Richard E. Grant is a British-Swazi screenwriter, film director and voice actor.

Richard E. Grant was a member of the Space Theatre Company in Cape Town before he moved to London in 1982. The first film he appeared in, Withnail and I, has found a cult following in the years since its release.

He began appearing in Hollywood films, establishing himself as a powerful character actor. Grant appeared in several films such as Henry & June, L.A. Story, The Player, The Age of Innocence, The Portrait of a Lady, Spice World, Gosford Park, Bright Young Things, and Penelope.

Grant has twice portrayed role of the Doctor from Doctor Who. He also voiced a version of the Ninth Doctor for the BBC original animated webcast Scream of the Shalka.

Grant wrote and directed the 2005 film Wah-Wah, which was based on his own childhood experiences, and starred Nicholas Hoult, Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson, Julie Walters and Emily Watson.

In 2006, Grant became a real life investigator, and with the help of BBC Newsnight, exposed a $98 million scam to sell a bogus AIDS cure.

In July 2007, Grant appeared as "The Voice" in 2+2+2 at American Nights at The King's Head Theatre. He also co-starred in the London-based comedy Filth and Wisdom, the directorial debut of pop singer Madonna.

In 2008, he made his musical theatre debut with Opera Australia, playing the role of Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, at the Theatre Royal, Sydney.

Aside from being an established actor, screenwriter and director, he is also an author. He has written an autobiography, and a novel called By Design.

Richard Esterhuysen was born on May 7, 1957 in Mbabane, Swaziland. He adopted his stage name when he moved to Britain as an adult. Grant attended secondary school at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa. He studied English and drama at the University of Cape Town, and married voice coach Joan Washington in 1986. He and has one daughter and a stepson.