Julian Richings (born August 30, 1956) is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his roles in Cube, Wrong Turn, and Supernatural.
He played the Vagrant in Saw IV.
Career
Julian Richings was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, and trained in drama at the University of Exeter. After touring the United States with a British stage production, he moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1984. Within five years, Richings had become a regular cast member on the second season of the War of the Worlds TV series. Other roles followed, and he gained critical acclaim as the bitter, aging, punk rock legend Bucky Haight in the 1996 film Hard Core Logo. Richings had a brief appearance in the 1997 film Cube. In 1999, he appeared in the science fiction film Thrill Seekers.
In 2000, he appeared as Bellanger in The Claim and earned a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He was a member of the repertory cast of the A&E TV original series A Nero Wolfe Mystery. Besides that, Richings has played the role of Death in The CW's show Supernatural since Season 5 and appeared again in Seasons 6, 7, 9, and 10. He played a similar version of Death in the short film Dave vs. Death in 2011.
Richings is familiar to horror fans for his manic performance in heavy makeup as Three Finger in Wrong Turn and as nearly-blind security guard Otto in Stephen King's 2004 miniseries Kingdom Hospital. Dramatic roles include stagehand Mr. Turnbull in the 2004 film Being Julia. He appeared as Orr, a cruel loan shark, in the 2004 Canadian film The Last Casino. In 2006, he appeared in a brief speaking role as the Mutant Theatre Organiser in X-Men: The Last Stand and played a vampire killer in the direct-to-DVD horror film The Last Sect.
In 2007, Richings played a driver in the film Shoot 'Em Up, a dissipated and aging punk rocker in The Third Eye, transvestite psychologist Dr. Heker in The Tracey Fragments, and several minor roles in other films, including Skinwalkers and Saw IV. He appeared in the 2008 film The Timekeeper. Richings continued to be active in short films and television series, mainly in Canada. He was presented with two Dora Awards in the late 1980s and continued to perform professionally in the Toronto area with numerous theatre groups.
In 2008, he was nominated for another Dora Award for his performance in The Palace of the End. He confirmed, via an interview on the Canadian TV show InnerSPACE, that he had a part in the 2013 Superman film Man of Steel. During the interview, he was also asked about the campaign to see him become the next Doctor in Doctor Who, one of his favorite childhood TV shows, and admitted to being flattered by the idea. In 2014, he starred in the science-fiction film Ejecta. In 2015, he appeared in the horror film The Witch, directed by Robert Eggers, and the drama film Reign, directed by Corey Misquita.
His portrayal of Henry Walsh in Justin G. Dyck's 2020 supernatural horror film Anything for Jackson earned him his second Best Actor win at the Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Love at Stake | Town Crier |
| 1989 | The Top of His Head | Robert |
| 1991 | Naked Lunch | Exterminator #4 |
| 1992 | Giant Steps | Danceband Teacher |
| Half Nelson | Father | |
| 1994 | Squanto: A Warrior's Tale | Sir George's Servant |
| 1995 | Moonlight and Valentino | Hair Stylist |
| 1996 | The Boys Club | Officer Cole |
| Hard Core Logo | Bucky Haight | |
| Love Child | Tom Sr. | |
| 1997 | Mimic | Workman |
| Pale Saints | Einstein | |
| Cube | Alderson | |
| The Cellar | Woolsey | |
| 1998 | Le violon rouge | Nicolas Olsberg |
| Urban Legend | Weird Janitor | |
| Motel | Tenant | |
| 1999 | Detroit Rock City | Ticket Taker |
| 2000 | Rats | Orderly |
| Washed Up | Reginald | |
| Two Thousand and None | Curator | |
| The Claim | Francis Bellanger | |
| 2001 | Century Hotel | Waiter |
| On Their Knees | Pappy | |
| Treed Murray | Homeless Man | |
| I Shout Love | Cab Driver | |
| 2002 | Between Strangers | Nigel |
| 2003 | My Life Without Me | Dr. Thompson |
| The Truth About the Head | Lobster | |
| Wrong Turn | Three Finger | |
| Mad Shadows | Dr. | |
| Open Range | Wylie | |
| Todd and the Book of Pure Evil | Satan | |
| Bar Life | Ed | |
