Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#754
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Richard E. Grant represents the rare performer whose career became more ambitious with every decade — 36 years in, and Richard is still choosing the harder script.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Richard E. Grant appears in 53 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Richard. Confessions II – The Film is the clearest case: a film rated 8.8 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for comedy, drama, fantasy. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Peter Glanz, Thea Sharrock, Travis Knight and others, Richard E. Grant helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
Confessions II – The Film (2026) as Self · An Audience with Adele (2021) as Self · Logan (2017) as Dr. Rice
Career snapshot
Ranked #754 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
53
1990–2026
Career length
36 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
8.8
Confessions II – The Film
Average Nutevio score
6.3
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
8.8
Confessions II – The Film
Most frequent director
Robert Altman
3 films together
Longest collaboration
3×
With Robert Altman
Most common genre
Comedy
21 titles
Average runtime
1h 37m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
7.0
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.7
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
2000s
7.1 average MV
The 2000s are where the work and the material meet. Penelope, Corpse Bride, Gosford Park — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2000s
7.1
Across 3 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2000s
7.1
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
1990s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. Spice World, The Portrait of a Lady, Prêt-à-Porter.
Most productive era
2020s
24 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.44 films | 6.81 film | 6.89 films | 6.66 films |
| Action | 5.71 film | — | 7.13 films | 6.23 films |
| Thriller | 7.21 film | 6.81 film | 6.91 film | 6.43 films |
| Comedy | 6.05 films | 6.81 film | 6.24 films | 5.211 films |
| Crime | 7.21 film | — | 6.53 films | 6.62 films |
| Romance | 6.65 films | 7.32 films | 7.32 films | 4.13 films |
| Horror | 7.51 film | — | — | 6.22 films |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
1990Henry & June
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Hugo Guiler.
Highest rated performance · Career peak
8.8 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Most recent film
2026Wildwood
The current state of the argument, as (voice).
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
53 of 53 films
as Dr. Walter Simeon
Directed by Saul Metzstein
as Dr. Rice
Directed by James Mangold
as Lawyer in Play (uncredited)
Directed by Richard Curtis
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Self
Confessions II – The Film (2026)
Performance score8.4
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Self gives Richard E. Grant a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Self
An Audience with Adele (2021)
Performance score8.1
An Audience with Adele asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Self is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Dr. Walter Simeon
Doctor Who: The Snowmen (2012)
Performance score8.0
Doctor Who: The Snowmen asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Dr. Walter Simeon is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Dr. Rice
Logan (2017)
Performance score7.8
Logan asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Dr. Rice is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Self
Start here. Confessions II – The Film is the clearest statement of what Richard E. Grant does — accessible, 14 minutes, and rated 8.8 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Richard at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
Doctor Who: The Snowmen (2012)
A deliberate change of key after Confessions II – The Film — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
About Time (2013)
Keeps the drama register of Doctor Who: The Snowmen but asks for a colder reading of it.
Logan (2017)
Keeps the drama register of About Time but asks for a colder reading of it.
An Audience with Adele (2021)
A deliberate change of key after Logan — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Robert Altman
Director
3 films together
Notably The Player
Patrick Hughes
Director
2 films together
Notably The Hitman's Bodyguard
Philip Kaufman
Director
1 film together
Notably Henry & June
Mick Jackson
Director
1 film together
Notably L.A. Story
Michael Lehmann
Director
1 film together
Notably Hudson Hawk
Francis Ford Coppola
Director
1 film together
Notably Bram Stoker's Dracula
Martin Scorsese
Director
1 film together
Notably The Age of Innocence
Jane Campion
Director
1 film together
Notably The Portrait of a Lady
Bob Spiers
Director
1 film together
Notably Spice World
Tim Burton
Director
1 film together
Notably Corpse Bride
Mark Palansky
Director
1 film together
Notably Penelope
Andrei Konchalovsky
Director
1 film together
Notably The Nutcracker
Saul Metzstein
Director
1 film together
Notably Doctor Who: The Snowmen
Anthony Silverston
Director
1 film together
Notably Khumba
Richard Shepard
Director
1 film together
Notably Dom Hemingway
Richard Curtis
Director
1 film together
Notably About Time
Pablo Larraín
Director
1 film together
Notably Jackie
Lone Scherfig
Director
1 film together
Notably Their Finest
James Mangold
Director
1 film together
Notably Logan
Marielle Heller
Director
1 film together
Notably Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Joe Johnston
Director
1 film together
Notably The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Rachel Ward
Director
1 film together
Notably Palm Beach
Bill Jones
Director
1 film together
Notably An Accidental Studio
J.J. Abrams
Director
1 film together
Notably Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Tim Hopewell
Director
1 film together
Notably 7 Up & Me
Alex Timbers
Director
1 film together
Notably Ben Platt: Live from Radio City Music Hall
Debs Paterson
Director
1 film together
Notably The Skywalker Legacy
Philip Gelatt
Director
1 film together
Notably The Spine of Night
