Richard Ainley

Richard Ainley (22 December 1910 – 18 May 1967) was a stage and film actor, son of Henry Ainley and half-brother of Anthony Ainley.

Although according to Allmovie his date of birth was 22 October 1910, The Internet Movie Database places it on 22 December. In any case, he was born in Stanmore, Middlesex and made his stage debut in 1928 and initially used the stage name Richard Riddle/Riddell, taking his mother's maiden name. His first motion picture appearance was in 1936 as Sylvius in As You Like It, which starred his father. Other roles included Ferdinand in the television movie of The Tempest (1939), Dr. Hale in Shining Victory (1941), and a Foreign Office official in the thriller Above Suspicion (1943).

Ainley married three times. He was divorced from his first two wives; his third wife Rowena Woolf died in 1968.

He retired from film work following a disabling wound while he was serving in the army during World War II to return to the stage. He was briefly principal of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the early 1960s.