First things first, let’s get the Welsh thing out the way. If your first encounter with Richard Coyle was in the guise of Jeff Murdock in the BBC2 comedy series ‘Coupling’ then you’ve probably been mislead... Contrary to many viewers’ assumptions, Richard is not a Welshman, just a master of accents. Richard was born (to Irish parents) and grew up in Sheffield with his four brothers.
On screen he has appeared sometimes dashing, sometimes idiotic, sometimes hilarious. His roles, much like his accents, have been varied and diverse.

FAQ: Richard is 6ft tall his eyes are blue and his hair really is *that* curly. He is 30 years old, born in February 1972. He is currently living with his actress girlfriend Georgia Mackenzie (whom he met on the set of 'Up Rising') in Clapham, South London. He is, by all accounts, a lovely bloke.
GALLERY LINK
INFO LINK

It began when Richard, whilst studying politics at Derwent College, York University (1991 - 1994), got interested in amateur dramatics. He appeared in many productions during this time and in 1992 made his Edinburgh debut in 'Before The Law' by Jon Millington for Sinistra Theatre Company. In August 1993 he returned to Edinburgh to play the lead role of Will in 'Living Together, Falling Apart' by James Snodgrass for Virtual Theatre (a company that he co-managed with the playwright).
A decision to raise funds to study at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School resulted in an extra’s job on a new film adaptation of the classic novel ‘Jane Eyre’ When director Franco Zeffirelli heard Richard was about to start drama school he gave him a line, his first on screen: "Mr. Rochester, Mr. Rochester, your house sir!"
In his final year at the Old Vic (and as part of the theatre’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations) Richard appeared as the straitjacketed "Jacques Roux" in the (ahem) snappily entitled play ‘The Persecution And Assassination Of Jean-Paul Marat As Performed By The Inmates Of The Asylum Of Charenton Under The Direction Of The Marquis de Sade’.
Richard’s professional career would begin, shortly after his graduation, with a small role as ‘Loon’ in Michael Bogdanov’s screen adaptation of ‘MacBeth’ Described as a ‘vibrant and exciting production set in a timeless zone somewhere in the twentieth century against a raw, urban industrial environment’, this modern version also starred Sean Pertwee, Greta Scacchi and Richard’s Coupling co-star to be Jack Davenport.
Next was a guest appearance as ‘Dr. Miles Miller’ in ‘A Minor Operation’, an episode in the third series of the successful drama ‘Hetty Wainthropp Investigates’
Then onto a small role as a journalist in the Working Titles Film ‘What Rats Won’t Do’, starring Charles Dance, Parker Posey and James Frain
A larger role followed in the ITV drama ‘The Life and Crimes of William Palmer’ as ‘John Parsons Cook’ the unfortunate friend of Dr. Palmer (Keith Allen). In this drama Richard appeared alongside Jayne Osbourne, Judy Cornwall and another ‘Coupling’ friend in the making, Ben Miles.
Justin Kerrigan’s ‘Human Traffic’ was next up, in which Richard took the role of ‘Andy’ a partygoer engaged in some seriously ‘deep’ debate on Star Wars and drugs culture with Danny Dyer’s character Moff.
A support role as ‘Mr Hammond’ a member of the Mikado’s chorus line within Mike Leigh’s critically acclaimed ‘Topsy Turvy’ was the first time viewers glimpsed Richard in singing mode.
A shift in pace and character once more when Richard took on the role of the nerdish ginger haired ‘Mr Coxe’ in a BBC adaptation of ‘Wives and Daughters’
‘Up Rising’ was Richard’s first adventure into TV comedy. The occasionally farcical comedy saw Richard in the guise of ‘Martin Marr’, a handyman. Five episodes were screened on ITV during summer 2000. Up Rising’s cast of six comprised of Michelle Collins, Anton Rodgers, Nicola Pagett, Kevin McNally and Georgia MacKenzie.
‘Greenstone’ sees Richard taking on his first really dashing role. This is a sweeping saga of a love between Richard’s character ‘Sir Geoffrey Halford’ and ‘Marama’ the daughter of a powerful Maori warrior. Set in the mid-1800s, in very turbulent times, ‘Greenstone’ sees battle in New Zealand between the old world and the new.
‘Young Blades’ was next on the agenda. Filmed in Auvergne, France in the summer of 1999 this title is still to grace our screens regardless of participation in The Lake Placid Film Festival, USA and Cannes in the summer of 2001. Directed by Mario Andreacchio, ‘Young Blades’ is a swashbuckling adventure about the early years of the Three Musketeers. Richard takes the role of 'Count Morlas', the baddie, playing against newcomers Scott Hickman, Callum Blue and Anthony Strachan (as the young Musketeers) and teen-dreams Sarah-Jane Potts and Hugh Dancy. This title became available in Australia in late 2002.
