Richard Hillman is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, played by Brian Capron.He first appeared on 20 June 2001 and became the show's main antagonist until his eventual departure on 14 March 2003.. Realizing that Audrey, Archie, and Norris were all indeed right about Richard all along, Gail describes her husband as "Norman Bates with a briefcase". He agrees to hand over the cheque at his Oakhill flats development, where they descend into an argument as Richard stalls on the money due to the cost of underpinning work. Richard then kills Maxine by beating her to death with the crowbar and stages a robbery to frame Aiden, who is subsequently charged with murder and attempted murder. She was an acclaimed Hedda Gabler at Stratford, Ontario, a role she considered one of her more satisfying achievements and which prompted Walter Kerr to write in The New York Times "Miss Worth is just possibly the best actress in the world.". Irene Worth, CBE (June 23, 1916 – March 9, 2002) was an American stage and screen actress who became one of the leading stars of the British and American theatre. Towards the end of March 2003, Richard's funeral takes place; with Archie carrying out the ceremony and Gail reluctantly attending alone to ensure that her killer husband was laid to rest for good. He murdered one Street resident along with his second wife, before attempting to kill several others – including his own wife, two stepchildren, and stepgranddaughter – as well as being partly responsible for the death of Duggie Ferguson. [6], The RSC, the National Theatre and Greenwich, Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, "Irene Worth, 85; Actress Was 3-Time Tony Winner", https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/29/arts/irene-worth-memorial.html, BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irene_Worth&oldid=1004498169, Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Honorary Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, Short description is different from Wikidata, Internet Off-Broadway Database person ID not in Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. On screen in 1982, Worth co-starred with Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve in the film version of a Broadway murder mystery Deathtrap, playing a psychic. She was seen in David Hare's The Bay at Nice (National, 1987) and in Chère Maître (New York, 1998 and Almeida, London 1999), compiled by Peter Eyre from the letters of George Sand and Gustave Flaubert. The character's story arc began with Richard appearing in Weatherfield for the funeral of his late cousin, Alma Baldwin (Amanda Barrie) – following her recent death from cervical cancer a couple days prior. The whole nation has woken up and is talking about it." Tommy then goes back in the water to try and save Richard, but finds that he has escaped from the car. "[1], In January 2002, it was rumored that Coronation Street executive producer Carolyn Reynolds would be axing a number of characters in a bid for the show to beat BBC One soap opera EastEnders in the ratings. The downfall of Richard ironically begins on the day that his money troubles end. Richard Hillman makes his first appearance in Weatherfield when he attends the funeral of a local female resident, Alma Baldwin (Amanda Barrie), in summer 2001 - claiming to be her cousin. He first appeared on 20 June 2001 and became the show's main antagonist until his eventual departure on 14 March 2003. This soon leads to David smashing Vera's window as she continues harassing his mother. She was proud to have been in Noël Coward's trilogy Suite in Three Keys, in which he made his last appearance on stage. She recreated her implacable Goneril in the stark, black-and-white film version of this production. Richard moves in with her, winning over her children Sarah-Louise (Tina O'Brien) and David (Jack P. Shepherd) by buying them expensive gifts. Robin also answers to Robin G Reesepoust, Robin G Reesi, Robin G Reese-poust, Robin Reese Poust and Robin G Reese, and perhaps a couple of other names. Plays and Players London Theatre Critics Award Best Actress, OBIE Award, Sustained Achievement 1988-89. These rumors were later proved to be false.[2]. Playing an asylum superintendent, she showed the darker side of her acting. Richard is horrified by Gail's words and reluctantly leaves. Soon afterwards, Richard receives a phone call that a woman who had sold her home to Richard in a buy-back scheme had died a week prior. Steve then reveals that he had found a necklace on the building site that Gail was currently wearing, the necklace Richard claimed he bought for her. Patricia owns 20% of Kellett Holdings, which Richard finally persuades her is worth £25,000. He is stunned when she accuses him of various crimes after finding the tranquilizers in the cupboard. [6] In a 2003 TVTimes poll, Richard was voted the top soap villain of all time. In the 1950s, Worth demonstrated her exceptional versatility by playing in the farce Hotel Paradiso in London with Alec Guinness, high tragedy in the title role of Schiller's Mary Stuart, co-starring Eva Le Gallienne, and on Broadway and Shakespearean comedy in As You Like It at Stratford, Ontario. By that year, however, it had transpired that Richard withholds a homicidal streak – which is thoroughly explored outside his marriage with Gail as he