Brian Murphy | |
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Born | Brian Trevor John Murphy 25 September 1932 Ventnor, Isle of Wight, England |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1960–present |
Known for |
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Spouses |
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Children | 2 |
Brian Trevor John Murphy (born 25 September 1932) is an English actor and comedian. He is best known as the henpecked husband George Roper in the popular sitcom Man About the House[1] and its spin-off series George and Mildred. He also played Alvin Smedley in Last of the Summer Wine.[2] Other notable roles include Stan the shopkeeper in the 1990s children's series Wizadora, and Maurice in the comedy drama series The Booze Cruise.
Biography
Early life
Murphy was born on 25 September 1932 in Ventnor, Isle of Wight.[3] He was the son of grocer's assistant Gerald Murphy and his wife Mabel, both of whom later became restaurateurs.[4] His two brothers Ken and Eric died during active service in the Second World War.[citation needed] He was called up to do his national service at RAF Northwood, where he met future The Good Life actor Richard Briers. Upon leaving the RAF the two aspiring actors both performed in productions by the Dramatic Society at the Borough Polytechnic Institute (now London South Bank University).
Early career
Murphy was a member of the Theatre Workshop (alongside future TV co-star Yootha Joyce), and a jobbing actor in the 1960s and early 1970s, combining his theatre work with guest appearances in television shows such as The Avengers, Z-Cars, