--- name: "Richard Johnson" canonical: "https://film.one/person/richard-johnson-20510" fi1m_id: "richard-johnson-20510" imdb_id: "nm0426062" tmdb_id: 20510 wikidata_id: "Q166422" roles: ["Actor"] born: "30 July 1927" died: "5 June 2015" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_fi1m_score: 80 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-26T15:23:07.592145+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 Johnson ## Identity Richard Johnson - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/richard-johnson-20510 - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** richard-johnson-20510 - **IMDb ID:** nm0426062 - **TMDB ID:** 20510 - **Wikidata ID:** Q166422 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Johnson_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q166422, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426062/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/20510 Actor. Born 30 July 1927 in Upminster, Essex, England, UK. Died 5 June 2015. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 30 July 1927, Upminster, Essex, England, UK - **Died:** 5 June 2015 - **Active:** 1963–2002 - **Also known as:** Richard Keith Johnson, 리차드 존슨, ریچارد جانسون - **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 84 (1), 2000s 77 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Johnson_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q166422, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426062/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/20510 ## Fi1m on Richard Johnson > A still, courteous, well-spoken actor whom the 1960s tried to turn into a leading man. He could make authority believable and only rarely made it exciting, and *The Haunting* shows both in the same tweed jacket. Richard Johnson stands still. In *The Haunting* (1963) his Dr John Markway walks into the house with a tape measure and a theory, and while Julie Harris comes apart in whispers around him he explains, in paragraphs, what a haunting is. He barely raises his voice. He barely moves his hands. It is the habit of a stage actor who has learned that the audience will come to him, and on film it reads as calm at best and as a lecture at worst. We sat forward every time Harris opened her mouth and back every time Markway produced the tape, because Robert Wise's film stops dead for him and starts again once he has gone. The stillness was learned properly. He was in John Gielgud's company in 1944 and spent the later 1950s at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, becoming an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company on its formation in 1960; Peter Hall directed him more than once and Mark Antony was among his parts. An MGM contract from 1959 brought *Never So Few* (1959), then *The Haunting*, and the rest of the decade arrived in the shape the studios thought fitted him: Giles in Jack Clayton's *The Pumpkin Eater* (1964); a colonel in *Khartoum* (1966) opposite Charlton Heston; and Hugh Drummond in *Deadlier Than the Male* (1967) and *Some Girls Do* (1969), Bulldog Drummond pictures made in the wake of Bond. He had turned Bond down himself, and his account of it is clear-eyed: "Eventually they offered it to Sean Connery, who was completely wrong for the part. But in getting the wrong man they got the right man, because it turned the thing on its head and he made it funny." He had the looks, the voice and the ability, and the charge against him in the sixties was that he lacked the spark to carry a film on his own; in the Drummond pictures the word was stolid. He made authority believable because he never looked bothered by it. But a script has to give him something to be unbothered by. Gidding's screenplay gives Markway explanations, and a man calmly explaining is a man calmly boring us; the same stillness set beside a wall that knocks might have been frightening. From the 1970s he went into character parts and television. He filmed his RSC Cassius in *Julius Caesar* (1970), produced as well as acted in *Turtle Diary* (1985), and was still working as the grandfather in *The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas* (2008) and as Leonard in *Radiator* (2014), which he counted among his best and which arrived