Richard Madden

Richard Madden, born 18 June 1986, is a Scottish actor. He landed his first role at age 11 and made his screen acting debut in 2000. His subsequent studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland provided him further opportunities to perform on stage. In 2007, he became a part of Shakespeare's Globe company and played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. Later, his role as Robb Stark in the fantasy drama series Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2013, elevated him to fame. After his performance in Game of Thrones, Madden played Prince Kit in the romantic fantasy film Cinderella (2015) and Italian banker Cosimo de' Medici in the first season of the historical fiction series Medici (2016). In 2018, his critically acclaimed performance as a police officer in the thriller series Bodyguard won him a Golden Globe Award. Moving into 2019, Madden landed supporting roles as music manager John Reid in the biopic Rocketman and Lieutenant Blake in the war film 1917. More recently, he has starred as Ikaris in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Eternals (2021) and as a spy in the action thriller series Citadel (2023–present).

Madden was born in Elderslie, outside Glasgow, where he grew up with two sisters. His mother was a primary school teacher, and his father worked as a firefighter. Shy and body-conscious as a child, he joined PACE Youth Theatre to help overcome these insecurities. Apart from being shy, Madden struggled with body insecurities and faced bullying in high school. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating in 2007. His career spanned different mediums and genres of acting, from film to theatre to TV series, presenting dramatic, historic, and even superhero-themed roles. Madden was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time due to his acclaimed performances and significant contributions to the movie industry. His personal life remains private.