Richard from The Inbetweeners movie looks completely different after bulking up for hugely successful TV career
With The Inbetweeners announced to return for their third movie a load of superfans will be once again booting up their TV’s to rewatch the series for the 100th time and, when that’s over, the two beloved movies they created.
The four core Inbetweeners actors are set to return to their roles but as of yet we don’t know anyone else Netflix are bringing back from either movie or the two films. Several actors who had small roles in this have gone on to big things, with The Gentleman star Theo James being known to many Inbetweeners fans as ‘the guy from the first Inbetweeners who snorted poo’.
The first film has another iconic scene-stealing character however in Richard, the friendless loner who manages to even make Will and the gang look cool.
Played by Theo Barklem-Biggs, the actor has gone on to have arguably a more successful TV career than anyone else in the first film bar Theo James, and he looks totally different after bulking up for roles as an action star.
Barklem-Biggs has since had a major role in BBC’s SAS: Rogue Heroes and Kinsgman, but still credits The Inbetweeners with changing his career
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Fans of the BBC’s Rogue Heroes may not have even recognised Barklem-Biggs as the annoying friendless dweeb from The Inbetweeners, partly because he’s packed on muscle and is now easily able to play an intimidating loose cannon soldier in Reg Seekings.
Despite this more recent turn however, the actor has stated in the past that The Inbetweeners Movie opened doors for him in his career.
He said in an interview with Your Cinema: “I've had a couple years of lulls but I've been lucky to kind of work my way up slowly project-by-project part by part I suppose a noticeable point in my career would be my first lead Borrowed Time, I acted alongside Phil Davis. But my first lead I'd say is The Inbetweeners Movie, [the film] changed a lot in terms of comedy, I started getting a lot of interest.”
He went on to reunite with James Buckley, Joe Thomas, and Fudge Park productions, the production company behind The Inbetweeners founded by the show’s creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, when he appeared in White Gold.
He said it was ‘fun to be reunited’ with Buckley, Thomas, and Beesley, who wrote on the show, and several fans have posted on Reddit shocked that it’s the same actor.
One post said: “I was today years old when I realised these guys were the same actor… Theo Barklem-Biggs, who plays Richard in the [Inbetweeners] movie, plays Ronnie Jr in White Gold. How I’ve never realised until now is beyond me!!!”
Other fans commented however pointing out that he had also appeared in a number of other projects such as Kingsman. Here’s a list of all the projects that Barklem-Biggs has appeared in since his iconic role in The Inbetweeners Movie.
Silk
It seems that his short stint on The Inbetweeners set him up for bigger things as he booked a series regular role in TV drama Silk.
Barklem-Biggs played junior clerk Jake Milner in the courtroom series which aired on the BBC between 2011 and 2014.
Running for three seasons, the series also starred Maxine Peake and Game of Thrones' Natalie Dormer, Indira Varma and Jessica Henwick.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
In 2014, Barklem-Biggs stepped up his game as he appeared opposite Taron Egerton in the first film of the spy franchise, directed by Matthew Vaughan.
The movie introduces the Rocketman star as protagonist Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin, recruited by Colin Firth's Harry Hart into a secret spy organisation.
The Inbetweeners actor had a smaller role in the hit flick as Eggsy's friend Ryan.
samuel-613
Barklem-Biggs plays protagonist Shmilu in Billy Lumby's BAFTA-nominated short film samuel-613, revolving around a young Hasidic Jew in crisis, tempted by the possibilities of East London.
The Festival
The actor reunited with OG Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas and director Iain Morris on the 2018 movie The Festival.
The comedy follows Thomas' character Nick Taylor going to a huge festival in an attempt to get over his ex-girlfriend, while Barklem-Biggs plays a character named Gordy Symonds.
Carnival Row
The Richard actor appeared in three episodes of the Prime Video steampunk series Carnival Row, starring Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom.
Barklem-Biggs appeared in the first season in the role of Cabal, the rebellious leader of the fauns, also known by the derogatory term 'pucks'.
The series was renewed for a second instalment, which premiered in February 2023 and served as the story's conclusion.
Cherry
Barklem-Biggs shared the screen with Marvel star Tom Holland in Cherry, a crime drama from Avengers: Endgame directors the Russo brothers.
The flick is inspired by the novel of the same name by Nico Walker and follows the Spider-Man star in the title role of a PTSD-stricken veteran turning to crime. The Inbetweeners actor plays Sergeant North.
SAS: Rogue Heroes
Created by Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight, period drama SAS: Rogue Heroes marks Barklem-Biggs' most recent TV role to date.
The BBC series chronicles the origin of the British Army Special Air Service (SAS) during World War II.
Barklem-Biggs plays Sergeant Reg Seekings opposite Game of Thrones' Alfie Allen, Skins' Jack O'Connell, and Sex Education's Connor Swindells.
The series also stars The Crown's Dominic West and Kingsman's Sofia Boutella.
Topics: TV and Film, The Inbetweeners, Film, TV, Celebrity
Michael Slavin