Richard Briers

Jan 14, 1934 - Feb 17, 2013 (79 years old) in Raynes Park, Surrey, England, UK

Richard David Briers, CBE was an English actor. His fifty-year career encompassed television, stage, film and radio.

Briers first came to prominence as George Starling in Marriage Lines (1961–66), but it was a decade later, when he narrated Roobarb and Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk (1974–76) and when he played Tom Good in the BBC sitcom The Good Life (1975–78), that he became a household name. Later, he starred as Martin in Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–89), and he had a leading role as Hector in Monarch of the Glen (2000–05). From the late 1980s, with Kenneth Branagh as director, he performed Shakespearean roles in Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Hamlet (1996), and As You Like It (2006).

Known For

Midsomer Murders

Stephen Wentworth

Doctor Who

Chief Caretaker

Play for Today

Mr. Smythe

Natural World

Minder

Col. Caplan

Tales of the Unexpected

Albert Dobson

Tony Awards

Self - Nominee

Dixon of Dock Green

Ken Tracey

Agatha Christie's Marple

Wilson

New Tricks

James Farlow

Credits

Bird Bath Future

Narrator

★ 6
Little Red Tractor Stories Future

Narrator (voice)

★ NR
The Good Life: Secret & Scandals 2022

(archive footage)

★ 7
Roobarb and Custard: The Complete Collection 2017

Narrator, Roobarb, Custard / lot of characters. (uncredited)

★ NR
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves 2016

Acting Role (archive footage) (uncredited)

★ 5.7
Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time 2013

Mouse (voice)

★ 6
Cockneys vs Zombies 2012

Hamish

★ 5.7
Run For Your Wife 2012

Newspaper Seller

★ 4.2
Horror on the High Rise 2011

★ NR
All About The Good Life 2010

★ NR
National Theatre Live: London Assurance 2010

Mr. Adolphus Spanker

★ 7
Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band: The Official BBC Children in Need Medley 2009

Roobarb/Custard (voice)

★ 9
A Bucket O' French and Saunders 2007

★ 6.2
That's What I Call Television 2007

★ NR
Kingdom 2007

Jim Wright

★ 7.1
Torchwood 2006

Parker

★ 7.3
As You Like It 2006

Adam

★ 5.7
My Appalling School Report 2006

★ NR
Our Hidden Lives 2005

Herbert Brush

★ 4.5
Roobarb and Custard Too 2005

Narrator

★ 6
Extras 2005

Richard Briers

★ 7.8
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy 2005

Himself

★ 6
Dad 2005

Larry James

★ 10
Agatha Christie's Marple 2004

Wilson

★ 7.6
New Tricks 2004

James Farlow

★ 7.3
Peter Pan 2003

Sam "Smee" Smiegel

★ 7.2
Comedy Connections 2003

★ 2
Bob the Builder: The Knights of Fix-A-Lot 2003

Robert (voice)

★ 7.3
Unconditional Love 2002

Barry Moore

★ 6
Victoria & Albert 2001

Joseph Paxton

★ 7.6
Love's Labour's Lost 2000

Sir Nathaniel

★ 5.5
Monarch of the Glen 2000

Hector MacDonald

★ 7.5
The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything 2000

★ NR
The Student Prince 1998

Dr. Corbitt

★ 4.3
Geoff Hamilton: a Man and His Garden 1998

Narrator

★ NR
A Respectable Trade 1998

Sir Charles Fairley

★ 6
Spice World 1997

Bishop

★ 4.9
Midsomer Murders 1997

Stephen Wentworth

★ 7.5
Brass Eye 1997

Self

★ 7.5
Hamlet 1996

Polonius

★ 7.3
The Adventures of Toad 1996

Rat

★ NR
Heavy Weather 1995

The Hon. Galahad Threepwood

★ 10
The Adventures of Mole 1995

Rat

★ 6
In the Bleak Midwinter 1995

Henry

★ 7.1
Down to Earth 1995

★ NR
Mole's Christmas 1994

Rat

★ 4.8
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein 1994

Grandfather

★ 6.4
Skallagrigg 1994

Old Arthur/George

★ 1
Frances the Firefly 1994

Narrator (voice)

