Richard Dormer

Biography

Richard Dormer is an accomplished actor, playwright, and screenwriter hailing from Northern Ireland. Born in Lisburn, he initially secured a place at the Royal College of Art before accepting a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. After spending some time in London’s vibrant theater scene, he returned to his roots in Northern Ireland, where he now resides in Belfast with his wife, director Rachel O'Riordan.

Dormer gained significant recognition for his portrayal of the Northern Irish snooker legend Alex Higgins in the production "Hurricane," which he also penned. The show garnered acclaim from critics and even from Higgins himself, earning Dormer The Stage Award for Best Actor in 2003. He is currently one of the top contenders to depict Higgins in an upcoming biopic, alongside actors Cillian Murphy and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

In 2004, Dormer received the Irish Times Best Actor Award for his role in Frank McGuinness's "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme." The following year, he collaborated with Sir Peter Hall at the Theatre Royal, participating in productions of various classics, including George Bernard Shaw's "You Can Never Tell" and Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." Dormer has also penned several plays, such as "The Half" and "Gentleman's Tea Drinking Society," produced by Belfast's Ransom theatre company. His voice has featured in over twenty BBC Radio 4 plays and documentaries. In 2012, Dormer starred as the lead in "Good Vibrations," a film about punk rock figure Terri Hooley, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won 'Best Film' at the Galway Film Awards. Additionally, he took on the role of Lord Beric Dondarrion, the "Lightning Lord," in Season 3 of HBO's "Game of Thrones."