Richard Briers

Acting

Richard Briers

Born
Died
(aged 79)
Birthplace
Raynes Park, Surrey, England, UK
Credits
127 titles

Biography

Richard David Briers, CBE (14 January 1934 – 17 February 2013) 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).

Signature work

Known For

Acting credits 127

YearTitleRole
TBA Bird Bath TV Narrator (25 ep)
TBA Little Red Tractor Stories TV Narrator (voice) (4 ep)
2025 The Good Life: Inside Out Film
2022 The Good Life: Secret & Scandals Film (archive footage)
2017 Roobarb and Custard: The Complete Collection Film Narrator, Roobarb, Custard / lot of characters. (uncredited)
2016 British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves Film Acting Role (archive footage) (uncredited)
2013 Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time Film Mouse (voice)
2012 Cockneys vs Zombies Film Hamish
2012 Run For Your Wife Film Newspaper Seller
2011 Horror on the High Rise Film
2010 All About The Good Life Film
2010 National Theatre Live: London Assurance Film Mr. Adolphus Spanker
2009 Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band: The Official BBC Children in Need Medley Film Roobarb/Custard (voice)
2007 A Bucket O' French and Saunders TV (1 ep)
2007 That's What I Call Television TV Self (1 ep)
2007 Kingdom TV Jim Wright (1 ep)
2006 Torchwood TV Parker (1 ep)
2006 As You Like It Film Adam
2006 My Appalling School Report TV (4 ep)
2005 Our Hidden Lives Film Herbert Brush
2005 Roobarb and Custard Too TV Narrator (39 ep)
2005 Extras TV Richard Briers (1 ep)
2005 The Funny Blokes of British Comedy Film Self
2005 Dad Film Larry James
2004 Agatha Christie's Marple TV Wilson (1 ep)
2004 New Tricks TV James Farlow (1 ep)
2003 Peter Pan Film Sam "Smee" Smiegel
2003 Comedy Connections TV (1 ep)
2003 Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot Film Robert (voice)
2002 Unconditional Love Film Barry Moore
2001 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross TV Self (1 ep)
2001 Victoria & Albert Film Joseph Paxton
2000 Love's Labour's Lost Film Sir Nathaniel
2000 Monarch of the Glen TV Hector MacDonald (33 ep)
2000 The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything TV (2 ep)
1999 Watership Down TV Captain Broom (voice) (1 ep)
1998 The Student Prince Film Dr. Corbitt
1998 Geoff Hamilton: a Man and His Garden TV Narrator (5 ep)
1998 A Respectable Trade TV Sir Charles Fairley (4 ep)
1998 Parkinson TV Self (1 ep)
1997 Spice World Film Bishop
1997 Midsomer Murders TV Stephen Wentworth (1 ep)
1997 Brass Eye TV Self (1 ep)
1996 Hamlet Film Polonius
1996 The Adventures of Toad Film Rat
1995 Heavy Weather Film The Hon. Galahad Threepwood
1995 The Adventures of Mole Film Rat
1995 In the Bleak Midwinter Film Henry
1995 Down to Earth TV Tony Fairfax (7 ep)
1994 French and Saunders' Christmas Carol Film Self
1994 Mole's Christmas Film Rat
1994 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Film Grandfather
1994 Skallagrigg Film Old Arthur/George
1994 Frances the Firefly Film Narrator (voice)
1993 If You See God, Tell Him TV Godfrey Spry (4 ep)
1993 Much Ado About Nothing Film Signor Leonato
1992 Peter's Friends Film Lord Morton
1992 Swan Song Film Nikita
1990 Mr. Bean TV Mr. Sprout (1 ep)
1989 Henry V Film Lieutenant Bardolph
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