Brian Murphy obit

Sitcom actor Brian Murphy dies aged 92

 He was not on the list.

Brian Murphy, the actor and comedian best known for his role in the 1970s British sitcoms Man About the House and George and Mildred, has died aged 92.

Murphy, who passed away at his home in Kent on Sunday morning, worked closely with theatre director Joan Littlewood throughout his early career.

More recently, he appeared in episodes of BBC medical drama Holby City, sketch programme The Catherine Tate Show and ITV sitcom Benidorm, as well as comedy show Last of the Summer Wine.

Paying tribute to his "talent and humanity", Murphy's friend and agent Thomas Bowington described him as a "joyful and profoundly good-hearted man".

Born on the Isle of Wight in 1932, Murphy's acting career began in the 1950s when he became a member of the pioneering Theatre Workshop.

Founded by Joan Littlewood and her partner Gerry Raffles, it was dedicated to modernising theatre and reaching working-class audiences.

Murphy performed in many Shakespeare productions directed by Littlewood, and acted in her only feature film, the kitchen sink comedy Sparrows Can't Sing.

He was best known for his role in Man About the House, an ITV sitcom exploring the dynamics of one man and two women flat-sharing in the 1970s.

He went on to star in the spin-off George and Mildred, in which Murphy played a henpecked George Roper opposite fellow Theatre Workshop actress Yootha Joyce as his wife.

He is survived by his wife, Hi-de-Hi! actress Linda Regan, and his two sons.

Ms Regan said: "I was lucky to have in my lifetime found my soulmate, Brian, who I will love forever."

Filmography

Film

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1963    Sparrows Can't Sing    Jack    

1964    Love and Maud Carver           Guardsman     

1965    San Ferry Ann  British Tourist at Garage        

1969    The Activist     Member of Steering Committee       

1971    The Devils       Adam  

The Boy Friend            Peter  

1972    The Ragman's Daughter         Tony's Father  

1974    Man About the House George Roper 

1976    I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight           Caretaker       

1979    The Plank        Truck Driver   

1980    George and Mildred    George Roper 

1981    Black Jack        Archibald        

1982    It's Your Move Chauffeur       

1997    Day Release                

2000    The Mumbo Jumbo     Mr. Tipple       

2003    The Booze Cruise        Maurice Stringer        

2005    Room 36          George Roberts          

2005    The Booze Cruise II: The Treasure Hunt          Maurice Stringer        

2006    The Booze Cruise III: The Scattering  

2011    Grave Tales      Arthur 

The Estate       Geoff  

2012    Blitz and Bananas        Clarence Spratt           

Run For Your Wife       Allotment Man            Cameo

Television

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1960    Probation Officer        Max Fletcher   Episode: "#2.1"

1961    The Avengers   Haslam            Episode: "The Springers"

The Interrogator          Corporal Doggart        TV film

1962    Z-Cars  Wallace Brackett         2 episodes

1963    ITV Television Playhouse         Man with Alsatian       Episode: "The Wedding Dress"

The Plane Makers       Sorbo   Episode: "Costigan's Rocket"

1964    Six        Mr. Gowing      Episode: "The Diary of a Nobody: The Domestic Jottings of a City Clerk"

1965    Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life        Various            24 episodes

A World of Comedy     Motorist          2 episodes

Blackmail        Talbut  Episode: "Cobb"

1966    Hope and Keen                        Episode: "S.S. Bounty"

Drama 61-67   Nick     Episode: "Drama '66: A Hero of Modern Industry"

Blackmail        Fletcher           Episode: "Vacant Possession"

1967    The White Rabbit        Perkins Episode: "The Beginning"

Baker's Half-Dozen      Various            5 episodes

1968    Love Story       Party guest      Episode: "S for Sugar, A for Apple, M for Missing"

Resurrection    Kriltsov            2 episodes

1969    Sez Les Various            12 episodes

1970    The Misfit        The drunk        Episode: "On Protest"

ITV Playhouse  Driver  Episode: "A Sound from the Sea"

1972    The Moonstone           Septimus Luker           3 episodes

Callan  Reeves Episode: "None of Your Business"

Alcock and Gander      Pluthero           Episode: "Soho Is Too Small"

Dixon of Dock Green   Percy Sinclair  Episode: "Ada"

