Richard Griffiths is best known for his role as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter series, but one of his most iconic and memorable performances actually came much earlier in his career. The veteran actor offered a wide array of characters, from the grumpy Uncle Vernon in Harry Potter to the cerebral Hector in The History Boys.

Harry Potter actor Richard Griffiths | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

However, despite his illustrious career and diverse roles, there was one character that continued to haunt him long after the credits rolled: Uncle Monty, the lascivious and flamboyant homosexual character from the cult classic Withnal & I. Griffiths shared that though he played characters of varied sexual orientations throughout his career, this particular role shaped people’s assumptions about him, especially regarding his sexuality.

Richard Griffiths discussed how Uncle Monty contributed to the misunderstanding of his identity

Released in 1987, Withnail & I became a defining movie for Richard Griffiths,...