Wikipedia

Richard Hope (actor)

Richard Hope (11 October 1953 in Kettering, England[1]) is a British actor who gained recognition from Brideshead Revisited as the doltish junior officer, Hooper, under Jeremy Irons' charge.[2] He is best known for playing Harris Pascoe in the UK TV drama Poldark. His theatre career includes portraying Pierre Bezukhov in War and Peace at the Royal National Theatre and having starred as Levin in an adaptation of Anna Karenina by Helen Edmundson. In 2015, he played Hector in The History Boys. In 2018–2019, he starred in the West End production The Woman in Black as Arthur Kipps.[3]

Richard Hope
Hope in 2010
Born
Kettering, England
EducationTrent Polytechnic BA (Hons) Law
OccupationActor
Years active1976–present
Websitewww.richardhope.com

Career

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In 1978, Laurence Olivier gave Hope his first professional TV part in an episode pf Laurence Olivier Presents named Saturday, Sunday, Monday by Eduardo De Filippo. Hope worked with Olivier again in 1981 when he appeared in the first and last episodes of Brideshead Revisited, in which he played Lieutenant Hooper.[4]

Hope played Ford Prefect in the first stage production of Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with Ken Campbell's The Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool. He also appeared in their 22-hour epic The Warp and The Third Policeman. Campbell introduced him to Jérôme Savary. Hope made his first West End appearance with his musical theater company Le Grand Magic Circus in 1001 Nights at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1980.

He was Bertozzo in the UK Tour of Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1979) with Alfred Molina for The Belt and Braces Theatre Company directed by Gavin Richards ending at the Half Moon Theatre in London.[5] Richards played Molina's part when it transferred six months later to the Wyndham's Theatre in the West End.

In 1981, Peter Gill cast him in Don Juan and Much Ado About Nothing which started his long association with The National Theatre.[6]In 1984, he joined the Richard Eyre / David Hare Company[7] playing Bill Smiley in the premiere of Pravda with Anthony Hopkins[8] before switching to the role of Eaton Sylvester in two extended revivals in the Olivier Theatre. This also included ensemble productions of The Government Inspector with Rik Mayall and Jim Broadbent and Tim McInnerny's Hamlet, in which he played Horatio. He met Simon McBurney at the National Theatre Studio, where Hope helped devise and develop The Visit and Street of Crocodiles for Théâtre de Complicité.[9] 1988 saw The Visit production as part of the 'Théâtre de Complicité at the Almeida' season, before the theatre closed for refurbishment; the production was revised in collaboration with The National Theatre in the Lyttleton stage in 1991.[10] The production was invited to Spoleto Festival USA .

Hope played Salto in Handmade Films' 1987 thriller Bellman and True, written and directed by Richard Loncraine, and Hull City A.F.C. fan Malcolm in Mark Herman's comedy See You At Wembley, Frankie Walsh which won the Student Academy Award. In Piece of Cake directed by Ian Toynton he was ‘Skull' Skelton and he played Mortimer Tundish in both series of Debbie Horsfield's comedy-drama The Riff Raff Element, with Celia Imrie and Nicholas Farrell.

In 1996, he returned to the National Theatre as Pierre Bezukhov in the Shared Experience joint production of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace,[11] adapted by Helen Edmundson and directed by Nancy Meckler and Polly Teale. In 1998, he starred in another Tolstoy adaptation by Helen Edmundson, playing Levin in the Shared Experience production of Anna Karenina. Hope was associate director of this production which toured internationally, including runs at the Brooklyn Academy of Music[12] and the Lyric Theatre.[13][14] Clive Barnes of the New York Post described it as ‘One of the true highlights of a lifetime of theatre-going'.

During 2000, under coach Geoff Thompson (author of Real Punching), Hope learned to wrestle for Jim Cartwright's Hard Fruit at the Royal Court Theatre, directed by James Macdonald. During a performance of Hard Fruit, Hope broke his wrist when he hit a punch post that was missing its padding; he continued the run of the show with an "authentic" bandaged hand.[15] With Mark Rylance he was one of the six actors in Mike Alfreds' Cymbeline at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in 2001.[16] In 2002, the Royal National Theatre staged Simon Bent's adaptation of John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany with Aidan McArdle as the title character and Hope as John Wheelwright.[17]

Hope has been in several police dramas: Superintendent Harold Spence in Agatha Christie's Poirot, Barry Purvis for two series of Murder Investigation Team and semi-regular Rod Jessop, the local headmaster, in The Bill.

