Richard O'Brien (born Richard Timothy Smith on March 25, 1942 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England) is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze. is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the parliamentary constituency, see Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency). ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the parliamentary constituency, see Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency). ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A television presenter is a British term for a person who introduces or hosts television programmes. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Rocky Horror Show is a long running stage musical (opening in London initially, on June 19, 1973) that inspired the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In addition to writing "The Rocky Horror Show" O'Brien also starred in its 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show as the character Riff Raff. The stage show has been in almost continuous production since, and the cinematic version is one of the best known and most ardently followed cult films of all time. The Rocky Horror Show is a long running stage musical (opening in London initially, on June 19, 1973) that inspired the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 musical comedy film that parodies horror films, based on the British musical stage production The Rocky Horror Show, with the screenplay written by Richard OBrien and Jim Sharman. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Early Life and Career

In 1952, he emigrated with his family to Tauranga, New Zealand where his father had purchased a sheep farm. After learning how to ride horses, a skill which provided him with his break into the film industry as a stuntman in Carry On Cowboy, and developing a keen interest in comic books and horror films, he returned to England in 1964. Upon launching his acting career he changed his name to O'Brien—his mother's maiden name—as there was already an actor named Richard Smith. 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Tauranga (population 109,100 — 2006 census) is the largest city of the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television (such as jumping out of a building, jumping from vehicle to vehicle, or other similar actions), and for other sophisticated stunts (especially fight scenes). ... Carry On Cowboy is the eleventh in the Carry On series of films. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... DVD cover showing horror characters as depicted by Universal Studios. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

He joined several stage productions as an actor without ever excelling or receiving critical acclaim, but that was not his primary objective. In 1972, he met director Jim Sharman who would help make his draft of a gothic-themed, schlock-horror comic-book fantasy romp into a reality. The script took O'Brien 6 months to write, Sharman suggested changing the working title They Came from Denton High to The Rocky Horror Show and the show opened in June 1973. Jim Sharman was born 12 March 1945 in Sydney, Australia, as James David Sharman. ... Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. ...

O'Brien tried to repeat the success and cult status that The Rocky Horror Picture Show gained, with a continuation, 1981's Shock Treatment. Four other members of the original film-cast appeared with O'Brien in the new film, which continued the story of Brad and Janet (played by Cliff de Young and Jessica Harper). Over the years it has achieved minor cult status, mostly thanks to the Rocky Horror phenomenon. Fans of Rocky Horror were disappointed by the absence of both the Dr. Frank-N-Furter character, and Tim Curry, who played him. Curry had been offered the role of Farley Flavors, but turned it down over concerns about the required American accent. O'Brien wrote new songs for the film, which also features a rare film appearance by Australian actor Barry Humphries (famous for his character Dame Edna Everage). This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Shock Treatment is a follow-up to the classic cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show -- Not a prequel, not a sequel, but an equal according to making of featurette on the new DVD release. ... Cliff de Young is an American actor and musician, born Clifford Tobin DeYoung in Los Angeles, California on February 12, 1945. ... Jessica Harper Jessica Harper (born October 10, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actress and producer, as well as a singer and author of childrens music and books. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE (born 17 February 1934 in Camberwell, Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian comedian, satirist and character actor best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife, and Sir Les Patterson, Australias foul-mouthed cultural attaché to Britain. ... Dame Edna Everage featuring on a billboard at the Myer department store in Melbourne. ...

Later Career

He became a serial bit-part actor in cult films and has appeared in notable movies such as Flash Gordon (1980), Dark City (1998) and Dungeons & Dragons (2000). Additionally he guest starred in five episodes in the third season of the popular HTV dramatisation of Robin Hood, as the corrupt druid, Gulnar. Flash Gordon is a 1980 science fiction film, based on the eponymous comic strip character Flash Gordon. ... Dark City is a 1998 science fiction film written by Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, and directed by Proyas. ... Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 live-action film directed by Courtney Solomon and based on the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. ... ITV Wales & West Ltd (formally and more commonly known as HTV) is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England[1]. It is owned by ITV plc. ... Robin of Sherwood, retitled Robin Hood in the US, was an acclaimed 1980s British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. ... Two druids, from an 1845 publication, based on a bas-relief found at Autun, France. ...

