Richard Shelton (actor)

Richard Shelton is an English actor and singer, best known for playing the role of Dr Adam Forsythe on British television's daytime Soap Opera Emmerdale on ITV1.^[1] He is also a familiar voice on BBC Radio 2 and 4 with many live appearances to his credit.

Career

As an actor, Richard was nominated as 'Best Actor in a Leading Role' (Manchester Evening News Awards) for his portrayal of Frank Sinatra in Rat Pack Confidential. TV roles also include Inspector Rossi in EastEnders for the BBC and Nick in Family Affairs'.

Films include The Crooner in I Capture the Castle, Nick in Swinging with the Finkles and Giles in Dog Gone.

His first major acting role was as the young Ebenezer Scrooge in the West End stage musical Scrooge in the late 1990s playing opposite Anthony Newley as the older Scrooge. Richard's vast theatre repertoire includes Mark Antony in Julius Caesar at The Bridewell Theatre which he co-founded. More recently, Richard shared one of the title roles of Harry Bright on the international tour of the smash hit Mamma Mia.

As a singer, Richard has sung by private invitation for HRH Prince Charles at Windsor Castle with a 35-piece orchestra, for Sir Elton John at his 'White Tie and Tiara Ball', with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Children in Need and The Prince's Trust and recorded his album Top Cat with a 65-piece orchestra at Abbey Road Studios which features the theme to Top Cat, performed in a swing style. Other songs include original ballads 'Grenadine and Blue', 'Autumn in Soho Square' as well as the standards 'My Way' (Samba) and 'My Lean Baby'. He has also recorded an album called Retro Spectrum of '80s pop classics in jazz.

Richard is a tireless fundraiser for Breast Cancer charities since his mother died of the condition when he was 12 years old and has sung with the BBC Big Band and BBC Concert Orchestra for the Moon Walk Breast Cancer Charity in London's Hyde Park, for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and 'Tickled Pink'. He also organised a big-band fundraiser event for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, raising tens of thousands of pounds. His connection to MND is through his step-mother, who was living with the condition until 2006.

His very first acting role was as the embodiment of Death in the 1980s low budget classic Dance of Death, in which he played a mysterious and evil black hatted dancer whose appearance and subsequent scary dance resulted in the rapid death of whomever witnessed it, in the style of `The Ring`.

Richard also writes motivational workshops for clients including Microsoft, Corus (British Steel), InterContinental Hotels Group and has presented many corporate events nationally and abroad.

Before becoming an actor, Richard worked in international sales and marketing for InterContinental Hotels.

In January 2009, Richard featured as a guest singer on a UK tour with T.V. dancing stars Anton du Beke and his dance partner, Erin Boag from BBC T.V.'s Strictly Come Dancing

References

External links

• Official website