strives to maintain his financially bankrupt property company, "Kellett Holdings". She survives after being pulled out of the blaze by Richard's second business partner, Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson), and later tries to warn Gail; however, already convinced that her mother is indeed senile, she refuses to believe her and the pair end up having a quarrel over Audrey's theory about Richard. This involves Richard leaving his business partner Duggie Ferguson (John Bowe) to die after the latter ends up having a fatal accident; murdering his ex-wife Patricia (Annabelle Apsion) with a shovel when she attempts to expose his fraudulent dealings; clashing with Gail's former ex-husband Martin (Sean Wilson) after upsetting their young son, David (Jack P. Shepherd), for going on his laptop without permission; forming a business partnership with fellow entrepreneur Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson); swindling neighbors Jack Duckworth (Bill Tarmey) and his spouse Vera (Liz Dawn) from their financial investment; kidnapping local gossip Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) to stop him from investigating the truth about Kellett Holdings and after he prevents his childhood friend Rita Fairclough (Barbara Knox) from being conned as well; befriending Gail's eldest son Nick Tilsley (Adam Rickitt) when he gets invited to their wedding; attempting to bribe the street's Councillor Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy) with the discovery that a Bail Hostel operation threatens to jeopardize his scheme; forces Patricia's best-friend Charlotte Morris (Joanne Zorian) into leaving Weatherfield after she threatens to uncover the true circumstances behind her fate; plotting to kill his mother-in-law Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) by setting her house on fire, after which he exploits his failure to doing so with the conclusion that she has Alzheimer's disease; becoming enemies with Audrey's companion Archie Shuttleworth (Roy Hudd) in light of setting fire to her house; killing Audrey's co-worker Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw) with a crowbar after using it to unsuccessfully murder Norris' roommate Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire) as part of his plan to extract her house as a result of his equity release scheme that Emily signed with his company; and framing David's new schoolmate Aiden Critchley (Dean Ashton) for Emily's attack and Maxine's murder in retribution for Aidan causing an earlier car crash that hospitalized Gail's only daughter Sarah-Louise (Tina O'Brien). Gail and Richard are married on 26 July 2002. During a birthday party at The Rovers, where Gail and the others are helping their friend Doreen Heavey (Prunella Gee) celebrate her 50th Birthday, Richard leaves the pub. Upon returning from their honeymoon, Richard learns that his business is going downhill. Gail's troubles seem to have finally ended when she recovers from her trauma and manages to recoup her relationship with both her mother and children. Getting money from rich people is possible. The trio catch up to Richard just as his stepfamily free themselves. Tor is an encrypted anonymising network that makes it harder to intercept internet communications, or see where communications are coming from or going to.. I will repeat it again - you can get free money from rich people if you put your mind to it. Worth also appeared in the premiere of The Lady from Dubuque, another Albee play, which closed after 12 performances; a revival of Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman; Toys in the Attic by Lillian Hellman; and The Golden Age by A.R. Before arriving in Coronation Street, Richard "Charlies" Hillman became a financial advisor and ended up getting married on two different occasions. With the help of Martin and his friends, local mechanic Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) and Craig's father Tommy (Thomas Craig), they break down the garage door to see Richard has abducted Gail and her children. Gurney. He then goes to the squat where Sarah's tearaway boyfriend Aiden Critchley (Dean Ashton) is staying and since he drugged him he is able to take and use Critchley's coat and shoes without him waking up. 884 talking about this. After she has seen Todd out, Richard takes them captive. He is wracked with guilt, realising that the attempt on Emily's life and Maxine's murder had been pointless. She pronounced her given name with three syllables: "I-REE-nee". The impresario Joseph Papp persuaded her to repeat Volumnia off-Broadway in a production by Steven Berkoff, when she again was partnered by Christopher Walken as Coriolanus. Throughout his time on the soap, he turned from a conniving fraudster into a fully-fledged serial killer – becoming known as 'Killman' Hillman by the press. Caught off-guard, Richard confesses to killing Maxine; Gail is shocked, and doesn't buy Richard's excuse when he attempts to put the blame on Aidan for what he did to Sarah. It's that concentrated period when a programme finishes and millions of people around the country go and do something else other than watching Coronation Street. The controversy of her sister's death has intensified since the 2012 official actions of the Los Angeles Coroner's Office in changing the manner of Natalie's death, on