Two more TV appearances were to follow both within established and acclaimed BBC dramas. Firstly the part of ‘Martin Hallingsworth’ in ‘Dalziel and Pascoe: A Sweeter Lazarus’ alongside its leads Colin Buchanan and Warren Clarke.
Then a small appearance in the thirty-something angst-fest ‘Hearts and Bones’ as a reporter with the unlucky fortune to ask Sarah Parish’s divine man-scaring character ‘Amanda Thomas’ out on a date.
It was at this point that Richard was to land the role that would launch him into the limelight, but also a time of personal tragedy. As filming began on the inspired BBC2 comedy series 'Coupling' Richard’s father, a builder by trade, died.
"He died just when I started filming Coupling, and I really wished he'd been able to see Dalziel and Pascoe, which I told him I was going to be doing. That was the moment when he thought his son was going to be all right. That series was something to be recognised."
Coupling has seen huge success reaching cult status for many of its avid viewers and is yet another masterpiece from the pen of virtuoso scribe Steven Might (Press Gang, Joking Apart, Chalk). All the characters make ‘Coupling’ a laugh-fest but none more so than the ever bizarre, sexually paranoid ‘Jeff Murdock’ a character so incredibly inept that he is instantly loveable. The fantastic ensemble cast comprises of Jack Davenport, Sarah Alexander, Ben Miles, Kate Isitt and Gina Bellman, all independently and continuously faBtastic, to say the least. Coupling has run for three years, with series filmed in 2000/01 and now in 2002. It is also rumoured that American TV bosses plan to replace the incredibly popular sitcom 'Friends' with an all-American-cast US remake of Coupling when the time comes.
A world away from the incessant romantic blunderings of ‘Jeff Murdock’ is ‘John Ridd’ a confident, gallant and charming man with a smile to die for. Richard was perfectly cast in the BBC Christmas 2000 production of ‘Lorna Doone’ This lead role, matched against Amelia Warner’s feisty portrayal of Lorna, was a jewel performance in Richard’s acting crown.
“Heroes are different today; they are not the same as the ‘40s and ‘50s with the Erroll Flynn stuff,” he ponders. “You don’t just ride in, kick ass and ride home. Heroes today, like John Ridd in this adaptation, can be insecure. They can worry too. That’s where I can see parts of John Ridd in me. I worry a lot. And once John’s met Lorna he’s wracked by self doubt.”
‘Lorna Doone’ is a classic telling of love against the odds. Lorna’s family, responsible for the murder of John’s father, become pitted enemies of the peaceful and life-loving Ridd clan but the deep desires of John and Lorna cannot be halted.
There is also something of the gallant in Richard. He was discussing with his co-star Amelia Warner what might happen to the couple if someone wrote a sequel. It turned out that Amelia thought Lorna would have a couple of kids, quickly become weary of rural life and leave John Ridd for London society life. Richard was mortified. “That’s terrible. I’d like to think that we’d be married forever. Perhaps after a year or so, we might move to London. But I think they would still be together.”
The battle between John Ridd and Lorna’s devilish cousin Carver Doone (Aidan Gillen, ‘Queer As Folk’) for Lorna’s hand is bitter and hard fought.
“It’s funny,” Richard says, “there was something going on between me and Aidan. We like each other, but we somehow kept our distance because of the way things pan out in the story. That affected me and Aidan. It’s helped that we haven’t spent a great deal of time together. There are frozen moments when we’re gazing into each other’s eyes, taking the measure of each other as Carver and John.”
The film was directed by Mike Barker (whose previous credits include ‘Best Laid Plans’ with Reese Witherspoon) and had a star-studded cast including turns by Martin Clunes, Jesse Spencer and Anthony Calf.
Richard’s mother, who works in a mental health community care, did visit the Lorna Doone set, but he secretly suspects she was just there to see one of her own heroes, actor Martin Jarvis, who plays Hugh, Baron de Whichelhalse.
Another love story was to follow, this time set against the backdrop of World War II. The film ‘Sword Of Honour’ was aired in the UK on Channel 4 during January 2001. In the role of ‘Captain Trimmer McTavish’ audiences are treated to a rendition of Cole Porter’s ‘Night and Day’. Richard shares the screen with Daniel Craig and Megan Dodds.
The latest film role for Richard was taken in ‘Happy Now’ a film with a dream cast including Jonathon Rhys-Meyers, Om Puri, Ioan Gruffudd, Alison Steadman and Susan Lynch. The film directed by BAFTA award winner Philippa Collie-Cousins, premiered at Edinburgh Film Festival in August 2001 and also screened at the London and Welsh International Film Festivals. An off-beat thriller set in a remote Welsh village wherein teenagers Glen (Paddy Considine) and Joe Jones (Richard Coyle) let Tin Man, the local tramp, take the rap after they accidentally kill Joe's girlfriend Jenny. Fourteen years later, Tin Man is released from prison and a girl, Nicky (Emmy Rossum), turns up. Nicky is a dead ringer for Jenny, and when Joe sees her, the guilt that has haunted him for so long turns into full-blown paranoia. Although Richard has mentioned in interviews that he was planning to promote this feature during the summer of 2002 nothing has yet been heard of its up-coming release in the UK or elsewhere.
