Julian Richings (born 30 August 1956)Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.; at Ancestry.com is a British-Canadian character actor, having appeared in over 225 films and television series. He is best known for his appearances in a variety of horror films, including Cube, Wrong Turn, The Witch, Beau is Afraid, Ejecta, and Anything for Jackson, as well as for portraying Death in the dark fantasy series Supernatural.
Early life Richings was born in Oxford, England on August 30, 1956. He trained in drama at the University of Exeter.
Career After touring the United States with a British stage production, Richings moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1984. Within five years, he had become a regular on the second season of the War of the Worlds TV series. In the 1996 film Hard Core Logo, he played the bitter, aging, punk rock legend Bucky Haight. He appeared at the opening of 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 (2001–02).
Richings performed in heavy makeup as cannibal-killer Three Finger in Wrong Turn (2003), and was a series regulars as the 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 alongside 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 a number of small roles in other films, including Skinwalkers and Saw IV.
He appeared in the 2008 film The Timekeeper. That year, Richings was nominated for another Dora Award for his performance in The Palace of the End.
Richings made an appearance in the 2010 fantasy film adaption Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Thief as Charon, the ferryman of Hades. That year, he began a recurring villain role on the horror comedy series Todd and the Book of Pure Evil. From 2010 to 2015, he portrayed Death in the hit dark fantasy series Supernatural. He was also Death in the short film Dave v. Death (2011).Bravofact.com
He appeared in Zach Snyder's 2013 Superman film Man of Steel as Lor-Em, spokesman for the Kryptonian Council. The same year, Richings played the mysterious, stringy-haired Phil Prosser in Septic Man.
In 2014, he starred in the science fiction film Ejecta. The role earned him a Best Actor win at the Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival. In 2015, he appeared in Robert Eggers' horror film The Witch and the drama film Reign.
In 2019, Richings played Nazi scientist Heinrich Von Fuchs on DC Universe's Doom Patrol.
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.
In 2022, Richings appeared in the television shows The Umbrella Academy, Reginald the Vampire, and Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. In 2023, he had a role in Ari Aster's tragicomedy horror film Beau is Afraid.
In 2024, Richings appeared as Procrustes, the half-giant and half-brother of the titular character, in the Disney+ fantasy show Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Personal life Richings resides in Toronto with his wife and two children.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1987 Love at Stake Town Crier 1989 The Top of His Head Robert 1991 Naked Lunch Exterminator1992Giant StepsDanceband Teacher 1994 Squanto: A Warrior's Tale Sir George's Servant 1995 Moonlight and Valentino Hair Stylist 1996 Hard Core Logo HaightLove ChildTom Sr.Short film The Boys ClubOfficer Cole1997 The CellarWoolseyShort film Mimic Workman Cube AldersonPale SaintsEinstein 1998 Urban Legend Weird JanitorMotelTenant Red Violin Nicolas Olsberg 1999 Detroit Rock City Ticket Taker Thrill Seekers Murray Trevor 2000 The Crossing McKenzieWashed UpReginaldRatsOrderlyTwo Thousand and NoneCurator The Claim Bellanger2001 Century Hotel Waiter I Shout Love Cab driverShort filmOn Their KneesPappy Treed Murray Homeless Man The Pretender: Island of the Haunted Brother Clote 2002 Between Strangers Nigel 2003 Open Range Wylie My Life Without Me Dr. Thompson Wrong Turn Three Finger The Truth About the HeadLobsterShort filmTodd and the Book of Pure EvilSatanMad ShadowsDoctorBar LifeEd 2004 Being Julia Mr. TurnbullSisters in the Wilderness: The Lives of Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr TraillWilliam CattermoleRun Away HomeMinisterMr. Jones: DriveMr. JonesShort filmSafeJimmyShort filmRe-GenerationContact The Last Casino The Usurer 2005 Black Widow Dr. Deadman 2006 Skinwalkers Sad-Looking Man The Last SectKarpov A Lobster TaleHank PerkinsScreeningNews Anchor # 2Short film X-Men: The Last Stand Mutant Organiser 2007 Shoot 'Em Up Hertz's Driver Dead SilenceBosUncredited Saw