Richard Griffths will probably be most remembered as Uncle Vernon from the Harry Potter franchise of films, second as the heart of The History Boys, which he won a Tony Award for on Broadway and played the role once again in the film adaptation.
Griffiths passed away on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the age of 65 due to complications following heart surgery at University Hospital in Coventry, central England.
Beyond the Potter films and History Boys, Griffiths starred in several memorable features including Withnail & I, Gandhi, Chariots of Fire, Superman II, Hugo and in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow.
Griffiths was a talented actor that brought a lot of life to his performances and it’s sad to see him go at such a young age. Sadly I felt I could see this coming as his weight certainly had to play a large role in whatever was ailing his heart. Griffiths was a firecracker when it came to his performances, but I always had that tinge of fear while watching him, wondering if it would be the last time.
His legacy will live on in his performances and won’t be soon forgotten as he stood out in most everything he was involved in.
