The 10 best Richard Madden movies and TV shows

Photo via Prime Video

Scottish actor Richard Madden (born June 18, 1986) has dazzled audiences since his acting debut in 2000. Madden, oozing with charisma and capable of penetrating your whole being with his stony glare, gave the star-crossed lovers a “gravelly Glaswegian” voice when he played Romeo as a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Shakespeare’s Globe company invited him to perform the part again in the West End in 2016. 

But it was his role as Robb Stark in the fantasy drama series Game of Thrones that catapulted him to international stardom. Madden probably didn’t see the “Red Wedding” coming like the rest of us, but his performance won over audiences everywhere. From there, Richard Madden went on to play a wide variety of roles and genres, including Prince Kit in Cinderella, Italian businessman Cosimo de’ Medici in Medici, and a war veteran in Bodyguard, for which he won a Golden Globe. 

For Madden, who was among Time’s 2019 100 most influential people in the world, no role seems too big or too small. He’s held the acting roles of a music executive, soldier, and Eternal hero in the MCU. So, to help you build your Richard Madden collection, here are the actor’s top 10 films and TV shows. 

10. The Take (2016)

The name Richard Madden may conjure up mental pictures of kingly garb, tearful nuptials, or silent, brooding guardians. Nonetheless, Madden’s turn as the charming, quick-fingered rogue in The Take was a fantastic deviation from his usual cadence, allowing audiences to see his other side. As Michael Mason, an American pickpocket living in Paris, Madden trades swords and horses for sleight of hand and clever banter. 

James Watkins and Andrew Baldwin’s The Take, titled Bastille Day in some regions, is an action thriller released in 2016. Idris Elba stars as CIA agent Sean Briar, who, after Michael Mason steals a handbag containing a bomb, forms an odd collaboration with him and dives into the criminal underworld to seek the truth in this action thriller set in Paris, France. Everything takes place in the center of the French capital and features high-stakes chases, fight scenes, and detective work.

9. Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2015)

Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a British romantic drama film released in 2015 that stars Holliday Grainger, Richard Madden, and James Norton. Adapted by Jed Mercurio from D. H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel of the same name, the film portrays Richard Madden as a lonely gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors, who doesn’t talk much. Still, when he does, his thickly accented monosyllables are enough to make any woman swoon. Mellors is a down-to-earth guy who prefers to spend his time in the woods, where the wildlife is free to roam and the wind can gently blow through his hair.

Neither charming serenades nor diamond-encrusted gifts win over the young and unloved Constance Chatterley (Holliday Grainger). But what he gives her is considerably more valuable: a genuine emotional connection. The attraction between Grainger and Madden is electric; it begins as a slow burn and quickly flares up. Soon, Lady Chatterley faces an impossible choice between respectability and passion as she and Mellors try to stay one step ahead of her jealous and resentful husband.

8. Eternals (2021)

In Marvel’s epic superhero picture Eternals, Richard Madden plays Ikaris, one of the powerful alien beings who have covertly lived on Earth for over 7,000 years. Although Madden’s Icarus-inspired protagonist lacks the wax wings of the Greek mythological figure, he does possess the capacity to fly and other extraterrestrial abilities. Ikaris is one of the most potent of the Eternals, and Madden, with his penchant for leadership roles, is a perfect fit for the part. 

Among his many abilities is the ability to fly, superhuman strength, and optic blasts powerful enough to frighten even the most ruthless villain. Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie join Madden in this Chloé Zhao-directed film. Despite its $402 million worldwide take, the picture garnered mixed reviews due to its script, pace, length, and character growth flaws.

7. Citadel (2023 – Present)

Developed by Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh, and David Weil for Prime Video and executive produced by the Russo brothers, Citadel is an American spy action thriller that features an ensemble cast that includes Richard Madden, Stanley Tucci, Lesley Manville, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas play Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, two Citadel agents. Citadel Tier One agent Mason Kane is relentless, meticulous, and invincible. 

After a catastrophic overseas assignment, Kane has all of his memories wiped. After some time, Mason now goes by the name “Kyle Conroy” and seems to be living a quiet, carefree existence, completely forgetting his troubled background. He has left the world of espionage behind him, along with his former partner Nadia, when they are thrust back into it one fateful night. One of the most expensive television programs of all time, Citadel‘s pilot and episode two of the first season premiered on April 28, 2023.