Unique Talents: O'Brien and songwriter Bob Sherman after a performance of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium.

He became the presenter of UK Channel 4's popular game show The Crystal Maze in 1989, specializing in sardonic put-downs and harmonica playing. The show's heyday was around 1991-1993. Richard left The Crystal Maze in 1993 after the fourth series, the show was then taken over by Edward Tudor-Pole. It was regularly Channel 4's highest watched programme, mainly seen by children and young adults (particularly university students who made it into a cult show), reaching a peak of 7 million viewers for the 1993 Christmas special. The extent of both the show's and to a large extent O'Brien's success is shown by the fact that The Crystal Maze was named 'Greatest UK Game Show of All Time' in a 2006 poll by the UKGameshows.com website. Image File history File linksMetadata ROB_RBS_2003. ... Image File history File linksMetadata ROB_RBS_2003. ... Robert B. Sherman (born December 19, 1925) (see also: Sherman Brothers) is an Academy Award-winning American songwriter who specializes in musical films with his brother Richard M. Sherman. ... Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1964). ... The London Palladium in 2004 The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. ... Channel 4 is a public-service British television station, broadcast to all areas of the United Kingdom (and also the Republic of Ireland), which began transmissions in 1982. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Edward Tudor-Pole (born December 6, 1955 in London) is an English musician, singer (as Eddie Tenpole) and actor. ...

In other roles O'Brien has conceptualized and played the role of the Child Catcher in the West End theatre production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He also occasionally does cabaret-style music and comedy performances on stages around the world, singing songs from Rocky Horror among others. In 1996, he performed a select number of shows as the devilish charmer, Mephistopheles Smith, in a musical/comedy show he wrote entitled Disgracefully Yours. In late 2005, he appeared (as the spirit of the mirror) in the pantomime version of Snow White, which played at the Milton Keynes Theatre. In the summer of 2006 he played the Child Catcher in the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations at Buckingham Palace. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1964). ... Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue — a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting around the tables (often dining or drinking) watching the performance. ... Snow White in her coffin, Theodor Hosemann, 1852. ... Milton Keynes Theatre opened on 4 October 1999, 25 years after the campaign for a new theatre first started and has placed Milton Keynes firmly on the countrys cultural map. ... Richard OBrien is the Child Catcher from the premiere cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. ... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ...

Richard O'Brien will perform in Thank-You for the Music, an 90 minute ABBA documentary for ITV, directed by Martin Koch, who previously directed the musical Mamma Mia! ^[1] The documentary will include a remake of the mini musical The Girl with the Golden Hair which ABBA performed during their 1977 world tour and which was featured on The Album. The musical will be performed at the Prince of Wales Theatre and feature Richard O'Brien, Liz McClarnon, and the Dynamos. ^[2] This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Mamma Mia! is a musical with a book by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA. Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, who composed the original music for ABBA, have been involved in the development of the show from the beginning. ... The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in history Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... The Album is the fifth album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in 1977 (see 1977 in music). ... The Prince of Wales Theatre is a theatre located on Coventry Street, London. ... Elizabeth Margaret Liz McClarnon (born April 10, 1981 in Liverpool) is an English singer and member of Atomic Kitten. ...

He is also a patron of the Five Stars Scanner Appeal, which benefits the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, UK. He hosts the annual Transfandango, a gala gathering of "Dearhearts and Trans 'n' Gentle People" to raise money for the hospital. Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital was founded in 1829 as a small dispensary based in central Manchester for the treatment of sick children. ...