Mikey Please
Director
1 film together
Notably Robin Robin
Emerald Fennell
Director
1 film together
Notably Saltburn
Alice Troughton
Director
1 film together
Notably The Lesson
Matthew Vaughn
Director
1 film together
Notably Argylle
James Vanderbilt
Director
1 film together
Notably Nuremberg
Chris Columbus
Director
1 film together
Notably The Thursday Murder Club
Travis Knight
Director
1 film together
Notably Wildwood
Thea Sharrock
Director
1 film together
Notably Ladies First
Peter Glanz
Director
1 film together
Notably Savage House
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Robert Altman
Director
3 films together · 6.4 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 3 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The PlayerPatrick Hughes
Director
2 films together · 6.8 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The Hitman's BodyguardJames Mangold
Director
1 film together · 8.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
LoganRichard Curtis
Director
1 film together · 8.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
About TimeDebs Paterson
Director
1 film together · 7.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Skywalker LegacyAlex Timbers
Director
1 film together · 7.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Ben Platt: Live from Radio City Music HallSaul Metzstein
Director
1 film together · 7.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Doctor Who: The SnowmenTim Burton
Director
1 film together · 7.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Corpse BrideJames Vanderbilt
Director
1 film together · 7.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
NurembergTim Hopewell
Director
1 film together · 7.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
7 Up & MeFrancis Ford Coppola
Director
1 film together · 7.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Bram Stoker's DraculaMikey Please
Director
1 film together · 7.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Robin RobinMartin Scorsese
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Age of InnocenceEmerald Fennell
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
SaltburnPeter Glanz
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Savage HouseMarielle Heller
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Can You Ever Forgive Me?Mark Palansky
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
PenelopeChris Columbus
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Thursday Murder ClubLone Scherfig
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Their FinestPablo Larraín
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
JackieMick Jackson
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
L.A. StoryBill Jones
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
An Accidental StudioJ.J. Abrams
Director
1 film together · 6.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Star Wars: The Rise of SkywalkerJoe Johnston
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Nutcracker and the Four RealmsThea Sharrock
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Ladies FirstMatthew Vaughn
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ArgyllePhilip Gelatt
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Spine of NightAnthony Silverston
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
KhumbaJane Campion
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Portrait of a LadyPhilip Kaufman
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Henry & JuneRichard Shepard
Director
1 film together · 5.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Dom HemingwayAlice Troughton
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The LessonMichael Lehmann
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Hudson HawkBob Spiers
Director
1 film together · 5.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Spice WorldRachel Ward
Director
1 film together · 5.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Palm BeachAndrei Konchalovsky
Director
1 film together · 5.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The NutcrackerTravis Knight
Director
1 film together · 0.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
WildwoodSix degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
Logan
as Dr. Rice
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
About Time
as Lawyer in Play (uncredited)
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
Confessions II – The Film
as Self
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
About Time
as Lawyer in Play (uncredited)
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
Confessions II – The Film
as Self
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Richard E. Grant has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
36 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Comedy Legend
Awarded
21 catalogue titles in comedy, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
Confessions II – The Film
as Self
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
The Player
as Tom Oakley
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
100 Nights of Hero
as Birdman
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
The Player
as Tom Oakley
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
Logan
as Dr. Rice
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
as Allegiant General Pryde
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
Spice World
as Clifford
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
Spice World
as Clifford
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
If you like this performer
Matt Damon
Works with the same directors — Martin Scorsese
Michael Caine
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Tom Hanks
Built a career in the same territory: animation and family
Bonnie Hunt
Built a career in the same territory: animation and family
Leonardo DiCaprio
Works with the same directors — Martin Scorsese
Robert De Niro
Works with the same directors — Martin Scorsese
Have your say
Community
Which Richard E. Grant performance holds up best?
Our readers argue about this one. Make your case, or read the ranked debate already in progress.
Join the conversation
Reference
Continue exploring
Trending performers
Directors they work with
Collections to read next
