Terry Richards

David Terence Richards (2 November 1932 – 14 June 2014)[1][2] was a British actor and stuntman, best known for his appearance as the Arabian swordsman in the 1981 Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark.[1] During his career, Richards worked on over 100 productions across film and television; worked in nine James Bond films; fought as a stuntman in scenes with Indiana Jones, James Bond, Luke Skywalker and Rambo; and doubled for Donald Sutherland, Tom Selleck and Christopher Lee.[1][2]

For the professional wrestler sometimes known as Terry Richards, see Rhyno.

Biography

Born in South London to Welsh parents,[1][2] he served in the Welsh Guards.[1][2] After finishing his national service, in 1957 whilst working as a scaffolder, a friend from the Guards told him they needed extras with military training. After gaining the job, he was asked if he could fall off scaffolding during a riot scene, which he accepted.[1][2] In 1958 he served as a fighting extra alongside Kirk Douglas in The Vikings,[1][2] and in 1960 was a co-founder of The Stunt Register, a UK industry list of accredited stunt performers.[1][2] He also appeared in an episode of The Avengers as a Cybernaut, a murderous silver robot controlled by Peter Cushing (1967) "Return of the Cybernauts".[3]

Richards' most famous scene was as the scripted "large Arabian swordsman" in the 1981 Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark.[1] Director Steven Spielberg shot the production's Cairo, Egypt-located fight scenes in the town of Kairouan, Tunisia. Richards had practiced for weeks with his heavy Arabian sword to create the scripted fight scene, choreographing a fight between the swordsman and Jones's whip.[4] However, after filming the initial shots of the scene (and with Harrison Ford suffering from dysentery), after lunch, Ford and Spielberg agreed to cut the scene down to a single gunshot, giving Jones a humorously unfair advantage.[5] It was later voted in at No.5 on Playboy magazine's list of best all-time scenes,[4] and also created a Lego character of the large Arab.[1]

Richards retired after his last performance in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, where his character beat-up Pierce Brosnan in a recording studio in Germany.[1] Richards lived his later life in Ruislip.[2] His funeral service and burial took place on 24 June 2014 at Breakspear Crematorium following his death from a sudden cardiac arrest in his sleep. [2]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1960The Flesh and the FiendsMedical StudentUncredited
1966The IdolLaborer
1966Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.Resistance MemberUncredited
1967The Dirty DozenSergeant MacIntosh BlakeUncredited
1968Attack on the Iron CoastCommandoUncredited
1968HammerheadParking Garage ThugUncredited
1971The Last ValleyNorsemanUncredited
19711000 Convicts and a Woman
1973KidnappedMungo Campbell
1973The Mackintosh ManInmateUncredited
1976Confessions of a Driving InstructorMonks Hill Rugger Team
1978The Pink Panther Strikes AgainBruce the Knife
1980The Empire Strikes BackWampaUncredited
1980Flash GordonMing's Brute #4
1981Raiders of the Lost ArkArab Swordsman
1983High Road to ChinaGinger
1985Red SonjaDjart
1988Haunted SummerFletcher
1988The Bourne IdentityJohann
1990Good Girl, Bad GirlManUncredited
1997Tomorrow Never DiesCarver's thugUncredited, (final film role)

References
  1. "Terry Richards: UK stunt man dies aged 81". BBC News. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  2. Alan Hayes (24 June 2014). "Funeral of Raiders Of The Lost Ark stuntman Terry Richards". GetWestLondon.com. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  3. showing on freeview channel 61, Jan 2016
  4. "Indiana Jones Stuntman Terry Richards Interview". Red Carpet News. 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  5. "The Urban Legends of Indiana Jones". Lucasfilm. 2004-01-13. Archived from the original on 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
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