Richie Wilcox

Richie Wilcox (born 1980) is a Canadian singer, actor and theatre director, who was also a contestant on the first season of reality television show Canadian Idol.
Born in New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Wilcox's first national performance came on a Rita MacNeil Christmas television special when he was nine years old. He subsequently studied drama at University College of Cape Breton (now Cape Breton University) and Dalhousie University, graduating with honours from the Theatre Studies program at University of King's College. Before Idol, he was assistant manager of a deli.
In 2003, on the first season of Canadian Idol, Richie Wilcox finished in a three-way tie for eighth place. He was eliminated after the first week of Top 11 performances, although fellow Halifax singer Gary Beals went on to finish in second place.
After Idol, from 2003 to 2005, Wilcox wrote a weekly column about reality shows for The Daily News.
Wilcox has performed in and directed numerous theatre productions in Halifax. He is the co-founder of the independent theatre company, Angels & Heroes. After four increasingly successful seasons with the indie troupe and two summers acting and directing in a company called Festival Antigonish, Wilcox went on to complete a Masters in Theatre Direction at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas before returning to Halifax in 2007. He won a Merritt Award for Emerging Theatre Artist in 2007. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in theatre at York University in Toronto, where he also teaches Second Year Devised theatre.
Wilcox is openly gay.