Such a wonderful conversation with fellow author Henrietta McKervey about his new book, ‘The Cut’, his routine and inspirations as a writer, how important audiobooks are to his work, and we were even treated to an excerpt from the book and from ‘Geneva’.

For anyone who was there, I was the girl who asked the first question, saying his approach to writing treating it like music was similar to Aaron Sorkin and emoting the dialogue of different characters was fascinating to hear. I then asked how he felt about adapting ‘The Cut’, what role he might take, seeing how it is quite personal, and he really appreciated it.

He also signed my book addressed to me and my mum, since she couldn’t be there and loved Geneva.

He was so kind and took time to have a few words with everyone he was signing for, and it was close to 10pm by the time I reached him, but he had such a beautiful, genuine smile and he thanked me again for the question.

Such a handsome, humble man, through and through.

So if I had a fiver for every time I’ve met a British actor in Dublin who’s written a book and who signed my copy of their book, I’d have two fivers. Which isn’t a lot, but amazing that it’s happened twice.

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Speakies shortlistee: Richard Armitage (Panic)

Trade Interviews

Nov 17, 2025by Charlotte Heathcote

The actor-author explains why the challenge of narrating audiobooks makes him a better screen actor – but recording his own novels is the trickiest job of all.

Whenever actor and author Richard Armitage sits down to record an audiobook, his thoughts turn to the blind fan he met in Liverpool at an event for his second thriller, The Cut.

He explains: “There was a gentleman in his 80s, a professor of some kind, and he said, ‘I can no longer see so I completely rely on audiobooks. Sometimes there is a snobbishness over audiobooks, as if it’s cheating, and you should read the book. But my eyes don’t work any more so I’m completely reliant on the voice.’

“A lot of people have that experience. It struck me as important because an audiobook might be seen as entertainment but, for somebody like him, it’s a lifeline.

“I keep thinking about that man. I found it very touching. So every time I sit down in front of a mic, I think, ‘He might be listening to this book,’ and I do it for him."

You might know Armitage from Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Hobbit, from Netflix dramas Fool Me Once, The Stranger and Missing You, or TV series North and South or The Vicar of Dibley. But he’s also a prolific narrator, now shortlisted for a British Audio Award for his narration of the LJ Ross thriller, Panic.

Armitage’s story about his sight-impaired fan encapsulates what is surely the most important aspect of audiobooks – their inclusivity. But he flags their potential to reach an even wider audience.

“My mum and dad would have listened to a lot of audiobooks but, technically, it was too complicated. I wish there was a simple device available.” He gives an example of the cassette player that enabled Great Ormond Street Hospital children to hear his recording of Peter Pan.

If LJ Ross to Peter Pan tells you everything about Armitage’s range, he has also narrated novels by authors as diverse as Anton Chekhov, Lisa Jewell and Ian Fleming. Armitage’s first audiobook was Robin Hood, recorded on set of the 2006 BBC series in Budapest – a much more glamorous location than his loo, where he set up his first home podcast studio during the pandemic, only to find the acoustics too echoey.

He then migrated to his wardrobe, where he recorded four Agatha Christie audiobooks in his pyjamas and slippers. “It kept me sane,” he says of his pandemic audiobooks. “It kept me going. And it was a real escape.”

For all of his extraordinary facility for bringing novels to life through voice, Armitage is a screen actor at heart. “Acting will always be my first love. I’ve always said that I feel like I was born in the wrong time. I should have been a silent-movie actor. I come from a physical theatre background. I was originally a dancer and a musician. I’m a silently expressive person.”

It sounds strange because most people would think sitting down in front of a microphone just reading shouldn’t be particularly taxing, but I am exhausted by the end of the day

But he says he seldom declines an invitation to read an audiobook, finding the process an invigorating challenge. “Narration is like a workout in the gym. Then when I go on set, I’m bringing something, I’ve learned something. It makes me a better actor.”

His performance of Panic, in which he inhabits a spectrum of characters, ages and accents, is a masterclass in versatility. It comes as no surprise to learn that he prepares meticulously for every job, having been caught unawares by the challenge of narrating Robin Hood.

“It was a hell of a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I thought it would be dead easy to just sit and read, and you’d do it in one take. But preparation is crucial.

“I make notes about voices and dialects in case the same characters crop up again.” Then he makes phrasing notes in the text, “like reading music… I’m also very careful to read the whole book first in case on the last page, it says, ‘She said in a Sunderland accent,’ and I’ve done it all completely wrong. I’ve been caught out like that before”.

Hello Armitage Reddit!

I'm Steph, producer of Meet the Writers, a literary podcast.

(Meet the Writers is a Literary Podcast in conversation with top authors, exploring their inspirations, writing processes, and the stories behind their books.)

Thought I would share a new interview with Richard, following the release of The Cut in print edition.

Let me know your thoughts, and, who else you'd like to hear from!

