Richard Charles Lintern (born 8 October 1962) is an English stage, voice and screen actor.
Early life Lintern was born in Taunton, Somerset. He studied English Literature at Durham University. He subsequently won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Career Lintern has an extensive stage career, spending most professional time in the West End and the Royal National Theatre. He has appeared across the UK, including leading roles at the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court Theatre, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Bristol Old Vic. and many others. Recent productions include Elephants at Hampstead Theatre, Jumpy at the Royal Court, Blue/Orange in Birmingham and Clybourne Park at the Park Theatre.
Lintern has played leading roles in a wide range of television and film projects. Recent productions include Silent Witness, Cell 8, Nolly, The Reckoning, Young Wallander, White House Farm, The Crown, Stephen, The Outpost, Professor T, and Death in Paradise. Earlier work includes White Heat, Top Boy, Page Eight, Pennyworth, The Shadowline, Lead Balloon, Screenplay, The Beggar Bride, Covington Cross, Midsomer Murders "Picture of Innocence", Cadfael, Lewis, She's Out, Demob, The Storyteller, Victoria Wood, The Line of Beauty, Forever Green, The Good Guys, The Bill, Casualty, Plotlands, Heartbeat, Performance, Holding the Baby, Bloodlines, which is loosely based on the life and disappearance of Lord Lucan, Taggart, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Agatha Christie's Poirot "Dead Man's Mirror" and "Mrs.McGinty's Dead".
Lintern played a young Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1998 film Jinnah, and an American police officer in the 1998 film Lost Souls. In 2003, Lintern also played the leading Pharisee in the word for word Bible film The Gospel of John. He also starred in the 2007 gay drama film by Channel 4 Clapham Junction, where he played Will, who is entering a civil partnership. He was also in The Bank Job in 2008, playing an MI5 officer ordered to retrieve the embarrassing proceeds of a bank robbery in 1970s London. Other films include Syriana, Page Eight, Malaventura, and The Calling. Lintern also appeared in the third series of the television drama, The House of Eliott. In 2011 he appeared in the BBC series The Shadow Line, and in 2012 in Hunted for BBC One and HBO. He played Hector Stokes.Radio Times Hunted Cast List He played Thomas Chamberlain, the head of the Lyell Centre in the BBC series Silent Witness. Lintern bowed out of Silent Witness on 5 February 2020, after 7 years.
Lintern has played two characters in the UK television series Heartbeat. His first appearance was as Ray Richards, a drunken and abusive husband, in the final episode of the 11th series: Love's Sweet Dream. He then played the role of Ben Norton, the character making his first appearance in episode 13 of series 13: Dangerous Whispers.
Richard Lintern is also a voice-over artist, having voiced commercials for Gillette, Ferrero Rocher, Mercedes and Film4. He is the narrator of a number of documentary series including the BAFTA-winning Between Life and Death. In 2024 he played his first voice acting role in a video game as Igon in the Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree.
Personal life Lintern is married and has three sons. The family lives in London and Somerset.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1989 Victoria Wood Kevin the Rock Star Episode 6: 'Staying In' 1992 Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast Various characters 1993 Agatha Christie's Poirot John Lake Episode: Dead Man's Mirror1998 Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Younger) Lost Souls Graham Scofield 2000 The Calling Marc St.Clair 2002 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Dr. Thorsson Episode 3: "For the Sake of Elena" 2002 Heartbeat Ray Richards Episode 198: "Love's Sweet Dream" 2003The Gospel of John Leading Pharisee 2003–2005 Heartbeat Ben Norton 2005 Syriana Bryan's Boss2006 Natasha Vicar The Line of Beauty Pete2007 Clapham Junction Will Cassandra's Dream Director Lewis Sefton Linn Season 1 Episode 2 ‘Whom the Gods Would Destroy’2008 The Bank Job Tim Everett Agatha Christie's Poirot Guy Carpenter Episode: Mrs McGinty's Dead 2009 Unmade Beds Anthony Hemmings 2009 Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas Various characters2011 The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Henry Ludlow The Shadow Line DCS Richard Patterson Page Eight Max Vallance2012 Endeavour Dr. Rowan Stromming White Heat Miles Hunted Hector Stokes2013Spies of WarsawColonel Lessard4 episodes 2014–2020 Silent Witness Dr Thomas Chamberlain 2015 Foyle's War Charles Lucas Episode: "Trespass" 2017 The Crown Stephen Ward Episode: "Mystery Man" 2020 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Stephen Capulet Episode 3.9 "O Thou Invisible of Wine" 2023 The Reckoning Robert Armstrong Episode 3 2025 Robin Hood Bishop of Hereford
Video games YearTitleRoleNotes2024Elden RingIgon"Shadow of the Erdtree" expansion
References
External links
CVGG website