His first role in a musical was as Max Kellerman in Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theatre in 2010, staying for eighteen months. He played Horst Ehmke in Paul Miller's revival in Sheffield of Michael Frayn's play Democracy, which transferred to London's Old Vic Theatre in 2012.[18] This was the third Frayn play he had performed in, having toured the UK in Donkeys' Years and Noises Off.

Hope returned to the Almeida Theatre as Gabriel York in Andrew Bovell's When the Rain Stops Falling in 2009[19] and in 2012 as Albany in King Lear with Jonathan Pryce.[20] In 2014, he played Queen Elizabeth I in the UK premiere of Sarah Ruhl's stage adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Orlando at the Royal Exchange with Suranne Jones, directed by Max Webster.[21][22] In 2015, Hope played Hector in Kate Saxon's production of Alan Bennett's The History Boys in the Sell A Door Theatre Company UK Tour.[23][24] From 2015 to 2016, Hope continued his long-standing collaboration with Helen Edmundson, playing Sidney Godolphin in the original Royal Shakespeare Company production of her original play Queen Anne,[25] starring Natascha McElhone. In 2017 Queen Anne[26] transferred to the Haymarket Theatre with Romola Garai.[27]

 
22nd May 2009, First Night Review - Richard Marmion: “Only Richard Hope brings light to the action as a lost soul excitedly awaiting the return of his estranged son”. “If Hope was a weather system he’d be a sweaty late summer night, with the promise of sunshine in the morning. Apart from that, the rain doesn’t stop falling”.

He played recurring characters Malokeh and Bleytal (Silurians) in Doctor Who, and has recorded several related audios with Big Finish, including Dr Who - Doom Coalition 3: "Absent Friends", which won the BBC Audio Drama Award 2017.

From May 2018 through March 2019, Richard played Arthur Kipps in The Woman in Black[3] by Susan Hill adapted into a stage play by Stephen Mallatratt at the Fortune Theatre, London. Richard had already played Jerome in the 2004 BBC Radio 4 version[28] directed by John Taylor as a Fiction Factory production.[29]

In 2019, he returned as Harris Pascoe, Ross Poldark's banker and friend, for his fifth season of Poldark with screenplay by Debbie Horsfield. He previously worked with Horsfield on The Riff Raff Element. He also appeared in an episode of Casualty.

In 2024 Hope returned to Royal Court Theatre as Wally Saunders in Giant by Mark Rosenblatt, directed by Nick Hytner, with John Lithgow, Elliot Levey, Rachael Stirling, Romola Garai and Tessa Bonham Jones.[30]

Stage

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Year Play Role Theatre
1976 Romeo and Juliet Peter & Acting ASM Shaw Theatre
1977 Henry IV, Part 1 Gadshill / Sir Richard Vernon Shaw Theatre
Mother Courage Young Soldier and Young Peasant Birmingham Rep
The Seed Jerry Birmingham Rep
1978 The Warp Dr. Snarkle, Paul Crawford, Ed Gale and many others ICA and Roundhouse / Ken Campbell's Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool
The White Deer Tocko Unicorn Theatre
The End Is Nigh Jesus New End Theatre / Ken Campbell
1979 Accidental Death of an Anarchist Bertozzo Belt and Braces Theatre Company / UK Tour
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Ford Prefect ICA / Ken Campbell's Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool
1980 One Thousand and One Nights Sultan, Emperor of the Desert, Baba Mustafa Le Grand Magic Circus / Shaftesbury Theatre
The Third Policeman MacCruskeen ICA / Ken Campbell's Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool
1981 Much Ado About Nothing George Seattle[31] National Theatre
Don Juan Peter National Theatre
School for Clowns Puff Half Moon Theatre / Sylvester McCoy & Ken Campbell
1982 Candida Lexy National Theatre / British Council Tour of India
1985 Pravda Bill Smiley (1985)/Eaton Sylvester (1986)[32] National Theatre
The Government Inspector The Postmaster National Theatre
1986 Hamlet Horatio[33] National Theatre
1988 & 1991 The Visit The Mayor Almeida Theatre/National Theatre / Complicité
1990 Don Gil of the Green Britches Caramanchel The Gate
1991 Street of Crocodiles Father National Theatre Studio/Complicité
The Gentleman from Olmedo Tello The Gate[34]
1993–1998 Anna Karenina Levin / Associate Director Shared Experience / UK & World Tours
1994 Betrayal Jerry West Yorkshire Playhouse
1995 The Park Wolf Royal Shakespeare Company
1996 War and Peace Pierre[35] National Theatre/Shared Experience
2000 Hard Fruit Sump[36] Royal Court Theatre[15]
2001 Cymbeline Cymbeline[37] Shakespeare's Globe Theatre[16][38]
2002 A Prayer for Owen Meany John Wheelwright[17] National Theatre
Life After George Duffy[39] Duchess Theatre
2007 Donkeys' Years Norman Tate Sonia Friedman Productions/UK Tour[40][41]
2008 Noises Off Freddie Fellowes Ambassador Theatre Group / UK Tour
The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other The Wanderer 25 other parts National Theatre
2009 When the Rain Stops Falling [42] Gabriel York Almeida Theatre
2010-2011 Dirty Dancing Max Kellerman Aldwych Theatre
2011 There Is a War Field Commander Goodman National Theatre
The Swan Russell National Theatre[6]
2012 Democracy Horst Ehmke Sheffield Theatres / transferred to The Old Vic[18]
2012 King Lear Duke of Albany Almeida Theatre[20]
2014 Orlando Queen Elizabeth I Royal Exchange, Manchester[21][22]
2015 Shostakovich's Hamlet Narrator and Performer City of London Sinfonia
2015 The History Boys Hector Sell A Door Theatre Company/UK Tour[24][23]
2015-2017 Queen Anne Sidney Godolphin Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford and

Haymarket Theatre London

2018-2019 The Woman in Black Arthur Kipps Fortune Theatre London
2024 Giant Wally Saunders Royal Court Theatre[43]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Film Role Other notes
1980 Breaking Glass Audition musician
1980 Bloody Kids Policeman #2
1981 The French Lieutenant's Woman Third Assistant Director
1984 Scandalous Young Detective
Singleton's Pluck (aka Laughterhouse) Hubert
1985 Plenty Alistair
1987 See You At Wembley, Frankie Walsh Malcolm (lead) Director Mark Herman won Oscar for Best Short Film
Bellman and True Salto
1990 Antonia and Jane Norman Beer
1992 Swords at Teatime Dennis Short film
1995 The Last Post Man (lead) BAFTA nominated for Best Short Film
Feast of July Squire Wyman
1998 The Sea Change Alistair
McLibel Judge
2001 My Brother Tom Jessica's dad
2002 The Honeytrap Detective Fowler
2004 Bloom Richard Neap Short film
Sergeant Pepper Christopher Fröhlich
2005 Chromophobia Simon Whitemore
2011 Mr. Morgan's Last Love American philatelist
2018 Finding Your Feet Care home manager
2019 The Village in the Woods Charles [44]
2024 The Secret Assistants Henry
2024 Cleaner Alastair Lawson

Television

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Year Title Role Other notes
1975 By Common Consent Security Official
1977 Secret Army Sgt. Hose
1978 Laurence Olivier Presents - Saturday Sunday Monday Attilio Produced by Laurence Olivier
People Like Us Teacher
Crown Court PC Collins
Margie and Me Policeman
1979 Heartland Steve
1981 Brideshead Revisited Lieutenant Hooper [45]
1983 Scene - Simulation Exercise Exton
Wayne and Albert Ambulanceman
1984 Wuffer Wuffer
December Flower Doctor
1986 Love and Marriage - The Clinger Alan
1988 Burning Ambition Dick Trout
Dogplant Owen
Piece of Cake 'Skull' Skelton
1989 Victoria Wood - We'd Quite Like to Apologise Alan Warburton
Frederick Forsyth Presents - Casualty of War Donald Spry
Frederick Forsyth Presents - Death Has a Bad Reputation Donald Spry
1990 Children Crossing Tom
2 series Happy Families Mr Jump/ Captain Salt/ Mr Cash etc.
1991 Itch Geoff
The Bill Dyas
Boon Sgt Keogh
1993 2 series The Riff Raff Element Mortimer Tundish
1995 Tears Before Bedtime Stuart
Band of Gold Richard
Peak Practice Roy Shearer
The Vet Colin
1996 Jackanory Storyteller
1997 Bramwell Talbot
A Perfect State Simon
1998 Casualty Edmund White
Children of the New Forest Heatherstone
2 series The Demon Headmaster Professor Tim Dexter
1999 Midsomer Murders Gordon Brierley
Reach For The Moon Mr Fenton
2000 Rhona Doug
Happy Birthday Shakespeare Colin
Beef Encounter Prosecutor
Midsomer Murders Gordon Brierley Episode "Judgement Day"
In Deep Dr Kingswood
2001 High Stakes Peter Harrison
Judge John Deed Peter Taylor
A Is for Acid Dr. Archie Henderson
McCready and Daughter Tony Smith
2002 William and Mary Dr Currie
The Bill Russell
The Forsyte Saga Gradman
Holby City Roger Stapleton
Tipping the Velvet Mr. Astley
2003 Foyle's War Frank Vaudrey in "Funk Hole"
Canterbury Tales Arty's father in The Pardoner's Tale
2003–2005 2 series Murder Investigation Team DS Barry Purvis
2003 Murder in Suburbia Patrick
Murder City George Collins
Heartbeat James Vincent
2004 The Government Inspector Richard Sambrook
New Tricks Brownlow
Trial of the King Killers John Bradshaw
2005 Doctors Colin Wheelan
Silent Witness Dr Morrie Sanders Episode: "Mind and Body"
Riot at the Rite Grigoriev
2006 Wild West Judge Spicer
The Thieving Headmistress Andy Pert
The Shell Seekers George Chamberlaine
2006–2007 The Bill Rod Jessop
2006–2008 Poirot Superintendent Harold Spence Episodes:"Mrs McGinty's Dead" (2008) and

"Taken at the Flood" (2006)

2007 Midsomer Murders Neville Hayward Episode:"They seek him here"
2008 EastEnders Ted Hubbard
2009 Holby City Christopher Gamble in "Running on Empty"
2010 Doctor Who Malohkeh in "The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood"
2011 Doctor Who Malohkeh in "The Wedding of River Song"
2012 Doctor Who Bleytal in "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"
2013 Doctors Sebastion Norris in "House Arrest"
Holby City Father Mattew Sinclair in "Journey's End"
The Smoke Eric Springer in "Jamais KO"
The Great Train Robbery DCS Malcolm Fewtrell in "The Copper's Tale"
2014 Father Brown Sir St. John Pryde in episode 2.3 "Pride of the Prydes"
The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies Exam Board Official
2015 And Then There Were None Inspector Maine
2016 Unforgotten (series2) James Gregory
2017 Broadchurch (series3) Arthur Tamworth
2015–2019 5 series Poldark Harris Pascoe
2019 Casualty Joe
2021 Doctors Edwin Thomas Episode: "Legend"[46]
2022 Mandy Jeffery Betts
The Chelsea Detective Andrew Knightley
The Ipcress File Treasury Official
Top Boy District Judge [47]
Gentleman Jack Rawdon Briggs
The Walk-In Judge
1899 Dr Reginald Murray
2023 Hijack Philip Paxton
2023 Endeavour Ted/ Sergeant Wilkins

Audio work

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Year Production Character Company Notes
1995 People Like Us The Vicar (Rev Andrew Treverton in The Vicar) BBC
1996 The Constant Prince Don Juan de Silva BBC
1997 To the Wedding BBC / Théâtre de Complicité
2002 Diary of a Provincial Lady The Husband Watchmaker Productions
2004 What Hetty Did Mr. Bertwistle First Writes
Woman in Black Jerome Fiction Factory
2005 Murder on the Leviathan Dr. Truffo Goldhawk Essential Productions
2007 Man in the Water Narrator Pier Productions/BBC
2009 Ruth Guardian, Thomas, Mr. Jones First Writes
2012 Chronicles of AIT-The Saxon Stones Thurgis Fiction Factory / BBC
2013 41 Rue Monge Narrator Christine Hall / BBC 4
Chronicles of AIT-The Lotos Effect Len (Norfolk), Paul the Vicar Fiction Factory / BBC
2014 Avengers - Lost Episodes - Volume 2 Kollakis Big Finish
Counter Measures - Series 3 William Heaton, Mason Big Finish
2015 Dr Who - Damaged Goods Harry Harvey Big Finish
Dr Who - Counter Measures - Series 4 William Heaton Big Finish
Dr Who - Early Adventures - The Bounty of Ceres Moreland Big Finish
2016 Dr Who - Doom Coalition 3 - Absent Friends Phillip Cook Big Finish Won BBC Audio Drama Award 2017
Survivors - Series 5.2 - New Blood Silus Broome Big Finish
2017 Letters to the Lady Upstairs by Marcel Proust Narrator HarperCollins
2018 Dr Who - Shellshock General Reinhardt Big Finish
2024 Dr Who - All of Space & Time Mr Darling Big Finish

