Richard Griffiths

British character actor Richard Griffiths built up an early reputation as a Shakespearean clown, with larger-than-life portrayals of Henry VIII, Falstaff in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with the Royal Shakspeare Company. The son of deaf mute parents, he learned sign language at an early age and developed a talent for dialects which allowed him to show off in a number of ethnic portrayals. His best-known film roles include Monty in Withnail and I (1987), and most recently, Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon.
He is reader of numerous audiobooks, including Louis de Berniere's The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman, and Robin Jarvis' Deptford Histories: Thomas.