| Keith William Richards | |
| Birth Name: | Keith William Richards |
| Birth Date: | 11 April 1963 |
| Birth Place: | New Jersey, U.S |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 2019—present |
Keith William Richards (born April 11, 1963) is an American actor, best known for playing Phil in the acclaimed film, Uncut Gems.
Keith Williams Richards was born in New Jersey. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Richards spent his early childhood in Stuyvesant Town until the age of 10. His family then relocated to South Brooklyn, where he grew up.[1] During the September 11 attacks, Richards was in Manhattan, where he and his colleagues hurried to help the victims.
Richards began his career as a longshoreman, working on the Red Hook Piers for American Stevedore. After several years, he transitioned into the Carpenters Union, a family tradition.
His appearance into acting came about in unexpected manner.[2] One day, while walking toward the L train Street in New York City, he was approached by Michele Mansoor, an associate of casting director Jennifer Venditti. She inquired about his acting experience, and Richards, having been previously approached but never pursued acting, replied that he had none. Despite his initial reluctance, Michele persuaded him to attend an audition. This chance encounter eventually led to his debut role in the film Uncut Gems in 2019[3] [4] and the film was nominated for multiple awards and won 7 of them. Following his debut, he started appearing in a variety of films[5] [6] [7] In 2024, Richards played his first lead role, in the sports-film, Eephus.
In a interview with Uproxx, Richards revealed that he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Richards explained in the same interview that his cancer came from being exposed to Ground Zero toxic dust. He has since been able to seek medical treatment through benefits of the World Trade Center Health Program.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Uncut Gems | Phil | Film debut | |
| 2020 | Three Deaths | Man | Shortfilm | |
| 2021 | The little prince of New York | Heraclese | Shortfilm | |
| 2023 | Night Cafe | Manager Jack | Shortfilm | |
| Run | Unknown | Shortfilm | ||
| 2024 | Ponyboi | Two-Tone | ||
| Trapped | Mr. Montanari | Shortfilm | ||
| Eephus | Ed Mortanian | |||
| The Immigrant | Brian | Shortfilm | ||
| TBA | Dirty Finger Nails | TBA | Pre-production | |
| TBA | Lemonade Blessing | Mitch | Post-production | |
| TBA | Special Dad | Mike | Shortfilm | |
| TBA | Ave U | Tony Bleach | Pre-production | |
| TBA | The Blackdamp | Walter Bishop | Shortfilm |
| Year | Title | Artist | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | "Plant Life" | Parquet Courts | Mr. Blue | ||
| 2023 | "Monaco" | Bad Bunny | Unknown | Uncredited |