Richard Dormer is a renowned Northern Irish actor, playwright, and screenwriter, born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. His academic pursuits led him to the Royal College of Art, where he secured a scholarship at the prestigious RADA school of acting in London. After honing his craft in London, he returned to his homeland, settling in Belfast, where he is married to director Rachel O'Riordan.
Dormer's most notable role is perhaps that of Northern Irish snooker star Alex Higgins in the critically acclaimed production "Hurricane," which he both wrote and starred in. His outstanding performance earned him The Stage award for best actor in 2003, and he remains a strong contender to play Higgins in the upcoming film adaptation, alongside Cillian Murphy and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
In 2004, Dormer won the Irish Times Best Actor Award for his portrayal in Frank McGuinness's "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme." He then went on to complete a season with Sir Peter Hall at the Theatre Royal, performing in a diverse range of productions, including "Bath" by George Bernard Shaw, "Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare, "Private Lives" by Noël Coward, and "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett.
Since then, Dormer has written several plays, including "The Half" and "Gentleman's Tea Drinking Society," which were produced through Belfast's Ransom theatre company. He has also lent his voice to over twenty BBC Radio 4 plays, documentaries, and advertising campaigns.
After a string of film roles playing secondary characters, Dormer was cast as the lead in the 2012 film "Good Vibrations," which tells the story of Northern Ireland personality and punk rock visionary Terri Hooley. The film premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and won the award for best film at the Galway film awards. In the same year, Dormer took on the pivotal role of Lord Beric Dondarrion, also known as the "Lightning Lord," the leader of the "Brotherhood Without Banners," in Season 3 of the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones."
