Henri Szeps obit

Australian actor Henri Szeps, star of sitcom Mother and Son, dies aged 81

The prolific star revealed in 2021 he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. 

He was not on the list.

Legendary award-winning Australian actor Henri Szeps has died, aged 81.

Szeps is best known for his turn as dentist Robert Beare in the ABC sitcom Mother and Son, a role he played from 1984 to 1994.

His TV credits also include Number 96, A Country Practice, All Saints, Stingers, and mini-series Vietnam opposite Nicole Kidman, as well as dozens of feature film and stage appearances.

He collected countless acting prizes and received an Order of Australia Medal in 2001.

Szeps has lived in a residential care facility for the past two years, after revealing he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

“His decline from Alzheimer’s was largely peaceful, and Henri retained his sense of wonder and joie de vivre until the end,” his family said in a statement.

He is survived by wife Mary, two sons and four grandchildren.

Szeps studied acting at the Ensemble Theatre during weekends, under the direction of Hayes Gordon (who instilled in him the method acting techniques of Stanislavski) for four years, while gaining science and electrical engineering degrees at Sydney University. In 1963, while undergoing his studies, he appeared every night at the Ensemble Theatre, in a play called The Physicists, which ran for six months. He also performed in George Bernard Shaw's The Apple Cart, and Woody Allen's Don't Drink The Water.

His early screen credits include police procedural drama series Homicide, children's series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and adventure series Riptide as well as the film You Can't See 'Round Corners. In 1968, he starred in a successful stage production of Mart Crowley's The Boys in the Band, where, during the Sydney season, he met his wife-to-be, NIDA graduate and actress Mary Ann Severne, who had come to watch fellow NIDA friends performing in the play.

Filmography

Film

Year     Title     Role     Type

1969    You Can't See 'round Corners Peter    Feature film

1976    God Knows Why, But It Works          Dr. Archie Kalokerinos           Film

1980    Fatty Finn        Mr. Zilch         Feature film

1981    Run Rebecca, Run      Manuel Cortes Feature film

1982    The Best of Friends     Lilo      Feature film

1982    The Mystery at Castle House Mr. Wilberforce           Feature film

1983    The Return of Captain Invincible       Chief Security Officer Feature film

1983    Now and Forever        Barry York      Feature film

1983    Platypus Cove Winston Bell   Feature film

1985    Warming Up   Sergeant Peter Sullivan           Feature film

1987    Les Patterson Saves the World            Dr. Charles Herpes / Desiree Herpes  Feature film

1987    Travelling North         Saul     Feature film

1987    The Edge of Power     Steve Traynor  Feature film

1992    Seeing Red      Louie Leeds    Feature film

2001    Elixir   Bob Sommerville        Feature film

2009    No Junk Mail              Short film

2010    The Bris          Dobinski          Short film

2012    Bathing Franky           Rodney            Feature film

2013    McLean's Money        Edward McLean        

Television

Year     Title     Role     Type

1967; 1969      Homicide         Peter Scott / Alan Shaw / David Yates            3 episodes

1969    Skippy the Bush Kangaroo     Bob     1 episode

1969    Riptide Des Dawkins   1 episode

1969–1975      Division 4       Jeff Taylor / Brian Martin / Jimmy Dunn       3 episodes

1971    Misleading Cases        Pierre   1 episode

1971    Spyforce          Dingo  1 episode

1971    The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes          Laval   1 episode

1972    Spyder's Web  Policeman        1 episode

1972    Spy Trap          The Frenchman           1 episode

1972    The Strauss Family     Edi's Dresser   Miniseries, 1 episode

1973; 1974      Colditz De Crossait / Captain Henry LeVevre 2 episodes

1974    Barlow Corsican          1 episode

1974    Crown Court   Dr. Herman Abel         2 episodes

1974    Armchair Cinema                    Episode 6: "Tully"

1975    Dixon of Dock Green Onion Man      1 episode

1976    Number 96      Phillip Chambers        21 episodes

1976    Do I Have to Kill My Child?  Doctor TV movie

1977    The Dick Emery Show in Australia    Various characters      

1977    Say You Want Me       Jim Morton      TV movie

1978    Chopper Squad           Falconio          1 episode

1978–1981      Cop Shop        Steven Halliday / Vincent Morelli      5 episodes

1979    The Plumber    David Medavoy          TV movie

1979    Ride on Stranger         Vincent Sladder           4 episodes

1980    A Toast to Melba         Thomas Beecham / Buffalo Bill / Mayor of Brisbane            TV movie

1980; 1984      Kingswood Country    Mr O'Grady / Eric the Postman          2 episodes

1981    A Step in the Right Direction              TV movie

1981    Daily at Dawn Joe Parker        TV series

1982    Wilde's Domain          Shenko            TV movie

1982    Home Sweet Home     Franco 1 episode

1982    MPSIB Tran Van         

1982–1983      A Country Practice      Perc Hobbs / Ralph Bianchi    6 episodes

1983    Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear        Voice   Animated TV movie

1983    Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet         Voice   Animated TV movie

1984    A Tale of Two Cities   Voice   Animated TV movie

1984    City West         Dr. Mikus Kuskis        7 episodes

1984    Carson's Law  Wally Martin   2 episodes

1984–1994      Mother and Son          Robert Beare   38 episodes

1985    Pickwick Papers          Voice   Animated TV movie

1985    Palace of Dreams        Mick Mendel   Miniseries, 10 episodes

1987    Vietnam           Harold Holt     Miniseries, 3 episodes

1988    Rafferty's Rules           Uncle Aniello  2 episodes

1989    Hannay            Police Inspector           1 episode

1990    Mission: Impossible    Esteban Magdalena     1 episode

1991    Hampton Court           Mr. Verstak      1 episode

1991; 1995      G.P.     Charlie Cassidy / Ibram Hanaf           2 episodes

1992    The Adventures of Skippy      Frank   1 episode

1996    Snowy River: The McGregor Saga    Jacob Verkovic            1 episode

1999; 2009      All Saints         George Bresnic / Victor McGregor     3 episodes

2000    Stingers           Norman Sagar 1 episode

2001    Flat Chat         Cardinal Del Gardia    1 episode

2001    South Pacific   Benoit  TV movie

2001    Escape of the Artful Dodger   Dr. Hartman    3 episodes

2015    Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door  Dee Anthony   Miniseries, 2 episodes