustes
| Episode: "We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of"
|-
|2025
|Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen
|Larry Pool, the ice cream vendor
|Episode 4 "The Witness"
|-
| 2025
| The Institute
| Stackhouse
| Main cast
|}
Video games
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Voice role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|2015
|Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
|Charles Darwin
|
|-
| 2018
| Starlink: Battle for Atlas
| Grax
|
|-
|2020
|Watch Dogs: Legion
|
|
|}
Audio dramas
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|2020-2022
|The Integral Principles of the Structural Dynamics of Flow
|Julian Richings
|7 episodes
|}
On stage
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Director
!Venue
!Notes
!Ref.
|-
| rowspan="3" |1987
|The Elephant Man
|John Merrick
|Paul Lampert
| rowspan="2" |Persephone Theatre
|
|
|-
|Amadeus
|Salieri
|Tibor Fehereghazi
|
|
|-
|The Man Himself
|Michael
|Cheryl May
|
|Flexible Packaging Plant
|
|-
|1989
|Coming Through Slaughter
|Bellocq
|Richard Rose
|Silver Dollar Tavern
|Necessary Angel Company
|
|-
|1990
|Lion in the Streets
|Bill / Priest / Michael
|Judith Thompson
|Tarragon Theatre
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1996
|Twelfth Night
|Malvolio
|Michael Langham
|Atlantic Theatre
|
|
|-
|Two Weeks with the Queen
|
|Maja Ardal
|Young People's Theatre
|
|
|-
|1997
|Inexpressible Island
|Browning
|Richard Rose
| rowspan="2" |Canadian Stage
|Necessary Angel Company
|
|-
|2008
|The Palace of the End
|David Kelly
|David Storch
|
|
|-
|2011
| rowspan="2" |I Send You This Cadmium
| rowspan="2" |John Berger
| rowspan="2" |Daniel Brooks
|Berkeley St. Theatre
|
|
|-
|2014
|Enwave Theatre
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016
|To All a Good Night
|Narrator
|Andrew Burashko
|Harbourfront Centre Theatre
|
|
|-
|Mustard
|Leslie / Lewis
|Ashlie Corcoran
|Tarragon Theatre
|
|
|}
Awards and nominations
Film and television
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Award
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Notes
!Ref.
|-
|2002
|Genie Awards
|Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
|The Claim
|
|
|
|-
|2009
|Chlotrudis Awards
|Best Supporting Actor
|The Tracey Fragments
|
|
|
|-
|2013
|Hamilton Film Festival
|Best Actor
|Animal Control
|
|
|
|-
|2014
| rowspan="2" |Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival
| rowspan="2" |Best Actor
|Ejecta
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2020
|Anything for Jackson
|
|
|
|-
|Canadian Screen Awards
|Best Supporting Performance - Web Program or Series
|Talent Drivers
|
|
|
|-
|2021
|New Media Film Festival
|Best TV
|Detention Adventure
|
|Shared with Sarah McVie
|
|-
|2022
|The North Film Festival
|Lifetime Achievement Award
|
|
|
|
|}
Theatre
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Award
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Notes
!Ref.
|-
|1987
| rowspan="4" |Dora Mavor Moore Awards
|Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role - Play
|The Man Himself
|
|
|
|-
|1989
|Best Featured Performer
|Coming Through Slaughter
|
|
|
|}
References
External links
- Interview with Richings from 2005
- Interview Julian Richings with mycoven.com, March 2014