Richard Cant (born 1964) is a British actor. He is the son of actor and children's

television presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces or hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. It is common for people ...

Brian Cant, and partner of Richard Coles, the former

Communards The Communards () were members and supporters of the short-lived 1871 Paris Commune formed in the wake of the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. After the suppression of the Commune by the French Army in May 1871, 43,000 Communards we ...

musician and Anglican priest.

Career

Cant appeared twice on the long-running murder mystery series ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...

'', appearing in the 1997 pilot episode '' The Killings at Badger's Drift'' as undertaker Dennis Rainbird, and then again as Dennis Rainbird's cousin, Alistair Gooding, in the 2006 story ''Dead Letters''. In the second story, he appeared alongside Jason Hughes, who played Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. Cant had previously appeared with Jason Hughes in an episode of the BBC 2 TV series '' This Life'', where he played Phil, a friend of Hughes's character, Warren. Other television and film appearances include " Stan and Ollie", "Mary, Queen of Scots", 'The Crown", "It's a Sin", ''The Way We Live Now'', ''

Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode Serial (literature), serial between 12 March 1852 and 12 September 1853. The novel has many characters and several subplots, and is told partly by th ...

'', '' Gimme Gimme Gimme'', and ''Gunpowder Treason and Plot''. In 2007 he appeared in an episode of ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'', " Blink". He has worked on stage for The National Theatre, RSC,

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

Cheek by Jowl Cheek by Jowl is an international theatre company founded in the United Kingdom by director Declan Donnellan and designer Nick Ormerod in 1981. Donnellan and Ormerod are Cheek by Jowl's artistic directors and together direct and design all of ...

, and

Sheffield Crucible The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to Crucible steel#History of production in England, crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 174 ...

. He appeared as Friedrich in '' War Horse'' at the New London Theatre. In 2023, he starred as Merle Miller, the iconoclastic gay writer in the East End play, ''What It Means'', at

Wilton's Music Hall Wilton's Music Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Shadwell, built as a music hall and now run as a multi-arts performance space in Graces Alley, off Cable Street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is one of very few surviving music ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' gave his performance 4 out of 5 stars, lauding him: "Richard Cant is superb as Merle Miller who takes a stand against homophobia in this clever retelling of his landmark essay." '' Time Out'' wrote, "Richard Cant gives an electric performance in this (largely) one-person play, based on real events, which makes its debut at Wilton's Music Hall." In Spring 2024, he toured in a production of ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

'' to

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. In Fall 2024, Cant performed as

Edward Jenner Edward Jenner (17 May 1749 – 26 January 1823) was an English physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms ''vaccine'' and ''vaccination'' are derived f ...

in '' Pins and Needles'' at the

Kiln Theatre The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as n ...

Personal life

Cant was born in

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in ...

, Kent in 1964. In June 2023, Richard Coles, the former

musician and Anglican priest, said he was in a relationship with Cant.

Selected television work

* '' This Life'' (1996) * ''

'' (1997) & (2006) * '' Gimme Gimme Gimme'' (1999) * '' Lawless Heart'' (2001) * '' The Way We Live Now'' (2001) * '' Shackleton'' (2002) * ''

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...

: Bondmaker'' (2005) * ''

'' (2005) * '' Sparkle'' (2007) * ''

'' (2007) * ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

'' (2008) * '' Vexed'' (2010) * '' Mapp & Lucia'' (2014) * ''

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

'' (2020) * '' It's A Sin'' (2021) * Mary, Queen Of Scots (2018) * Stan and Ollie (2019)

Selected stage work

* ''

'' / Cymbeline/ Troilus and Cressida (

) * '' War Horse'' (2012/13, NT at New London Theatre) * ''

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

'' (Headlong) * '' The Country Wife'' (

) * Orlando (West End) * Handbagged/ Wife (Kiln) * The Vortex (Chichester) * Henry The Sixth / Maydays / Hamlet (RSC) * Normal Heart/ Mr Gum And The Dancing Bear (NT) * Medea (Almeida) * The Trial (Young Vic) * After Edward/ Edward The Second (Globe) * What It Means (Wilton's) * The Importance of Bring Earnest (National Theatre)2025

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cant, Richard English male television actors English male stage actors Living people 1964 births