Waugh, best known for playing Cheryl Brady on the Channel 4 soap, has been cast as the wife of a serial killer in upcoming BBC thriller The Fall.
© Channel 4
© Lime Pictures
Richardson, who plays Chester's Ste Hay, has now told Digital Spy that he is thrilled over the success of his colleague and best friend.
He commented: "This is something I'm really excited about, because I think Bronagh Waugh is an amazing actress and she doesn't get the credit she deserves. She's never really nominated for 'Best Actress' or anything like that, because Cheryl is a very comedic character.
"So when I heard about the news that she was auditioning for this, in my head I was thinking, 'Wow - it's a really big part and I hope she gets it'. And then when she told me that she'd got the role, it was just amazing."
Details of Waugh's new part were officially announced yesterday. The 29-year-old is currently filming the programme in Belfast, juggling the five-part series with her Hollyoaks commitments.
Richardson added: "She's told me the plotline and I think the stuff that she's going to do is going to shock a lot of people! I think it will put Bronagh on the map, really."
The Fall, which also stars former X-Files actress Gillian Anderson, will air on BBC Two in September.