| 2004 | Sisters in the Wilderness: The Lives of Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill | William Cattermole |
| Safe | Jimmy | |
| Being Julia | Mr. Turnbull | |
| The Limb Salesman | Contact | |
| Mr. Jones: Drive | Mr. Jones | |
| Some Things That Stay | Minister | |
| 2005 | Black Widow | Dr. Deadman |
| 2006 | 22 Hands | Albert |
| X-Men: The Last Stand | Mutant Theatre Organizer | |
| Skinwalkers | Sad Looking Man | |
| Screening | News Anchor #2 | |
| A Lobster Tale | Hank Perkins | |
| The Last Sect | Karpov | |
| 2007 | The Tracey Fragments | Dr. Heker |
| The Third Eye | Charlie Rabbit | |
| Dead Silence | Bos | |
| Shoot 'Em Up | Hertz's Driver | |
| The Canadian Shield | Trapper Ray | |
| Saw IV | Vagrant | |
| 2008 | Elegy | Actor in Play #1 |
| Jack and Jill vs. the World | Mr. Smith | |
| The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow | Kneeling Man | |
| Toronto Stories | Leather Jacket | |
| 2009 | You Might as Well Live | Mr. Pooseby |
| The Timekeeper | Grease | |
| Curious Stories, Crooked Symbols | Sinister Kneeling Man | |
| Survival of the Dead | James | |
| 7 Diamonds | Mr. McGunn | |
| 2010 | Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief | Ferryman |
| Trigger | Bucky | |
| Hard Core Logo 2 | Bucky Haight | |
| 2011 | Animal Control | Larry |
| Collaborator | Maurice LeFont | |
| Dave vs. Death | Death | |
| Patch Town | Child Catcher | |
| Up in Cottage Country | The Officer | |
| Furstenau Mysteries | Jameson | |
| 2012 | The Architecture of the Moon | Jonas |
| Rainbow Connection | Landlord | |
| The Conspiracy | Green Man | |
| The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh | Rahn Brothers / Neither Man Nor Woman / Bill Phillips | |
| Artist: Unknown | Fred Varley | |
| The Tape | Jake | |
| 2013 | Victims | Gatling |
| The Colony | Leland | |
| Man of Steel | Lor-Em | |
| Septic Man | Phil Prosser | |
| The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet | Ricky | |
| We Are Not Here | Monday | |
| 2014 | Patch Town | Yuri |
| Bastards | Jack Cage | |
| The Last Halloween | Chatterbox | |
| Ejecta | William Cassidy | |
| Hellmouth | Freddy T Neville | |
| 2015 | The VVitch: A New-England Folktale | Governor |
| Reign | Mr. Ian | |
| A Christmas Horror Story | Gerhardt | |
| The Rainbow Kid | Elvis Grimes | |
| She Stoops to Conquer | ||
| Regression | Tom | |
| All Hallows' Eve 2 | Chatterbox | |
| Business Ethics | Martin Abacus | |
| Black Tea in Bardo | ||
| Friends Like Us | Ermanno Ca$$H | |
| 2016 | Prisoner X | Jefferson |
| One Drop | Father Stewart | |
| The Space Between | Stash | |
| The Big Push | Billy | |
| 2017 | Tomato Red | Tim Lake |
| Todd and the Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End | Hooded Leader / Malian Trader | |
| Midnight Confession | Grass | |
| The Listener | Felix Barclay | |
| 2019 | Polar | Lomas |
| True Fiction | Lenny Rupert | |
| Business Ethics | Martin Abacus | |
| Sailor | The Magistrate | |
| 2020 | Road Kill Renegade | Hillbilly |
| Anything for Jackson | Henry | |
| Spare Parts | The Emperor | |
| Hall | Julian | |
| Vicious Fun | Fritz | |
| Stardust | Tony Defries | |
| 2021 | Chaos Walking | Gault |
| Stanleyville | Homunculus | |
| Charlotte | Dr. Kurt Singer / Policeman #1 / SS Soldier #2 | |
| 2022 | Salvation | John |
| Wickensburg | Mr. Hexenmeister | |
| Oldtimers | Richard | |
| Time Traveling Through Time | Narrator | |
| 2023 | Relax, I'm from the Future | Percy |
| Beau Is Afraid | Strange Man | |
| T-Bone | Chris | |
| 2024 | Campton Manor | Edward |
| Scared Shitless | Professor Cummings |
Television Series
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Adderly | |
| 1989-1990 | War of the Worlds | Ardix / Alien Scientist / Man with Hat |
| 1990 | Counterstrike | Rettie |
| 1991 | Maniac Mansion | Tax Man |
| Katts and Dog | ||
| 1992 | The Valour and the Horror | John Crocker |
| 1993 | Street Legal | Harold Cooper-Haye / Rolan Atkinson |
| 1994 | RoboCop | Dr. Proctor |
| The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon | Alien | |
| 1993-1994 | Ready or Not | Mr. Boyle |
| 1995 | Forever Knight | Dr. Paul Dana |
| Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years | Logan's Henchman | |
| 1991-1995 | Heritage Minutes | A.A. Milne / King Henry VII |
| 1996 | Due South | Miles Emery |
