Richard Dormer

The Man Who Was a Hurricane

Richard Dormer was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, in 1966. He studied at RADA in London, but his real school was the streets of Belfast. In 2003, he wrote and performed Hurricane, a play about snooker player Alex Higgins that earned him the Stage International Solo Award.

Dormer doesn't chase easy applause. He prefers characters with visible seams and a fragility that unsettles.

His physique is his best asset.

In 2012, he starred in the film Good Vibrations, playing Terri Hooley. It was a loud, energetic role that caught the attention of international casting directors. But the wider public didn't recognize him until he put on the eye patch in Game of Thrones.

He played Beric Dondarrion between 2013 and 2019. His character dies and is resurrected six times in the story. That flaming sword gave him worldwide visibility, which Dormer handled with an almost British reserve. He earned a salary per episode that exceeded 15,000 euros in his final appearances.

And the audience bought it.

Fire, Ice and British Television

In 2015, filming of Fortitude began in the icy landscapes of Iceland. Dormer played Sheriff Dan Anderssen, a man who mentally unravels as the plot unfolds. It was an extreme shoot, with temperatures of twenty degrees below zero.

Because Dormer understands that acting is a physical process. During the filming of the series in 2017, he suffered a severe skin infection caused by the prosthetics and makeup. He kept filming because the production schedule left no room for breaks.

In 2021, he took on the challenge of leading The Watch as Captain Sam Vimes. The series adapted Terry Pratchett's novels with a punk aesthetic. British critics were merciless toward the adaptation, but they praised Dormer's performance for its ability to embody pure cynicism.

It hasn't always been a straight path.

In 2023, he played veteran officer Gerry Cliff in the police drama Blue Lights. It's a dry, direct role that steers clear of the fireworks of his previous work. Dormer uses his voice here (which sounds like he's swallowed glass) to give weight to a script about the tensions in today's Belfast.

In 2024, production of the second season of Blue Lights moved its base of operations to Belfast's Titanic Quarter. The series' budget rose 15 percent over the first season to cover the costs of nighttime outdoor shoots.