Biography

Despite spending most of 2024 on Broadway ("Hills of California" Dir. Sam Mendes), Richard starred in and produced the New Zealand feature "Mysterious Ways" about a homosexual vicar at war with the Anglican hierarchy, which aired globally in 2025. Recently seen in Joel Coen's "The Tragedy of Macbeth" (Apple TV, 2021) alongside Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, as well as "Jack Ryan: Season 3" (Amazon, 2022) and was seen at festivals worldwide in the short film "The Night Passenger".

Globally, he is also stars in the original TV series "Mary Kills People'" which has now aired its third and final season. For his role as the very complex surgeon 'Des Bennett', Short was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award (for Best Lead Actor in a Drama series) in 2018.

Richard both wrote and produced the play "Two Of Us" which enjoyed a sold out run in the UK in 2024-2025. Prior to that, he was seen as 'Richard Burton' in the hugely acclaimed World Premiere of "CLEO", a play directed by Bob Balaban and written by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright, set during the filming of the 1963 movie Cleopatra.

In 2016, Short co-starred in HBO's "Vinyl" opposite Olivia Wilde. In 2015, he co-starred in "Agent Carter", where he played Marvel's first ever gay comic book character, Pinky Pinkerton. Short's diverse range of television credits include appearances in "Code Black", "Time After Time", "Training Day", "American Horror Story", "Blue Bloods", "White Collar", "Fringe", "Bored to Death'" "Vera" and "Covert Affairs" among others but it was in 2013 he really came to the attention of audiences worldwide as the villainous 'Harlan Moore' in ABC's "666 Park Avenue".

In film, Short took the title of role of King Arthur in "Arthur & Merlin", screening on Amazon, as well as the UK horror feature film "The Dare" and can be seen on Amazon in the indie film "Crazy Famous", as well as in the short-film "Abe", directed by Steve Brett. He also took the lead role in the indie films "Cockroaches" and "Not Welcome". He made his screen debut in the Sundance hit "Delirious" for director Tom DiCillo. As well as leading both "The Exhibitionists" alongside Laverne Cox and "A New York Love Story", additional credits include "The Guitar" (Amy Redford), "Public Enemies" (Michael Mann), "Choose" (Rob Legato), "The Butterflies of Bill Baker" and "Café".

Other stage credits on Broadway include Jez Butterworth's "Jerusalem" alongside Mark Rylance. Prior to that, he created the role of Eric Saunders in Roberto Aguirre Sacasa's "King of Shadows'" Additional highlights include "An Evening with Simon Gray" at Lincoln Centre, NY, a hugely acclaimed performance in "Mary Rose" for the Vineyard Theatre, "WASP'S in Bed" on 42nd St Theater Row and starring alongside Katherine Helmond as 'John Eastman' in the National Theatre of London US transfer of "The Night Season", directed by Lonny Price. He made his theater debut in 1996 in the UK production of "Grease".

An avid writer, Short has published a play and screenplays as well as books, articles and poetry across the worlds of soccer and travel. He divides his time between Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Paris and London with his wife and has a production company. Short is also a successful Broadway/West End theater investor.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jill Fritzo PR