Born in the village of Elderslie, 11 miles west of Glasgow, in 1986, Richard Madden’s acting careeer started at the age of 11 when he joined the PACE Youth Theatre group to help overcome his shyness.
His first roles followed swiftly afterwards, in a film adaptation of Iain Banks’ ‘Complicity’ and as the lead in children’s television series ‘Barmy Aunt Boomerang’.
After leaving Castlehead High School he studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, working with The Arches and the Glasgow Repertory Company while studying.
A tour with Shakespeare's Globe company as Romeo in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ followed, before he shot to stardom with his role as Robb Stark in the fantasy television series Game of Thrones.
More success in television quickly arrived in his portrayal of a police officer in thriller ‘Bodyguard’, for which he won a Golden Globe.
Other major parts in films include as Prince Kit in ‘Cinderella’, as Ikaris in the Marvel film ‘Eternals’, playing a soldier in war film ‘1917’ and as music manager John Reid in Elton John biopic ‘Rocketman’.
And he’s continued to take on small screen roles, including as Italian banker Cosimo de' Medici in historical series ‘Medici’ and, most recently, as a spy in the action thriller series ‘Citadel’ that hit screens this year.
9. Richard Madden on...being a child star
"When I was younger, I did a TV show in the U.K. for a couple years, and I learned a lot from that. It taught me a lot about being known amongst your peers and having to deal with a lot of derision from them. It's not easy being known as 'the kid from the TV show.' Not in school it's not." Photo: Gareth Cattermole
10. Richard Madden on...Game of Thrones
"One of the most beautiful things about 'Game of Thrones' is it's told from so many different points of view, and these characters can convince you that what they're doing is right. But they're only showing you a bit of the picture, and when you see it from another character's point of view you may switch allegiances." Photo: Jesse Grant
11. Richard Madden on...spoilers
"Google is the enemy. I would tell that to anyone who enjoys any TV show like 'Game of Thrones' to avoid it; it spoils so many storylines." Photo: Elisabetta Villa
12. Richard Madden on...being bullied
"I was at a rough high school where admitting you were an actor didn't go down well." Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris