Ian Richardson Dies at 72

Ian Richardson, who received a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award for his portrayal of Henry Higgins in the 1976 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady, has died in his sleep at the age of 72.

The musical marked only one of Richardson’s three Broadway appearances; he also played the title role in Peter Brook’s Marat/Sade, which he recreated for the film version, and co-starred in the short-lived stage adaptation of Lolita.

The Scottish-born actor worked steadily in theater, film, and television for more than 40 years, and had recently completed the film Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway. He appeared in many film and TV versions of Shakespearean works, including As You Like It, All’s Well That Ends Well, and Much Ado About Nothing, as well as playing Polonius in the film version of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Among Richardson’s other notable credits were playing the Padre in the 1972 film version of Man of La Mancha, providing the voice of the Kralahome in the 1999 animated film version of The King and I, and playing Andrew Urquhart in House of Cards (1990), which earned him a BAFTA Award. He also starred in the two sequels to that film, To Play the King and The Final Cut.

More recently, he played the Chancellor in the acclaimed PBS miniseries Bleak House, based on the Charles Dickens novel. In 1989, Richardson was named Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth.

He is survived by his wife, Maroussia, and two sons.