---
name: "Richard Dormer"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/richard-dormer"
fi1m_id: "richard-dormer"
imdb_id: "nm0233807"
tmdb_id: 97416
wikidata_id: "Q7325246"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "11 November 1969"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-07T15:16:46.560102+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Richard Dormer

## Identity

Richard Dormer

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/richard-dormer
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** richard-dormer
- **IMDb ID:** nm0233807
- **TMDB ID:** 97416
- **Wikidata ID:** Q7325246
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dormer, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7325246, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0233807/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/97416

Actor. Born 11 November 1969 in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 11 November 1969, Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, UK
- **Active:** 2009–present
- **Also known as:** ریچارد دورمر
- **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 72 (1), 2010s 80 (2), 2020s 78 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 74 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Crime 3, Thriller 2, Action 1, Action & Adventure 1, Music 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $4m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dormer, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7325246, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0233807/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/97416

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Blue Lights*](https://film.one/tv/blue-lights.md) (82), [*'71*](https://film.one/film/71.md) (82)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Good Vibrations*](https://film.one/film/good-vibrations.md) (77)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Richard Dormer

> Richard Dormer’s strength is making authority figures feel like people worth listening to. In *Blue Lights*, his warmth as a police mentor helps give a familiar drama its human weight; we would start there.

In *Blue Lights* (2023), Richard Dormer’s Gerry Cliff is a police sergeant whose warmth matters as much as his authority. He guides inexperienced officers, and Dormer makes that familiar arrangement worth watching by giving the mentor a welcome depth of feeling. We found Gerry reassuring, which made us worry more about the rookies facing danger without his experience. The programme sometimes uses their inexperience to explain too much, but its performances keep us involved. This is where we would start with Dormer.

The substantial screen roles came after years concentrated on theatre, including his self-written solo play *Hurricane* (2003), in which he played Alex Higgins. *Good Vibrations* (2012) was the turn, giving him the lead as punk promoter Terri Hooley and a chance to put his energy to work. Television then brought Beric Dondarrion in *Game of Thrones* from 2013 and the lead as Dan Anderssen in *Fortitude* (2015). Troubled authority figures recur in his work, but Hooley is a useful reminder that there are other parts to offer him.

In *'71* (2014), he plays the supporting role of Eamon, and the reasons for our recommendation are different. Yann Demange makes the action clear and punishing, while Jack O’Connell keeps us conscious of the fear involved in surviving it. The plotting becomes too convenient, but the tension remains persuasive enough to carry us through. Dormer is part of a strong film here; we would not claim that it gives as full an introduction to him as Gerry does.

Repeated casting as troubled men in charge could become limiting, and we would be wary of treating those roles as the whole story. Gerry’s warmth matters because *Blue Lights* needs us to care about people learning a difficult job, and Dormer helps it achieve that. He cannot make the explanatory writing disappear, nor should a recommendation pretend otherwise. For his next lead, we would welcome some of Hooley’s energy before another troubled authority figure.

## Biography

Richard Dormer is a Northern Irish actor and playwright. Born in Portadown, County Armagh, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before returning to Northern Ireland.

He is known for his stage work, including writing and starring in the play *Hurricane* about snooker player Alex Higgins, for which he won The Stage Award for Best Actor in 2003. On screen, his credits include Beric Dondarrion in *Game of Thrones* (2013–2019), Dan Anderssen in *Fortitude* (2015–2018) and Gerry Cliff in the BBC series *Blue Lights* (2023). He is married to theatre director Rachel O'Riordan.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, primetimer.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Blue Lights* (2023), Fi1m 82, as Gerry Cliff — [page](https://film.one/tv/blue-lights.md)
- *Gangs of London* (2020), Fi1m 74, as Cornelius Quinn — [page](https://film.one/tv/gangs-of-london.md)
- *'71* (2014), Fi1m 82, as Eamon — [page](https://film.one/film/71.md)
- *Good Vibrations* (2012), Fi1m 77, as Terri Hooley — [page](https://film.one/film/good-vibrations.md)
- *Five Minutes of Heaven* (2009), Fi1m 72, as Michael — [page](https://film.one/film/five-minutes-of-heaven.md)

## Complete filmography (46)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Assassin* (2025), series, as Damien Hammond
- *The Day of the Jackal* (2024), series, as Norman Stoke
- *Castlevania: Nocturne* (2023), series, as Abbot Emmanuel (voice), Abbot Emmanuel (voice)
- *Secret Invasion* (2023), series, as Agent Prescod
- *Blue Lights* (2023), series, as Gerry Cliff — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/blue-lights.md)
- *The Watch* (2021), series, as Captain Sam Vimes
- *Gangs of London* (2020), series, as Cornelius Quinn — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/gangs-of-london.md)
- *COBRA* (2020), series, as Fraser Walker
- *Togo* (2019), as Dr. Curtis Welch
- *Rellik* (2017), series, as DCI Gabriel Markham
- *We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story* (2015), as David Croft
- *11 Minutes* (2015), as Richard Martin
- *Hyena* (2015), as Nick Taylor
- *Fortitude* (2015), series, as Dan Anderssen
- *'71* (2014), as Eamon — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/71.md)
- *Shooting for Socrates* (2014), as Arthur
- *Lily's Driftwood Bay* (2014), series, as Lily's Dad (voice)
- *The Musketeers* (2014), series, as Christophe
- *Dark Touch* (2013), as Henry
- *SLR* (2013), as Mr. Verma
- *Wodehouse In Exile* (2013), as Werner Plack
- *Bloody Friday* (2012), as Narrator
- *Jump* (2012), as Johnny
- *Good Vibrations* (2012), as Terri Hooley — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/good-vibrations.md)
- *The Rule of Thumb* (2012), Actor
- *Game of Thrones* (2011), series, as Beric Dondarrion — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/game-of-thrones.md)
- *Brendan Smyth:  Betrayal of Trust* (2011), as Chris Moore
- *Those Were the Days* (2011), series, Creator
- *The Beauty of Books* (2011), series, as Narrator
- *Scapegoat* (2009), as Narrator (Voice)
- *Best: His Mother's Son* (2009), as Ad Director
- *Pumpgirl* (2009), as Hammy
- *Ghost Machine* (2009), as Taggert
- *Five Minutes of Heaven* (2009), as Michael — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/five-minutes-of-heaven.md)
- *My Boy Jack* (2007), as Corporal John O'Leary
- *Middletown* (2007), as Ned
- *Mrs. Henderson Presents* (2005), as Comic
- *The Mighty Celt* (2005), as Ronan
- *Holy Cross* (2003), as Seamus
- *Puckoon* (2002), as Arthur Faddington
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Love's Sweet Song* (2000), as Young Civilian
- *A Further Gesture* (1997), as Joe
- *Safe And Sound* (1996), series, as Doctor Norris
- *Soldier Soldier* (1991), series, as Cpl David Lutchens
- *He-Play* (1990), series, as David
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Rick Tomlinson — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)

## Gallery

- ![Richard Dormer](https://film.one/media/person/26981/gallery-e416e22fb533.jpg) Richard Dormer — nico fell photography from Northern Ireland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Richard_Dormer_%282009%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Richard Dormer](https://film.one/media/person/26981/gallery-5c9a61c58ecb.jpg) Richard Dormer — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/richard-dormer