References

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  1. ^ "Richard Hope - Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  2. ^ Smith, C. S. (13 October 2014). The New York Times Theater Reviews 1997-1998. Routledge. ISBN 9781136750342. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Cast". The Woman In Black. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  4. ^ Brideshead Revisited (TV Mini Series 1981) - IMDb. Retrieved 14 November 2024 – via www.imdb.com.
  5. ^ Billington, Michael (13 October 2016). "Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist – a heady blend of vaudeville and politics". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Hope; Richard". National Theatre Archive.
  7. ^ "The Government Inspector". National Theatre Archive. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Pravda". National Theatre Archive. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  9. ^ Complicite. "Complicite - Richard Hope". www.complicite.org.
  10. ^ Nightingale, Benedict (14 February 1991). "Review: The Visit (1991)". The Times. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  11. ^ "War of the words".
  12. ^ https://secure.pqarchiver.com/nypost/doc/333766773.html?FMT=FT [dead link‍]
  13. ^ Marks, Peter (13 November 1998). "THEATER REVIEW; A Classic Russian Tale of Infidelity, Sparely Told". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  14. ^ "Red-hot telling of love in a cold climate". 28 September 1998. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  15. ^ a b "Hard Fruit - Royal Court". Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Cymbeline / Shakespeare's Globe". www.shakespearesglobe.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  17. ^ a b "A Prayer for Owen Meany". National Theatre Archive.
  18. ^ a b Hickling, Alfred (15 March 2012). "Democracy – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  19. ^ "Theatre review: When the Rain Stops Falling at Almeida Theatre". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  20. ^ a b "King Lear". Digital Theatre. Archived from the original on 30 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  21. ^ a b Anglesey, Natalie (26 February 2014). "Review: Orlando @ Royal Exchange".
  22. ^ a b host, just. "Welcome thegoodreview.co.uk - Justhost.com". thegoodreview.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  23. ^ a b http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/review-history-boys-everyman-theatre/story-26260873-detail/story.html [dead link‍]
  24. ^ a b "The History Boys review: Poldark star Richard Hope gives 'stunning' performance alongside fresh cast". Cambridge News. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 15 December 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  25. ^ "Cast and creative | Queen Anne". Royal Shakespeare Company. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  26. ^ "Queen Anne". Royal Shakespeare Company. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  27. ^ Billington, Michael (11 July 2017). "Queen Anne review – Romola Garai is a sensational schemer in gripping history play". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  28. ^ "Woman in Black, The [drama]". Radiolistings.co.uk. 24 January 2012. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  29. ^ "Fiction Factory Productions". Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  30. ^ Coren, Michael (21 October 2024). "When I met Roald Dahl, he said antisemitic things — but trying to cancel him is wrong". The Standard. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  31. ^ "Much Ado About Nothing, Gill/Chitty, National Theatre, August 1981". www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
  32. ^ "Richard Hope". National Theatre. Archived from the original on 30 August 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  33. ^ "Hamlet, Berry/Dyer, National Theatre Touring, January 1986". www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
  34. ^ "Review of The Gentleman From Olmedo". www.cix.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  35. ^ "War and Peace". National Theatre Archive. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  36. ^ "Hard Fruit". Royal Court Theatre. Archived from the original on 6 April 2004. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  37. ^ "Albemarle - Archive". Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  38. ^ "Programme notes" (PDF). www.shakespearesglobe.com. 2015.
  39. ^ Loveridge, CurtainUp, Lizzie. "Life After George, a CurtainUp London review". www.curtainup.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ "Sonia Friedman Productions". www.soniafriedman.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  41. ^ "Theatre Reviews - UK, London, West End, Broadway, Fringe - The Stage". The Stage.
  42. ^ "Review of When the Rain Stops Falling at the Almeida Theatre 2009". London Theatre. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  43. ^ "Giant". Royal Court. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  44. ^ "Harbour". Reel King Media. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  45. ^ "NY Times".
  46. ^ "Doctors spoilers: There's BIG trouble for Karen Hollins..." What's on TV. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  47. ^ * Richard Hope at IMDb
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