★ NR
If You See God, Tell Him 1993

Godfrey Spry

★ 6.7
Much Ado About Nothing 1993

Signor Leonato

★ 6.9
Peter's Friends 1992

Lord Morton

★ 6.5
Swan Song 1992

Nikita

★ 6.8
Mr. Bean 1990

Mr. Sprout

★ 7.9
Henry V 1989

Lieutenant Bardolph

★ 7.1
A Chorus of Disapproval 1989

Ted Washbrook

★ 5.2
Twelfth Night, or What You Will 1988

Malvolio

★ 6.9
Doctor Who: Paradise Towers 1987

The Chief Caretaker

★ 6.5
Inspector Morse 1987

Sir Clixby Bream

★ 7.8
Lovejoy 1986

Raymond Doncaster

★ 7.3
All in Good Faith 1985

★ 2
Alias the Jester 1985

Alias

★ 6.6
Screen Two 1985

Old Arthur/George

★ 6.8
Ever Decreasing Circles 1984

★ 7.3
The Aerodrome 1983

The Rector

★ 7
Natural World 1983

★ 7.1
Arms and the Man 1983

Bluntschli

★ NR
It's Your Move 1982

The Husband

★ 8.2
Goodbye Mr Kent 1982

★ NR
P.Q. 17 1981

Jack Broome

★ NR
Minder 1979

Col. Caplan

★ 6.8
Village Wooing 1979

A

★ NR
Tales of the Unexpected 1979

Albert Dobson

★ 6.7
Watership Down 1978

Fiver (voice)

★ 7.2
The Other One 1977

Ralph Tanner

★ 7
The Norman Conquests 1977

Reg

★ 6
The Galton & Simpson Playhouse 1977

★ NR
Our Flesh and Blood 1977

Mr. Smythe

★ NR
Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk 1976

★ NR
One-Upmanship 1976

★ 9
A Small Miracle 1976

Himself - Commentator

★ NR
The Good Life 1975

Tom Good

★ 7.6
Great 1975

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

★ 5.6
The Four Musketeers 1974

Louis XIII (voice) (uncredited)

★ 6.4
Roobarb 1974

★ 7.1
The Three Musketeers 1973

Louis XIII (voice)

★ 6.8
Rentadick 1972

Miles Gannet

★ 4.4
Tall Stories 1971

★ NR
The Goodies 1970

★ 7.5
Play for Today 1970

Mr. Smythe

★ 6.3
From a Bird's Eye View 1970

George Lemon

★ 5.5
All the Way Up 1970

Nigel Hadfield

★ 6
Ooh La La! 1968

★ NR
Fathom 1967

Flight Lt. Timothy Webb

★ 6.1
NBC Experiment in Television 1967

(voice)

★ NR
All in Good Time 1964

The Young Husband

★ NR
The Bargee 1964

Tomkins

★ 7.1
A Home of Your Own 1964

The Husband

★ 6
Doctor Who 1963

Chief Caretaker

★ 7.9
Doctor in Distress 1963

Medical Student (uncredited)

★ 6.2
The Girl on the Boat 1962

Eustace Hignett

★ 5.6
Brothers In Law 1962

★ NR
A Matter of WHO 1961

Jamieson

★ 6.2
Murder She Said 1961

'Mrs Binster'

★ 7.3
Marriage Lines 1961

★ 5
Bottoms Up! 1960

Colbourne

★ 6.4
Girls at Sea 1958

'Popeye' Lewis

★ 6
Armchair Theatre 1956

Stanley Frelaine

★ 5.8
Tony Awards 1956

Self - Nominee

★ 4.6
Dixon of Dock Green 1955

Ken Tracey

★ 5.3

Richard Briers

Known For

Credits

Images