He is best known for his portrayal of Charles Gunn on The WB television series Angel and Mike Peterson / Deathlok on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This resulted in him getting a guest star role on The Cosby Show as Vanessa's boyfriend Roy in the season 5 episode "Out of Brooklyn".

He starred in the television movies Critical Assembly and Mutiny, and appeared as singer Richard Street in the NBC miniseries The Temptations.

Richards gained a recurring role beginning in the first season of Angel as Charles Gunn, a street-wise vampire hunter.

In 2006, Richards joined the cast of NBC's Law & Order spin-off Conviction as Billy Desmond, an undefeated New York City Assistant District Attorney with political aspirations.