Stand-up
comic, Broadcaster, Actor, Presenter, Inspirational leader
Richard
Blackwood first set his sights on entertaining at the tender age of eight after
watching comic, Richard Pryor live in concert on BBC 2.
At the age of
20, Richard graduated from university with a BA honours in Business Studies,
but instead of donning a suit and commencing the 9-5 routine, he decided to
pursue his dream in the world of entertainment.
In 1993
Richard performed his first stand up show at The Spot in Covent Garden and for
the first time he realised what all his friends had been telling him for years
– he was a natural. Richard was an instant hit at the intimate venue, but his
popularity took a sudden rise when he began touring across Britain with fellow
comedian, Geoff Schumann.
A break in
television was inevitable for this rising star, and brief appearances on the
90s hit shows, The Real McCoy and Blouse and Skirt not only added yet another
dimension to his growing list of talents, but also cemented his presence on the
screen. For it was here that he was
spotted on by music channel, MTV.
In 1996
Richard joined forces with presenter, June Sarpong to front MTV’s prime-time
music request show, MTV Select. Every Saturday afternoon the duo entertained
young London from the Leicester Square studio, but after a four-year run the
show reached a natural end. However, Richard’s television career was far from
over.
In 1999,
Richard secured his own weekly show on Channel 4. The Richard Blackwood Show was
a culmination of comedic improvisation, celebrity interviews and music –
Richard often showcasing his emerging lyrical talent to close the show.
In 2000,
Richard embarked on a musical career and released his debut album, You’ll Love
To Hate This. Mama (Who Da Man), a cover of his uncle Junior Giscombe’s 80s hit
Mama Used To Say, was the first single to be released from the album and
reached an impressive No.3 in the UK charts. His tongue-in-cheek approach to
hip-hop exposed him to an array of new fans searching for light relief in a
genre usually associated with gang culture and had critics dubbing him, ‘south
London’s answer to Will Smith’
In 2004,
Richard joined Choice FM (now Capital
XTRA) – the UK’s leading urban station – to become one of the Choice’s biggest
brand names. Together with fellow broadcaster, Kat B, the duo culminated a huge
following resulting in the most-listened to show on the station’s weekend
schedule.
In 2007, Richard
landed his own show on the station. RB’s Sunday School, which broadcast weekly,
was No.1 on Choice’s Sunday schedule. Richard’s no-nonsense approach to
community issues proved to be popular amongst his audience and the station soon
launched RB Real Talk, a series of monthly seminars to empower, inspire and motivate
young people based on this model.
In 2009, Richard
joined an all-star cast for the West End production of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, which enjoyed a sell-out
run on Broadway, also starred Sanaa Lathan (Love & Basketball), Adrian
Lester (Hustle), Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) and James Earl Jones (The
Lion King) and was adapted by celebrated choreographer and actress, Debbie
Allen (Fame.) The production will run until April 2010 at the Novello Theatre.
In 2011, Richard
starred in Adam Deacon’s 2011 urban comedy Anuvahood.
In 2013, Richard
completed a successful two-year run as the character of “Donkey” in the hit musical
theatre adaptation of Shrek.
“It was the
hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Richard says of his time on the West End stage.
“This is not
the arena I come from, so it was baptism by fire for me because not only was I performing
in a musical, I was lead.”
Richard also
also learned how to sing during his training for the iconic role, made famous
by his Hollywood hero, Eddie Murphy: “It was tough. I hated the training, but I
enjoyed the fact that I then learned how to sing, or hold a note. I always
looked at as if you can’t sing, you can’t sing, but that’s not the truth. You
can actually learn how to sing.”
“Ultimately,
I’m going to mix them all,” Richard says of his expanding repertoire.
“Versatility is key in this industry.”
In 2015, he
joined the cast of BBC's "EastEnders" as Vincent Hubbard, showcasing
his acting prowess.
Away from
entertainment, Richard hit the headlines when he appeared on ITV 1’s This
Morning to raise awareness about prostate cancer. Richard was applauded for his
bravery and decision to get examined on live TV.
Since 2020,
Richard stars in Channel 4's "Hollyoaks" as Felix Westwood, Richard
remains a multifaceted entertainer and household name.
In 2024, to
commemorate his three decades in stand-up comedy Richard embarked on a sell-out
UK nationwide tour, marking a milestone in his illustrious career.
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