IV Vagrant The Canadian ShieldTrapper RayShort film The Third Eye Charlie Rabbit The Tracey Fragments Dr. Heker 2008 Heartland Mr. Hanley Jack and Jill vs. the World Mr. Smith Toronto Stories Leather Jacket The Facts in the Case of Mister HollowKneeling ManShort film Elegy Actor in Play 2009Curious Stories, Crooked SymbolsSinister Kneeling ManShort film The Timekeeper Grease You Might as Well Live Dr. Pooseby Survival of the Dead James O'Flynn 2010 Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Charon Hard Core Logo 2 Bucky Haight Trigger Bucky 2011 Collaborator Maurice LeFont Animal ControlLarryShort filmFurstenau MysteriesJamesonUp in Cottage CountryThe OfficerPatch TownChild Catcher 2012 The Conspiracy Green Man The Architecture of the MoonJonasShort filmRainbow ConnectionLandlordShort film The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind LeighBill Phillips / Neither Man Nor Woman / Rahn BrothersArtist: UnknownFred VarleyShort film The TapeJackShort film 2013 Man of Steel Lor-Em The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet Ricky The Colony Leyland Septic Man Phil ProsserVictimsGatlingWe Are Not HereMondayShort film2014 The Last HalloweenChatterboxShort filmBastardsJack CageShort film Ejecta William Cassidy Patch Town Yuri Hellmouth Smiley2015 A Christmas Horror Story Gerhardt The Rainbow Kid Elvis Grimes The Witch GovernorRegression TomReignMr. IanShe Stoops to ConquerShort filmAll Hallows' Eve 2ChatterrboxSegment: "The Last Halloween"Business EthicsMartin AbacusShort filmFriends Like UsErmanno Ca$$H2016Blood Hunters Father StewartPrisoner X Jefferson The Big PushBillyShort film The Space Between Stash2017Todd and the Book of Pure Evil: The End of the EndHooded Leader / Malian TraderTomato Red: Blood MoneyTim Lake2019PolarLomasTrue FictionLenny RupertBusiness EthicsMartin Abacus2020StardustTony DeFriesSpare PartsThe EmperorRoad Kill RenegadeHillbillyShort filmAnything for JacksonHenry WalshHallJulianVicious FunFritz2021Chaos WalkingGaultCharlotteDr. Kurt Singer/Policeman #1/SS Soldier #2Voice Stanleyville Homunculus 2022Time Traveling Through TimeNarratorShort filmWickensburgMr. HexenmeisterSalvationJohn Relax, I'm from the Future Percy 2023 Beau Is Afraid Strange Man 2024 Scared Shitless Professor Cummings A Thousand Cuts Webster "Mongrel Media acquires Jake Horowitz’s A Thousand Cuts" by Jamie Casemore at playbackonline.ca2025 Honey Bunch Delwyn It Feeds Dr. Ronald Whittaker
Television Year Title Role Notes1986Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry OsgoodTV film1987AdderlyEpisode: "Nemsis" 1989–1990 War of the Worlds ArdixAlien ScientistMan with Hat 15 episodes1990CounterstrikeRettie Episode: "Art for Art's Sake"ClarenceReynoldsTV film1991Maniac MansionTax ManEpisode: "Turner: The Boss"Rin Tin Kin: K-9 CopEpisode: "What the Doctor Ordered" 1991-1995 Heritage Minutes A.A. Milne / King Henry VII 2 episodes1992 The Valour and the HorrorJohn CrockerEpisode: "In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944" 1993 Street Legal Harold Cooper-HayeRolan Atkinson 1 episode1 episode 1993–1994 Ready or Not Mr. Boyle 4 episodes1994RoboCopDr. ProctorEpisode: "Faces of Eve" The Adventures of Dudley the DragonAlienEpisode: "Dudley Meets the Alien"1995Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw YearsLogan's HenchmanMiniseries; Episode: "The Alliance"Forever KnightDr. Paul DanaEpisode: "A More Permanent Hell" The Shamrock ConspiracyReaderTV film The Song SpinnerCalloStrauss: The King of 3/4 TimeBono1996Due SouthMiles EmeryEpisode: "The Promise"1997PSI Factor: Chronicles of the ParanormalEarl CornellEpisode: "The 13th Floor / The Believer"Ms. ScroogeChristmas Yet to ComeTV filmArtemisiaPainterOnce a Thief: Brother Against BrotherCam 1997–1998 Once a Thief 11 episodes 1997–1999 La Femme Nikita Errol Sparks 2 episodes1998Universal Soldier II: Brothers in ArmsBix TV film Highlander: The Raven Basil Morgan 2 episodes The Adventures of Shirley HolmesDoctor Saul SprockettEpisode: "The Case of the Film Flam Farm"Once a Thief: Family BusinessCamierTV film 1999 I Was a Sixth Grade Alien Meenom 22 episodes Amazon Elder Malakai 10 episodesThrill SeekersMurray TrevorTV film2000HustleDetective Walsh The CrossingMcKenzie The Zack FilesThe Mad HatterEpisode: "Library of No Return"2001MythQuestLokiEpisode: "Hammer of the Gods"Prince CharmingWacktazarTV film The Pretender: Island of the HauntedBrother CloteTV film 2002 A Nero Wolfe Mystery Poet / Jerome Åland /