| 1997 | PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Earl Cornell |
| 1997-1998 | Once a Thief | Camier |
| 1998 | The Adventures of Shirley Holmes | Dr. Saul Sprockett |
| Highlander: The Raven | Basil Morgan | |
| 1997-1999 | La Femme Nikita | Errol Sparks |
| 1999-2000 | I Was a Sixth Grade Alien | Meenom |
| Amazon | Elder Malakai | |
| 2000 | The Zack Files | The Mad Hatter |
| 2001 | MythQuest | Loki |
| 2002 | Tracker | Max |
| A Nero Wolfe Mystery | Alger Kates / Poet / Peter Jay | |
| 2003 | Slings and Arrows | Reg Mortimer |
| The Wonderful World of Disney | Patrice | |
| 2004 | Kingdom Hospital | Otto |
| 2005 | 1-800-Missing | Snakeman |
| 2004-2006 | Puppets Who Kill | Mr. Portnoy / French Painter |
| 2006 | At the Hotel | Baby Man |
| The Shakespeare Comedy Show | Ranting Bard | |
| 2007 | Grossology | Darko Crevasse |
| 2008 | The Trojan Horse | Barrie |
| XIII: The Conspiracy | Mr. Cody | |
| 2009 | Sea Wolf | Mugridge |
| The Border | Professor Adrian Maguire | |
| 2009-2010 | Heartland | Levon Hanley |
| 2010 | Wingin' It | William Shakespeare |
| Lost Girl | Arval | |
| 2011 | Bag of Bones | Elmer Durgin |
| 2010-2012 | Todd and the Book of Pure Evil | Hooded Leader / Atticus Murphy Sr. |
| 2012 | Republic of Doyle | Lionel Harris |
| Transporter: The Series | The Voice / Edouard Orlande / Pilot | |
| 2013 | Hemlock Grove | Swiss Doctor |
| Rookie Blue | Cedric | |
| 2014 | The Listener | Miles Mellini |
| Hell on Wheels | SLC Records Clerk | |
| 2015 | Whatever, Linda | Aloysius Finkle |
| Hannibal | Caged Man | |
| The Expanse | Vargas | |
| 2010-2015 | Supernatural | Death |
| 2014-2016 | Orphan Black | Benjamin Kertland |
| 2016 | Killjoys | Ancient Scarback |
| 2017 | Fare Trade | Shifty |
| 2018 | The Magicians | Asteroth |
| Creeped Out | Zephaniah | |
| Channel Zero | The Gardener | |
| 12 Monkeys | Adviser to the Witness | |
| Frontier | Mr. Pickersgill | |
| 2015-2018 | Patriot | Peter Icabod |
| 2019 | Talent Drivers | Vince |
| Doom Patrol | Heinrich von Fuchs | |
| American Gods | Iktomi | |
| Blood & Treasure | Alessandro | |
| Perpetual Grace, LTD | Jonathan Joy | |
| Carter | Ray Understone | |
| 2020 | Detention Adventure | |
| 2021 | Chapelwaite | Phillip Boone |
| Jhon Jatenjor's Interviews | Celebrity Guest | |
| 2022 | The Umbrella Academy | Chet Rodo |
| Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities | Dooley | |
| Reginald the Vampire | Logan | |
| 2012-2023 | Murdoch Mysteries | Phillip Uxbridge |
| 2024 | Percy Jackson and the Olympians | Crusty / Procrustes |
Television Films
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood | |
| 1990 | Clarence | Reynolds |
| 1995 | The Shamrock Conspiracy | Reader |
| The Song Spinner | Callo | |
| Strauss: The King of 3/4 Time | Bono | |
| 1997 | Ms. Scrooge | Christmas Yet to Come |
| Artemisia | A Painter | |
| Once a Thief: Brother Against Brother | Camier | |
| 1998 | Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms | Bix |
| Once a Thief: Family Business | Camier | |
| 1999 | The Time Shifters | Murray Trevor |
| 2000 | The Crossing | McKenzie |
| The Hustle | Detective Walsh | |
| 2001 | Prince Charmin | Wacktazar |
| The Pretender: Island of the Haunted | Brother Clote, a monk | |
| 2002 | Salem Witch Trials | Jonathan Walcott |
| 2004 | The Last Casino | Orr |
| 2006 | Drive Time Murders | 'The Doc' |
| 2007 | Nature of the Beast | Dr. Chamberlain |
| Roxy Hunter and the Mystery of the Moody Ghost | Librarian Tibers | |
| 2008 | Roxy Hunter and the Secret of the Shaman | Mr. Tibers |
| Roxy Hunter and the Horrific Halloween | Mr. Tibers | |
| Roxy Hunter and the Myth of the Mermaid | Mr. Tibers | |
| 2011 | Three Inches | Ethan |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Assassin's Creed: Syndicate | Charles Darwin |
| 2018 | Starlink: Battle for Atlas | Grax |
| 2019 | The Christmas Temp | Luca |
| 2020 | Watch Dogs: Legion |
Trivia
- Julian Riching's character in Saw IV, a drunk vagrant, was initially planned to be the victim tested in the glass coffin. While the scene was shot, it was never released as the MPAA deemed it too violent.
Gallery
External Links
- Official Website
Julian Richings on Wikipedia
Julian Richings at the Internet Movie Database
Julian Richings on Twitter
Julian Richings on Instagram