Then back to the small screen once again in a two hour long modern adaptation of 'Othello' starring alongside Eamonn Walker and Christopher Eccleston. 'Othello' premiered on Canada's CBC TV network in November 2001, then screened in the UK the US in early 2002. It garnered five BAFTA nominations. Richard played Michael Cass, the man entrusted to protect Othello's wife Dessie and in doing so also provides the fuel for Othello's jealous fire. This version of the Shakespeare classic was directed by Geoffrey Sax and adapted for the screen by Andrew Davies (Wives and Daughters,Take A Girl Like You, Pride and Prejudice).
During the last months of 2001 Richard took to the stage in the English Touring Theatre's production of 'The York Realist' The Peter Gill production premiered at The Lowry, Salford Quays, on 15th November where it stayed for three nights. Then it moved to the Bristol Old Vic between 20th - 24th November. 2002 saw The York Realist take to the stage of the Royal Court Theatre, London where it played 6th January - 9th February before transferring for an extended run at The Strand Theatre, London running 9th March - 20th April 2002. The York Realist also featured Lloyd Owen, Wendy Nottingham, Anne Reid, Ian Mercer, Caroline O'Neil and Felix Bell.
Then a strange thing occured...Richard took the title role in a BBC pilot 'Strange' Playing a modern day demon hunter 'John Strange' successfully hit our screens in March 2002. The pilot saw Richard and Samantha Janus do battle against Azal a truely electric demon. It was announced in May 2002 that Strange has been commissioned for it's first full series (six episodes).
In the summer months of 2002 Richard enjoyed a sold out run at the Donmar Warehouse, London in 'Proof' Richard took the role of Gwyneth Paltrow's unlikely suitor 'Hal' in this adaptation of David Auburn's 'Proof' which was directed by John Madden, ('Captain Corelli's Mandolin,' 'Shakespeare In Love). The play ran between May 9th - June 15th 2002. Rumour has it Gwyneth and Madden are taking Proof to the silver screen - sadly Richard's part will be played by Jake Gyllenhaal.
In February 2003 Richard was named Best Supporting Actor by the public via the What's On Stage website's Theatregoers' Choice Awards. The York Realist was also named Best New Play by the Critics' Circle Drama Theatre Awards, as well as garnering a nomination by the Olivier Awards
Richard joined Claire Goose, Tam Williams and Flora Montgomery in 2003 to shoot the 35mm short film 'Friday Night In' with director Ruth Coulson.
Another short film 'Blight' was shot in 2003 was the historical biog of the famous Cornwall painter 'John Blight' in which Richard took the title role.
From May 2003 the first full series of Strange began transmission. Richard reportedly signed with a US agent and rumours began to surface that he would not be reprising his breakthrough role of 'Jeff Murdock' in future series of Coupling.
From November 2003 until February 2004 Richard performed on stage as John at the Donmar Warehouse in 'After Miss Julie' alongside Helen Baxendale and Kelly Reilly. Artistic director Michael Grandage directed Strindberg's brutal love story, in a re-imagined version by Patrick Marber.
Another role in a BBC production in March 2004 saw Richard as 'Robert Catesby' in 'Gunpowder, Treason and Plot' alongside Robert Carlise and Emilia Fox.
2004
 • Rumour had it that in June Richard and longtime girlfriend Georgia Mackensie tied the knot.

• Richard stuck to his guns and quit Coupling, the fourth series transmitted with a Jeff-sized whole.

• Richard filmed a part in the movie 'The Libertine' also starring Johnny Depp.

• He will be taking to the stage once more, this time at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre for Michael Grandage's production of 'Don Carlos' wherein he plays the title role. The production will run from September - November.

It seems only fair to imagine that this back catalogue of diverse roles will be only the start of a long career for this talented and versatile actor. It is likely that plenty more character incarnations from many more periods of history, and indeed contemporary times, will be coming our way soon.

All facts and information are not guaranteed 100% accurate
Quotations taken from the press biography accompanying ‘Lorna Doone’
Additional information from the ‘Happy Now’ press release

Copyright © 2001-2004 RICHARDCOYLE.COM
All Rights Reserved