Richard van Weyden was born in Heiligenwald/Saar, Germany in 1966, as a result of his father's profession as a collier and specialist in welding technology. His early childhood was marked by frequent relocations, as his family moved to various cities in Germany, including Nancy, Hamburg, Berlin, and Frankfurt am Main, as well as international destinations such as Hong Kong and Cape Town, prior to his school enrollment in Frankfurt.
Following his school years, van Weyden took a break from education to pursue various endeavors. He spent several months working as a shoeshine boy in a shoe store, while also devoting a significant amount of time to watching movies in the cinema. Back in Germany, he joined several independent actor ensembles, touring the Republic of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and honing his skills as a prop master, light-tone technician, and scene painter.
In the late 1980s, van Weyden spent some time in Paris, where he lived in an artist commune and was discovered by renowned director Michael Cacoyannis, who had previously worked on the film "Alexis Sorbas." Cacoyannis was impressed by van Weyden's talent and gave him a part in his opera production of "Iphigenia," an experience that solidified van Weyden's decision to pursue a career in acting.
Since then, van Weyden has worked extensively in the film, television, and theater industries, both in Germany and internationally. He has also lent his voice to various characters in computer games, commercials, and animated films, including Conan, Sherlock Holmes, and characters from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
In his free time, van Weyden enjoys writing short stories, designing and building unusable furniture, and working as a sculptor and painter. He is also committed to improving his language skills, and is proficient in English, French, and Italian.