6. Cinderella (2015)

The blue-eyed prince charming captivated audiences in Disney’s live-action Cinderella. By giving Prince Kit some much-needed humanity and charisma, Madden gave new life to a character best known for his footwear. Richard Madden’s Prince Kit is a multifaceted and relatable character. He’s more than just a stereotype of a prince on a white horse coming to the rescue. Instead, he is a fully fleshed-out character who goes through his own internal drama and emotional arc and has his own set of problems, wants, and weaknesses.

Kit, unlike many fictional monarchs, is not distant from his subjects. He assumes the appearance of a commoner to mingle with the kingdom’s people, demonstrating his desire to know and relate to them. The film was well-received by critics and earned nods for costume design at the 88th Academy Awards, the 21st Critics’ Choice Awards, and the 69th British Academy Film Awards.

5. Rocketman (2019)

In Rocketman, Madden abandoned his traditionally heroic persona and embraced his inner villain. Based on the life and career of British musician Elton John, Rocketman, titled after John’s 1972 song “Rocket Man,” was directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Lee Hall. It chronicles the narrative of Elton John’s early days in England as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music. Richard Madden gave life to the greedy and alluring John Reid, Elton’s fraudulent manager. 

Reid, a man of the world and a thriving music industry worker, takes Elton under his wing when they meet. Elton, who is still trying to figure out who he is and how famous he is becoming, is instantly attracted to Reid’s early sophistication and charisma. Despite this, Reid’s shady side becomes more apparent as the plot progresses. His ambition leads him into a downward spiral of manipulation and abuse. Rocketman had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2019, and earned great reviews from critics.

4.  Medici (2016 — 2019)

Richard Madden portrayed Cosimo de’ Medici in the TV series Medici: Masters of Florence. His multifaceted depiction of Cosimo de’ Medici, head of the Medici banking dynasty and de facto ruler of Florence, offers a fascinating look into the Italian Renaissance’s political, religious, and artistic climates. Right off the off, it’s clear that Madden’s Cosimo de’ Medici isn’t your typical protagonist. In the wake of the inexplicable death of his father, Giovanni de’ Medici, he found himself in the position of leader despite his reluctance. 

Despite his initial disinterest in leading his family’s massive financial enterprise, Cosimo eventually found himself at the head of both. Madden’s portrayal of Cosimo’s strategic mind is one of the performance’s more exciting features. Cosimo is presented less as a heroic warrior and more as a cunning ‘chess player’ in the high-stakes game of politics. He is a skilled manipulator who knows when to keep his cards close to his chest and when to show them. Madden exudes the kind of reserved intensity and shrewdness fitting for a man who wants to lead covertly.

3. 1917 (2019)

British director and producer Sam Mendes’s 2019 war film 1917 depicts two British soldiers, Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), as they attempt to convey a message to halt an impending offensive onslaught following the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line during Operation Alberich. 

Madden makes a cameo appearance near the end of the movie. His performance leaves an indelible mark, underscoring the mental toll of war. Madden’s portrayal of Lieutenant Joseph Blake brings the story’s stakes to life by capturing the soldier’s hope, desperation, and melancholy on the front lines. The scene in which Schofield tells Lieutenant Joseph Blake of his brother’s death is one of the most emotionally devastating in the film. 

2. Bodyguard (2018)

The fictional character of Police Sergeant David Budd (Richard Madden), a British Army war veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who now works for the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of the Metropolitan Police Service in London, is at the center of the British political thriller television series Bodyguard. He despises the politics of the ambitious Home Secretary, Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). 

Still, he is assigned as her PPO, and, on top of all that, Budd is trying to keep in touch with his kids while being torn apart emotionally and physically by his marriage’s end and his job’s demands. Critics were generally positive about the show, praising Madden’s acting. Madden won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama, while the show itself was nominated for several other accolades. 

1. Game of Thrones (2011 — 2013)

One of Richard Madden’s best roles was as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones on HBO. Robb is a figure marked by honor, devotion, and budding strategic brilliance as the eldest son of the Stark family and the de facto leader of the North. He is a young man with enormous responsibilities who must deal with the harsh realities of war and leadership. 

In the famed “Red Wedding” episode, Madden delivers his finest work. Madden gives a heartbreaking performance as Robb, conveying his shock, misery, and awful end. The political miscalculations that lead to this terrible ending are a stark reminder of the stakes in the Game of Thrones universe. Game of Thrones has a huge, dedicated fan base worldwide and set a new HBO viewing record. The show won 59 Primetime Emmys, the most ever for a drama series in that category.

About the author

Faith Katunga

Faith is a freelance writer with an insatiable curiosity for all aspects of current events, from the global economy and fashion to pop culture and travel. She watches an absurd number of cat videos on Instagram when not reading or writing about what is going on in the world.