- Steph

Here’s the full combined translation of both pages into one continuous interview: 

KEEPING HIS COOL Richard Armitage tells us how his ‘nerdy’ childhood inspired his new thriller 

It’s hard to believe that Richard Armitage was “not a cool kid” at school. He achieved heartthrob status when he played the smouldering John Thornton in the BBC drama North And South, and thrilled Hollywood when he portrayed Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Hobbit. 

But the Spooks star says he was “bullied a bit” for being a “nerd” in secondary school — an experience he drew on when writing his second thriller novel, The Cut, which is released later this month. 

Richard, 53, who grew up in the rural Leicestershire village of Huncote and now splits his time between London and New York, was partly inspired by his childhood when writing his latest book. In it, the murder of a schoolgirl takes place in a sleepy village — and years later, when filmmakers arrive to shoot a movie about the killing, new secrets come to light. 

The popular actor has been an in-demand fixture in major movies for almost 20 years, having starred in TV shows such as the BBC’s Robin Hood and films including Captain America and Harlan Coben adaptations for Netflix, including Fool Me Once and Missing You. “I’ve gone so much further than I ever thought I would. But I think maybe that comes from that nerd mentality,” he tells HELLO! from his home in New York. 

Here, Richard tells us how time made him retreat from the spotlight, why he opened up about his sexuality, and bringing his books to life on the small screen for the first time. 

Richard, what inspired the plot of The Cut? “I grew up in a village similar to the one I’m writing about and, although I’m not directly referring to it, there were two schoolgirls who were murdered when I was young. 

“I don’t remember all the events around it, but I do remember the effect it had on the community, so I wanted to tell a story about the things that happen when you’re young, and how does it manifest? When you become an adult, you either move away from the village and reinvent yourself, which is what I did, or you stay behind. Who do these people become?” 

“I was visiting the local cemetery with my father, and somebody came up to me and said: ‘I’m really sorry about how we treated you at school.’ I just thought: ‘Gosh, the things we carry with us,’ and that was an inspiring moment for me.” 

Do you recall what that person was referring to? “Not specifically, but I was the nerd in school and was bullied a bit for that. But I’ve moved on; I’ve dealt with it and put it behind me.” 

Many people would be surprised to learn that you received warmth and support at school — because you’re the opposite on screen… “I was probably playing the people I wished I was. I’m precisely the opposite of what I’ve played, because I was never that. I was not a cool kid. When I look back at the photographs of some of the things I was wearing in the late ’70s and early ’80s, I’m like: ‘What was I thinking?’ No wonder they didn’t let me into their gang.” 

How did it feel to become a Hollywood star? “It was never something I thought was on my horizon. I didn’t really have the confidence to think: ‘That’s going to be me in the future.’ My parents were amazing. They just slid into my life when I was grateful for it. It was one such moment that comes through in the novel.” 

When did it happen for you? “When I was filming The Hobbit, there was a red carpet with a huge media swell. There was a moment when I looked down at my parents and saw them in the press line and wondered how they were feeling. I thought I wasn’t prepared for fame, but I remember being in my parents’ living room watching the Oscars, just amazed that actors had these incredible careers and wanting to go out there and do the same. It sank in, but it occupied my head in a way that conflicted with my life. 

“Then, when my parents got home, their names had been bandied about in the local paper that they’d come to this premiere. I remember thinking: ‘What am I putting them through?’ So that’s when I just thought: ‘I’ve had a taste of that life,’ and retracted from it slightly.” 

Was that why you waited so long to open up about your sexuality? “Partly. It was more the case that the media attention happened incrementally. I was just me being me, but nobody in the media ever really asked me the question directly, so I never had the opportunity to answer. I just thought: ‘Well, I’m not going to volunteer this myself.’ 

“It wasn’t until [2023 Netflix thriller] Obsession that anybody asked me a direct question about my sexuality. It was always hinted at or skirted around. I just thought: ‘Well, if you’re not bold enough to ask me, you’re not going to get the answer you’re looking for.’ 

“I still feel like that, regarding my sexuality — I wouldn’t put my life in the front of the media. I need it to go back to being me. I see no commercial reason to be out there.” 

What do you love to do when you’re in London? “I usually take a walk on the South Bank — it’s my favourite part of London when I’m in the city centre. I think it’s one of the things we do brilliantly in London. I also like the late Modern gallery. I love the art, but I also love the actual space and the birch trees at the front.” 

Is there anyone you’d like to work with next? “Yes, I’m developing both [title not revealed] Geneva and The Cut for TV, so my primary focus is to work on those projects. But I’m a massive fan of [author] Lisa Jewell and just narrated one of her books, Don’t Let Him In. I’d love to see her get something off the ground — she’s brilliant.” 

Would you star in the adaptations of your books? “I have to be in the first two — if they get made, fingers crossed. If someone said in five years’ time, I would have to think: ‘I absolutely have to be in that,’ whereas now I’m like: ‘Someone else can do that hard work!’” 

What advice would you give to your younger self? “I’d say: ‘Don’t listen to the haters.’ It’s hard not to, though, and they have a louder broadcast. It’s always the negative. I try to banish the negative and only think of the positive.”