Richard O'Brien (born Richard Timothy Smith, 25 March 1942 in Cheltenham, England) is a British-New Zealand actor, writer and singer who created The Rocky Horror Show in 1973 - a musical that has never left the stage since its premiere. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which he also played Riff Raff, and later became a household name in the UK as the sardonic host of Channel 4's game show The Crystal Maze (1990-1993).
The Rocky Horror Show documentary Strange Journey returned to US cinemas in spring 2026, coinciding with the Broadway revival of O'Brien's musical at Studio 54.
A Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show, produced by Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54, opened in the 2025-2026 season.
The documentary Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, directed by O'Brien's son Linus, received a wider theatrical release after premiering at SXSW in March 2025.
O'Brien received a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand in recognition of his contribution to the entertainment industry.
O'Brien reprised his voice role as Lawrence Fletcher in the 2025 reboot of the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb.
