Rich Hardbeck

Rich Hardbeck
Skins character
Alexander Arnold as Rich Hardbeck
First appearance	"Franky" (episode 5.01)
Last appearance	"Finale" (episode 6.10)
Created by	Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain
Portrayed by	Alexander Arnold
Seasons	5-6
Centric episode(s)	"Rich" (episode 5.02) "Rich" (episode 6.02)
Information
Nickname(s)	Rich
Occupation	Student
Family	Kevin Hardbeck (father) Anita Hardbeck (mother)
Significant other(s)	Grace Blood (girlfriend/deceased)

Richard "Rich" Hardbeck is a fictional character from the third generation of the British teen drama Skins. He is portrayed by Alexander Arnold.

Rich, a proud metalhead, is considered to be an outcast in the society in which he lives. He is very cynical, and particularly dislikes people he deems to be trying to "fit in," such as Mini, and he prefers to hang out with other "outcasts," such as Alo and Franky. However, his musical elitism, unusual dress sense and apparent pride is actually a mask to hide his own shyness around girls, among other things. It is only when he is confronted with a girl he likes that this insecurity comes out. As the series progresses, Rich begins to come out of his shell and more open to things he had previously expressed contempt for. This is particularly apparent in his dating Grace, a girl he deems to "represent everything he despises in the world."

Though Rich lives the life of an outcast, this is in sharp contrast to the normal middle-class family he comes from – his father, a low-ranking civil servant, somewhat dismayed by his son's lifestyle, makes many efforts to connect with him. His mother is seen to be fussy and over-protective.

In Franky, Rich and Alo witness Franky's spectacle of an entrance to the school, and immediately see her as a fellow outcast. However, their efforts to get to know her are hindered by the arrival of Queen Bee Mini, to whom Rich has taken an instant dislike, mostly because of her treatment of fellow outcasts. Later, they attempt to get into a party Mini has arranged, but the club bouncer ensures they don't get in - defeating both Rich and Alo at the same time. After being persuaded by Grace, though, Rich and Alo kidnap Franky and take her to a nearby swimming pool, where they bond as a gang of their own.

In Rich, Rich's taste in Metal music is causing a strain in his friendship with Alo, because he insists on putting it on at a party, resulting in them getting thrown out. Alo, fed up that Rich keeps hindering his chances of getting a girlfriend, persuades him to find a girlfriend - though Rich does not like this idea, as he has a particularly specific image of a girl he would like to date, and believes that most of the girls he knows are too shallow for his liking. Luck appears to favour him when he chances upon a fellow metalhead working in the library, but he turns out to be too shy to talk to her. At the suggestion of Franky, Rich turns to Grace as a means of understanding how to interact with girls. Though it does not start well, with Rich causing Grace to pass out from hearing some of his favourite music, Grace, a very good actress, is soon able to switch from her sweet, optimistic nature into the persona of a cynical metalhead just like Rich. He is impressed, but observes that she allows people to walk all over her, especially her friends, to her outrage.