Royal Conservatoire celebrates graduate Richard Madden’s Golden Globe success

Published: 07/01/2019

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is today celebrating the achievements of Acting graduate Richard Madden, who has been honoured at the prestigious Golden Globe Awards.

Richard received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Drama for his role as Sergeant David Budd in acclaimed BBC drama Bodyguard at the star-studded awards ceremony in California.

Christian Bale, Michael Douglas and Olivia Colman were also among the other winners at the event while Glenn Close picked up a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Film Drama for her role in The Wife. The film includes a scene in which Glenn Close performs alongside Royal Conservatoire students and alumni.

The actor graduated in 2007 with a BA Acting degree from Scotland’s national conservatoire, which is consistently ranked in the world’s top ten institutions for performing arts education (QS Rankings 2016-2018). In his final year, he was cast as Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the modern Shakespeare’s Globe which, after an initial run in London, made a tour of open-air stages. Richard starred as Robb Stark in the hugely popular Game of Thrones and performed alongside Lily James’ Cinderella as Prince Charming in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s big screen adaptation of iconic fairytale.

The final episode of Bodyguard was watched by more than 17 million people in the UK, making it the UK’s most watched episode of a TV drama since current records began in 2002. It is available on Netflix outside the UK.

Hugh Hodgart, Director of Drama, Dance, Production and Film at the Royal Conservatoire, said: “Well done to Richard on his win at the Golden Globes. He showed real promise as a student and this quickly began to bear fruit before and immediately after his graduation with, amongst other opportunities, the chance to play Romeo in a Shakespeare’s Globe touring production of Romeo and Juliet.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to follow Richard’s progress since then and, like the rest of the country, I became an instant fan of Bodyguard. I wish him all the best in his career as it continues to flourish.”

Find out more about studying Acting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.