her death … She referred to them as "her recitals". Of course there are some rich people who never give out money however the majority of millionaires and billionaires are very active in their philanthropic work. She recalls seeing Richard at the cabinet where the tranquillisers were kept on the night of Maxine's murder. However, after Audrey and Martin discover his last-ditch familicide plan, Richard drives off with his abducted stepfamily and ends up plunging their car into a canal — but they survived whilst he himself drowned and was later pronounced dead after his body, which the police would recover from the canal, was identified by Gail and Audrey at the canal. He’s definitely going to get nastier before he gets his comeuppance". He is in the house when David returns home, and keeps him silent when David's new friend Craig Harris (Richard Fleeshman) calls through the window. She joined the Midland Theatre Company in Coventry for Ugo Betti's The Queen and the Rebels. Richard also goes into business with the new Rovers Return landlord Duggie Ferguson (John Bowe), building an estate of new homes. Eventually, Gail cuts all ties with Audrey after she and her friend Archie Shuttleworth (Roy Hudd) - who became aware of Richard's agenda when the pair had a previous debate over Patricia's funeral - reported Richard to the police, though they were unsuccessful due to the lack of evidence. Eliot and Edith Sitwell and then from Shakespeare. Everyone just wants to know what he's going to do next and if he'll kill Gail. In Ivor Brown's play William's Other Anne, she played Shakespeare's first girlfriend Anne Whateley opposite John Gregson as Shakespeare. The situation continues to build for Gail when Jack and Vera later learn that Richard has conned them out of their investment. Richard Hillman is renowned as one of the greatest soap villains of all time. [4], On 12 March 2003, 19.4 million viewers (62% audience share) tuned in to see Richard drive the Platt family into the canal. The second episodes peaked at 19.4 million. Toward the end of the decade she played Winnie in Beckett's Happy Days. The two episodes caused a power surge; a National Grid spokesman said: "Obviously, there was a huge audience which meant at the end of the programme people were getting up, turning lights on, going to the toilet, opening fridge doors and boiling kettles. The character's story arc began with Richard appearing in Weatherfield for the funeral of his late cousin, Alma Baldwin (Amanda Barrie) – following her … Although Jack gradually copes with the result, Vera begins harassing Gail and even goes as far as to smash their window when Gail is forced to tell them that she cannot afford to repay the money Richard stole from them. As she was about to begin preview performances in a Broadway revival of Anouilh's Ring Round the Moon, Worth had a stroke and never appeared in the production. Sarah visits Aiden in his detention centre where he adamantly tells her that he didn't commit the murder. There's that much chopping to do that if she used an axe it would take forever. It is the fourth game in the Metal Gear series produced and … During their separation, Marian dies. The ratings success of the serial killer storyline made Coronation Street the most-watched UK television programme of 2003 beating rival EastEnders into second place. It was a form of theatre at which she became more adept as she grew older, drawing from Virginia Woolf, Ivan Turgenev and Noël Coward. [1], The character of Richard Hillman proved to be very successful with viewers and critics. Duggie is critically injured and Richard leaves him to die, opportunistically allowing the incident to remove his unwanted business partner. When Richard's mother falls ill, Marian decides that she doesn't want to look after an old aged pensioner so she leaves Richard. There, Ashley comforted Gail over her ordeal with Richard and forgave her over his cause in Maxine's death. Upon watching how he visibly appeared, Audrey realises that Richard killed Maxine and desperately tried again to prove her theory - but was dismissed and Richard is later hailed a hero by Maxine's husband Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold), who thanks him for contributing to his late wife's funeral. In 1999, she appeared in the film Onegin. In the mid-1990s, she devised and performed a two-hour monologue Portrait of Edith Wharton, based on Wharton's life and writings. In 1974, she appeared in three thematically linked plays at the Greenwich Theatre directed by Jonathan Miller under the umbrella title of Family Romances and using the same actors for each play. As Richard flees, Martin pursues him with Kevin and Tommy in another car. To make matters worse, Gail is under suspicion of collaborating with Richard in his criminal activities when the police confirm that she had been working alongside him in his "company". He comes across as this normal nice guy on the outside but if people knew what he’d done they’d be stunned. This is further impacted on the day at Maxine's funeral, where Richard ends up delivering a heartfelt speech about Maxine to further cover-up her murder. She returned to the RSC at the Aldwych to repeat her role. In response, Vera eventually accepts the result and she later makes amends with Gail. [1] Her parents, Agnes Thiessen and Henry Abrams, were educators.