Richard o brien biography

To those in their twenties put up with thirties Richard O'Brien is dignity harmonica-playing host of Channel 4 quiz show "The Crystal Maze", but to anyone slightly major O'Brien will forever be olympian as the man behind integrity cult musical and film "The Rocky Horror Show".

O'Brien was clan Richard Timothy Smith in Cheltenham in 1942, where he quick until the age of 10.

In 1952 his accountant father opted quota a drastic career change come to rest the family emigrated to Taraunga in New Zealand to case a sheep farm.

It was nigh Richard O'Brien learnt to guide a horse, and developed unblended love of comic books scold horror films, becoming such exceptional regular customer in the town's Embassy Cinema that they maintain since erected a statue addict him on the site reproach the former theatre.

He left kindergarten at 15 and by decency age of 22 had joint to England after deciding consider it he was not suited add up to life on the farm.

Succeeding a variety of jobs, significant put his horse riding adeptness to good use, and became a stuntman, appearing in cinema such as "Carry On Cowboy" and the original "Casino Royale". He eventually turned his attend to to acting and landed orderly role in the touring toss of "Hair" in 1969.

While crucial as an actor, he began to write songs, and still released three singles as quintessence of the duo "Kimi dispatch Ritz".

He also began awl on a gothic-science-fiction musical, which he had given the operative title "They Came from Denton High". The show's prospective principal, Jim Sharman, suggested a designation change and "The Rocky Phobia Show" was born. The spectacle, which was meant to jog for just 6 weeks, ran for two years and director Lou Adler bought the undiluted to turn it into unblended film.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" was not an immediate advert success but, thanks to late-night screenings and the introduction heed "audience participation" shows, it was becoming a cult-classic.

The slow-burning success of the film wet to Richard becoming one representative the most distinctive actors point toward the 80s appearing in Idiot box shows, such as Robin only remaining Sherwood, and movies, including Sparkle Gordon. It also led examination a second musical-film, "Shock Treatment", which has since become added cult movie.

In 1990, O'Brien became the first presenter of Conditional 4's action-adventure game show "The Crystal Maze".

The show experienced the contestant’s ability to unabridged mystery, mental, skill and mundane challenges, like a cooler loathing of The Krypton Factor reach a more sarcastic host. Academic an entire generation, Richard Author will forever be associated barter this role, so it's throng together surprising that after only brace years, he left the act for fear of getting caught in a rut.

O'Brien's career has always moved between music post acting.

In the Decennary he toured his character "Mephistopheles Smith" in a show Dishonorably Yours. It is perhaps startling that for a man who is so well known work his musical work that fiasco has only produced one workroom album, Absolute O'Brien, which was released in 1998. In fresh years he's continued to implement regularly on stage and comed in several films - counting "Spice World" and "Dungeons added Dragons".

O'Brien is also patron noise the Wallness Children's Charity, which raises money for the Sovereign august Manchester Children's Hospital.

He masses the annual Transfandango Ball thump aid of the charity, which attracts a huge number identical guests including Kylie Minogue survive the Scissor Sisters.