Richie Stephens (actor)
Richie Stephens is an Irish actor and writer. He is best known for playing villains in TV and film dramas, his appearances in multiple Florence + The Machine music videos,[1] and for his ability to do a broad range of accents.[2] He has appeared in over 100 stage and screen productions.
| Richie Stephens | |
|---|---|
 Richie Stephens at Berlinale 2016 | |
| Born | Cavan, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | National University of Ireland |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2009 - present |
Early life
Stephens was born in Cavan, Ireland, the eldest of three children. He was educated in St. Patrick's College, Cavan and the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. He played Gaelic (Irish) football with Gowna, in County Cavan.
He began acting at the age of 10 under the instruction of acting coach Claire McDermott but worked a variety of different jobs before returning to the craft. Right before his acting career took off, Stephens was a carpenter until an accident in San Francisco resulted in a broken back. Stephens told The Anglo-Celt, "Before it happened, I was quite happy being a carpenter, so, I probably wouldn't have gotten back into acting if it hadn't happened."[3]
Career
While working as a model, Stephens was discovered by director Weston Simpson, who cast him as a German hitman in his film Credence. Within months of filming Credence, Stephens then appeared in five films and four television shows opposite Kevin Durand, Tia Carrere, Eric Roberts, Chad Michael Murray, Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan. Stephens' first major film appearance was a cameo in the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner Fruitvale Station (2013).
In 2014, Stephens also appeared in the dark and confronting play Solitaire in Los Angeles.[4] He was noted in rave reviews for his range of dialects.[5] Stephens told interviewer Tony Capobianco, "Accents have interested me since I was a little kid. If someone sounds different I become interested in replicating it.I have a good ear for it. Never took classes in accents. They are fun for me. Before I was acting I would do them all the time to amuse myself. This week I've been doing New Zealand a lot."[6]
While Stephens is most often cast in dramas and thrillers in darker roles, he co-created the comedic web series Himmler Entertainment (2014) with Patrick Q. Roberts (Baggage, The Devil's Banker). The series premiered on the hit viral site Funny or Die. Stephens played an eccentric Southern fixer opposite Max Bird-Ridnell's (Sequestered, Ray Donovan) portrayal of hotshot talent manager Chaim Himmler. The series also guest stars British rock star Billy Morrison (The Cult, Camp Freddie, Billy Idol) and YouTube comedic gangster phenomenon Jigga Jones.[7]
In 2015, Stephens gained international recognition when he appeared as the Savior in music videos for Florence + The Machine's album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. After first appearing in the music video for What Kind of Man, in which he carries Florence Welch to safety, he reprised his role in the music video for Delilah, a metaphorical betrayal calling upon the Biblical story of Samson and Delilah. Stephens acknowledged the calibre of the music videos, saying, "I love working with Florence and (director) Vince Haycock. ... These days music videos aren't what they used to be, but with Florence they are always epic."[8] He added in another interview, "The content of Flo's videos can often be elaborate and full of imagery but he (Vince) can always simplify what he wants from you and make things clear."[9]
Stephens' most notable television roles include guest appearances on Major Crimes (2016), Roadies (2016), Criminal Minds (2015) and RocketJump: The Show (2016). His film roles include supporting roles in The Shop (2014), Soy Nero (2016) which was nominated for a Golden Bear at the Berlinale International Film Festival, and Florence + The Machine: The Odyssey (2016).
He has cited Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Guy Ritchie, Paul Thomas Anderson, The Cohen Brothers, Clint Eastwood, Oliver Stone, and Stuart Carolan as inspiration.[10]
Stephens is a member of The Actor's Gym, an invitation-based group of successful actors and writers led by Academy Award winner Robert Moresco.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | A Piece of Apple Pie | Customer | Short Film |
| 2013 | Credence | Luis | Short Film |
| The Elixir | Ronan | Short Film | |
| 1989 | Revolutionary | ||
| Single Night | Party Guest #1 | Short Film | |
| Cars and Ladies | John | Short Film | |
| Fruitvale Station | Spiffy White Dude | Winner: Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize | |
| 2014 | The Saint of Auschwitz | Gestapo #2 | Short Film |
| Red Hunter | Panzer Radio Mann | ||
| Zombie Queen from Outer Space | Brad | Short Film | |
| The Shop | Noel Jansen | ||
| The Dirt Bike | Shane | Short Film | |
| 2014 | Busted! Animal Smugglers | Sean Mann | TV Movie |
| Zombie Queen from Outer Space | Brad | Short Film | |
| 2015 | Story of Eva | Detective St. John | |
| Florence + The Machine: What Kind of Man | Savior | Music Video | |
| Rey | The Reverend | Bollywood Movie | |
| Florence + The Machine: Delilah | Savior | Music Video | |
| Leaving the Life | The Hitman | Short Film | |
| Death is a Lady | Phillipe LeCroix | Short Film | |
| 2016 | Paradise Club | Businessman | |
| A Soldier's Song | Jono' | Short Film | |
| Soy Nero | MP#1 | Nominated: Berlinale International Film Festival Golden Bear Prize | |
| Florence + The Machine: The Odyssey | Savior | ||
| Breathe | Customer | Short Film | |
| 5150 | Priest |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tattoo Nightmares | Tattoo Artist | Episode: "Brock L's Story" |
| Sekai Goyten (World's Astonishing News) | Various | 4 episodes | |
| 2013 | 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover | Tim's Friend / Bouncer | Episode: #1.1 |
| Monstresses | Detective | Episode: "Elizabeth Reynolds & Linda Henning" | |
| I Solved a Murder | College Student | Episode: "Sheila Wysocki" | |
| Wives with Knives | Various | 4 episodes | |
| 2015 | Sex Sent Me To The Slammer | Officer Parker | Episode: "Elevator Shaft" |
| Criminal Minds | Jacob Dufour | Episode: "Internal Affairs" | |
| 2016 | RocketJump: The Show | Dimitri | 2 episodes |
| Major Crimes | Marcus Kemp | Episode: "Tourist Trap" | |
| Roadies | German Pilot #2 | Episode: "The All Night Bus Ride" | |
| Blue Bloods | Vlad | Episode: "Mob Rules" |
References
- ↑ "Richie Stephens" (PDF). Talent Monthly Magazine. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ Harrington, Katy (13 June 2016). "Actor Ritchie Stephens pulls off 15 Irish accents in under five minutes". The Irish Post. The Irish Post. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ Neilan, Paul (7 August 2013). "Sneaking around for a Hollywood break". The Anglo-Celt. The Anglo-Celt. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ Straw, Joe (7 December 2014). "Solitaire by Joshua Crone". Joe Straw #9. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ Capobianco, Tony (24 November 2014). "'Solitaire': a great play for those who like a good monologue". AXS. AXS.com. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ Capobianco, Tony (25 July 2015). "Q&A with hollywood rising star Richie Stephens". AXS. AXS.com. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ "Himmler Entertainment, the Hilarious New Web Series from Richie Stephens and Patrick Q Roberts, Released on FunnyOrDie.com". Digital Journal. Digital Journal. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ "Irish Actor Richie Stephens reprises role with Florence & The Machine!". Geek Ireland. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ "Florence + the Machine Savior, Richie Stephens Talks About His Latest Roles in Paradise and Soy Nero". Talent Monthly. Talent Monthly Online. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ "Actor's Corner" (PDF). Feevr Magazine. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016 – via RichieStephens.com.