1973    The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club        Detective         Episode: "Mr. Oliver"

1973–1976      Man About the House George Roper  All 39 episodes

1974    South Riding   Mr Hubbard     Episode: "In Sickness and in Health"

1976–1979      George and Mildred    George Roper  All 38 episodes

1981    The Incredible Mr Tanner       Ernest Tanner  All 6 episodes

Theatre Box     Hubert Dibble Episode: "Reasons to Be Cheerful"

1982    L for Lester      Lester Small    All 6 episodes

1984–1985      Lame Ducks     Ansell  11 episodes

1985    On Your Way, Riley      Arthur Lucan / Old Mother Riley        TV film

1986    Reasons to Be Cheerful          King     Episode: "Charlie Chuckles"

Cinderella: The Shoe Must Go On      Amnesia          TV film

1987    All in Good Faith         Greg Sproat     Episode: "The Patience of Job"

1992    Boon    Buster  Episode: "Shot in the Dark"

1993–1997      Wizadora         Stan     Recurring series 1-4, Main series 5-7

1994    One Foot in the Grave Mr. Foskett      Episode: "The Man Who Blew Away"

1995    Brookside        George Manners         5 episodes

Next of Kin      Salesman         Episode: "Expansion"

Paul Merton's Life of Comedy Grandad's friend         2 episodes

1996    Delta Wave      Mr. Seffel         Episode: "Dodgy Jammers: Part 2"

Mike and Angelo         Mervyn K. Mertz         Episode: "An Actor's Life for Me"

1996–2000      Pond Life         Len Pond         11 episodes

1997    The Famous Five         Mr. Wooh        Episode: "Five Are Together Again"

Western Lights: Laugh Until You Die   Ricky Chapple  TV film

Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's...         Father  Episode: "Visiting Day"

Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's...         Uncle Arthur   Episode: "Being of Sound Mind"

1998    Jonathan Creek           Ken Speed       Episode: "Mother Redcap"

1999    Mrs Merton and Malcolm      Mr Capstick     All 6 episodes

Hilltop Hospital           Dr. Atticus        Voice; Episode: "Gracey Greyshell's Last Day"

Casualty          Walter Burnley            Episode: "To Have and to Hold"

The Bill Danny the Elf  Episode: "When the Snow Lay Round About"

2000    Sunburn           Sid Dawson      Episode: #2.2

2001    Comedy Lab                Voice; Episode: "Knife & Wife"

2003–2010      Last of the Summer Wine       Alvin Smedley 73 episodes

2004    Monkey Trousers         Various            TV film

2005–2006      The Catherine Tate Show        Neville 5 episodes

2010    The Slammer  Alan     Episode: #1.12

Hustle  Larry    Episode: "The Thieving Mistake"

Paul O'Grady Live        Alvin    Episode: #1.6

Benidorm        Clive Mitchell  Episode: "Christmas Special"

2011    White Van Man           Albert  Episode: "Beginnings and Ends"

This Is Jinsy      Melty Harris    Episode: "Kelpman"

2011–2013      The Cafe          Jack Dobson     9 episodes

2013    Plebs    Victor  Episode: "Bananae"

Man Down       Mr Frank Field-Williams         Episode: "Christmas Special"

2014    It's an Unknown World           George Timemile        Unknown episodes

Holby City        Charlie Evans   Episode: "The Art of Losing"

2016    Casualty          Frank Haines   Episode: "Hopelessly Addicted"

2018    Claude Mr. Lovelybuns            Voice; Episode: "Gone Sock"

2019    Holby City        Buster Kitchener         Episode: "The Wrong Horse"

2020–2021      Mighty 6          Old Man L.      Voice; 2 episodes

2022    30 Years Of Laughs: Last Of The Summer Wine          Himself            Documentary

Theatre and radio

Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Christopher Bond), Theatre Royal Stratford East, Title role (Sweeney Todd), 1973

On Your Way, Riley (Alan Plater), The Queen's Theatre, Arthur Lucan (Old Mother Riley), February–March 1983

When We Are Married (J.B. Priestley), Whitehall Theatre, Herbert Soppitt, 1986

Roll on Friday (Roger Hall), Watford Palace Theatre, Jim, October 1989

From October 1987 to July 1991, Murphy played Ernest Bond in BBC Radio 4's drama series Citizens.

Murphy also played Robert Collins in an episode of the audio series of Doctor Who by Big Finish Productions in an episode entitled "The Home Guard" in November 2019

Murphy appeared for three episodes - along with his wife, Linda Regan - playing the role of Mayor, Lord Palmer, in podcast sitcom Barmy Dale