He wrote a Rocky Horror sequel which ended up as Shock Treatment. A script for a rumored sequel entitled "Revenge of the Old Queen", has been circulated on the web and reproduced on various fansites, though officially denied as O'Brien's work by his representatives. While he has worked on a screenplay of that title, it was never publickly released, nor will a film ever be made. He has been working again on The Stripper (based on the book by Carter Brown, a musical for which he wrote the lyrics. In September of 2007 he will once again reprise his role as the Child Catcher for the final 2 weeks of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's 5 year UK run, and will also play the role in Singapore for the month of November. Shock Treatment is a follow-up to the classic cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show -- Not a prequel, not a sequel, but an equal according to making of featurette on the new DVD release. ... Carter Brown (1923-1985, real name Allan Geoffrey Yates) was a British-Australian author of crime fiction. ...

Trivia

In 2004, Hamilton City Council of New Zealand honoured O'Brien's contribution to the arts with a statue of Riff Raff, the character Richard played in The Rocky Horror Show, on the site of the former Embassy Cinema. His love of horror and similar genres can be traced back to the countless afternoons he spent watching double feature horror/sci-fi films at the Embassy before he moved back to England. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealands fourth largest urban area, and is the countrys seventh largest city. ...

In RuneScape, an MMORPG, there is a homage to O'Brien in the form of a non-playable character named "Brian O' Richard". O'Richard runs the "Rogue's Den" minigame, a maze of short puzzles similar to those found in The Crystal Maze. RuneScape is a Java-based MMORPG operated by Jagex Ltd. ... An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

O'Brien (left) as Riff Raff with Tim Curry and Patricia Quinn in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"

Image File history File links Riffraffdinner. ... Image File history File links Riffraffdinner. ...

Selected filmography

• Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001) - Lord Vladimere Hellsubus
• Dungeons & Dragons (2000) - Xilus
• Ever After (1998) - Pierre Le Pieu
• Dark City (1998) - Mr. Hand
• Spiceworld (1997) - Damien
• The Crystal Maze (TV) (1990 - 1993) - Presenter
• Shock Treatment (1981) - Dr. Cosmo McKinley
• Flash Gordon (1980) - Fico
• Jubilee (1977) - John Dee
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - Riff Raff
• Carry On Cowboy (1965) - Rider

Elviras Haunted Hills is a 2001 film directed by Sam Irvin. ... Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 live-action film directed by Courtney Solomon and based on the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. ... Ever After: A Cinderella Story is a 1998 film adaptation of the fairy tale Cinderella, directed by Andy Tennant and starring Drew Barrymore. ... Dark City is a 1998 science fiction film written by Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, and directed by Proyas. ... Spiceworld is the debut feature film of the Brit Award-winning English pop girl group Spice Girls directed by Bob Spiers and written by Kim Fuller and Jamie Curtis. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Shock Treatment is a follow-up to the classic cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show -- Not a prequel, not a sequel, but an equal according to making of featurette on the new DVD release. ... Flash Gordon is a 1980 science fiction film, based on the eponymous comic strip character Flash Gordon. ... Jubilee is a 1977 cult film directed by Derek Jarman and starring Jenny Runacre, Nell Campbell (Little Nell), Toyah Willcox, Adam Ant, Jordan (the Malcolm McLaren protege), Ian Charleson, Hermine Demoriane and Wayne County. ... The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 musical comedy film that parodies horror films, based on the British musical stage production The Rocky Horror Show, with the screenplay written by Richard OBrien and Jim Sharman. ... Carry On Cowboy is the eleventh in the Carry On series of films. ...

References

External links

• Richard O'Brien at the Internet Movie Database
• Richard O'Brien at RockyMusic.org
• The Richard O'Brien Crusade, a fansite
• Richard O'Brien - God of Cult, a LiveJournal community
• Transfandango, Richard O'Brien's annual charity fundraiser
• RiffRaffStatue.org, for the tribute statue in Hamilton, New Zealand
• Richard O'Brien at the Notable Names Database