around his death in 2015. Start with *The Haunting* and watch Harris around him; then notice how much the film needs somebody who will not flinch, and how little it finds to do with him once it has one. ## Biography Richard Johnson was an English actor, writer and producer. Born Richard Keith Johnson on 30 July 1927 in Upminster, Essex, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his professional stage debut in 1944. He became an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company from its founding and appeared in numerous Shakespeare productions. His film roles included Dr. John Markway in *The Haunting* (1963), Colonel Stewart in *Khartoum* (1966) and parts in *The Pumpkin Eater* (1964) and *Scoop* (2006). He also worked extensively in television, with credits including *Murder, She Wrote* and *Magnum, P.I.*. Johnson turned down the role of James Bond and later produced films through United British Artists. He died on 6 June 2015 in Chelsea, London. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) - *Spooks* (2002), Fi1m 77, as Bernard Qualtrough — [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md) - *The Haunting* (1963), Fi1m 84, as Dr. John Markway — [page](https://film.one/film/the-haunting.md) ## Complete filmography (122) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Man Who Knew Infinity* (2016), as Vice Master Henry Jackson - *Beloved Days* (2015), Actor - *Radiator* (2014), as Leonard - *The Man on the Moor* (2013), as Joe Adams - *The Other Child* (2013), series, as Chad Beckett - *The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff* (2012), series, as Uncle Writes Prompt Thank You Cards - *The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas* (2008), as Grandpa - *Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven* (2007), as Narrator / The Raven (voice) - *Lewis* (2007), series, as Augustus Mortmaigne - *Two Families* (2007), as Don Cataldo - *Scoop* (2006), as Mr. Quincy - *Wallis & Edward* (2005), as Stanley Baldwin - *Whatever Love Means* (2005), as Lord Mountbatten - *The Robinsons* (2005), series, as Hector Robinson - *Doc Martin* (2004), series, as Colonel Gilbert Spencer - *Danny Deckchair* (2003), as Passerby - *The Royal* (2003), series, as Johnny Lomax - *Spooks* (2002), series, as Bernard Qualtrough — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md) - *Waking the Dead* (2001), series, as Dr. Raymond Parke - *Lara Croft: Tomb Raider* (2001), as Distinguished Gentleman - *The Whistle-Blower* (2001), as Sir Alastair Montgomery - *Happy Days* (2000), as Willie - *A Kind of Hush* (1999), Story - *Milk* (1999), as John - *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as Rex Masters — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md) - *Breaking the Code* (1996), as Dilwyn 'Dilly' Knox - *Heavy Weather* (1995), as Lord Tilbury - *Kavanagh Q.C.* (1995), series, as Lord Justice Fenwick - *Anglo Saxon Attitudes* (1992), series, as Gerald Middleton - *The Camomile Lawn* (1992), series, as Oliver (older) - *Duel of Hearts* (1992), as Lord Belgrave - *Murder Most Horrid* (1991), series, as Reverend Charles Quentin - *The Crucifer of Blood* (1991), as Dr. Watson - *Diving In* (1990), as Richard Anthony - *Treasure Island* (1990), as Squire Trelawney - *The Secret Life of Ian Fleming* (1990), as Gen. Halmsden - *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Malcolm Lawson - *Voice of the Heart* (1989), as David Cunningham - *A Man for All Seasons* (1988), as Duke of Norfolk - *Castaway* (1986), as Lawyer (uncredited) · Executive Producer - *Lady Jane* (1986), as The Earl of Arundel - *Turtle Diary* (1985), as Mr. Johnson · Producer - *Dempsey and Makepeace* (1985), series, as Daish — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/dempsey-and-makepeace.md) - *What Waits Below* (1984), as Ben Gannon - *The Biko Inquest* (1984), as Dr. Hersch · Executive Producer - *The Bill* (1984), series, Actor - *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Lord Geoffrey Constable - *Mr. Palfrey of Westminster* (1984), series, as Air Vice-Marshal Conyers - *The Aerodrome* (1983), as Air Commander - *Cymbeline* (1983), as Cymbeline - *The Kenny Everett Television Show* (1982), series, as Various - *The Best of Sex and Violence* (1982), as (archive footage) - *The Member for Chelsea* (1981), series, as Sir Charles Dilke - *The Monster Club* (1981), as Busotsky's Father - *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), series, as Brigadier Faulkes - *The Marquise* (1980), as Count Raoul de Vriac - *Haywire* (1980), as Kenneth Wagg - *Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger* (1980), as Havelock Ellis - *A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square* (1980), as Inspector Watford - *Spy!* (1980), series, as Richard Sorge - *The Great Alligator* (1979), as Prophet Jameson - *The Flame Is Love* (1979), as Narrator - *Before and After* (1979), as Waiter Les - *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, as Alex Constantine - *Zombie Flesh Eaters* (1979), as Dr. David Menard - *Tales of the Unexpected* (1979), series, as Parnell, James, Tanner - *Island of the Fishmen* (1979), as Edmond Rackham - *The BBC Television Shakespeare* (1978), series, as Cymbeline - *Brutes and Savages* (1978), as Narrator - *The Comeback* (1978), as Psychiatrist - *Across a Crowded Room* (1978), as Fergus Mariner - *The Four Feathers* (1978), as Abou Fatma - *Origins of the Mafia* (1976), series, as Narrator (voice) - *The Last Concert* (1976), as Richard Lasky - *Aces High* (1976), as Major Lyle - *Moses the Lawgiver* (1976), as Erzähler-Stimme - *The Message* (1976), as Narrator (voice) - *Hennessy* (1975), as Insp. Hollis · Original Story - *Space: 1999* (1975), series, as Lee Russell - *The Night Child* (1975), as Michael Williams - *Antony and Cleopatra* (1975), as Antony - *Churchill's People* (1974), series, as Tiberius Claudius - *Beyond the Door* (1974), as Dimitri - *Orson Welles' Great Mysteries* (1973), series, as Bruce Sexton - *Thriller* (1973), series, as George Drew - *A Marriage* (1972), as Richard - *Sin* (1971), as Orestes - *Hamlet* (1970), as Claudius, King of Denmark - *Julius Caesar* (1970), as Cassius - *The Fifth Day of Peace* (1970), as John Miller - *Some Girls Do* (1969), as Hugh Drummond - *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, as Claudius, King of Denmark, Dr. Clive Riordan - *Emma Hamilton* (1968), as Horatio Nelson - *The Column* (1968), as Tiberius - *A Twist of Sand* (1968), as Geoffrey Peace - *Oedipus the King* (1968), as Creon - *Danger Route* (1967), as Jonas Wilde - *The Rover* (1967), as Real - *Deadlier Than the Male* (1967), as Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond - *The Witch* (1966), as Sergio Logan - *Khartoum* (1966), as Colonel Stewart - *The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders* (1965), as Jemmy - *Operation Crossbow* (1965), as Duncan Sandys - *The Pumpkin Eater* (1964), as Giles - *80,000 Suspects* (1963), as Dr. Steven Monks - *Cairo* (1963), as Ali - *The Human Jungle* (1963), series, as Jimbo - *The Haunting* (1963), as Dr. John Markway — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-haunting.md) - *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* (1962), series, as Jarvis Smith - *Sunday-Night Play* (1960), series, as Donadieu, Frank Gibbons - *Armchair Mystery Theatre* (1960), series, as Cainfield - *Never So Few* (1959), as Capt. Danny De Mortimer - *The Four Just Men* (1959), series, as Captain Bannion - *The Buccaneers* (1956), series, as Pegleg - *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Walter Egmont - *A Party for Christmas* (1954), as Michael Firbanks - *Saadia* (1953), as Lt. Girard - *Lady in the Fog* (1952), as Danny McMara - Hit-and-Run Victim - *Pride and Prejudice* (1952), series, as Mr Wickham - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Claudius - *Calling Bulldog Drummond* (1951), as Control Tower Operator (uncredited) - *Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.* (1951), as Macrae (uncredited) ## Gallery - ![Richard Johnson](https://film.one/media/person/1006930/gallery-6a3b2b709fc8.jpg) Richard Johnson — Image via TMDB - ![Richard Johnson](https://film.one/media/person/1006930/gallery-75d7158584b6.jpg) Richard Johnson — Image via TMDB - ![Richard Johnson](https://film.one/media/person/1006930/gallery-0f88f0cf54e2.jpg) Richard Johnson — 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-johnson-20510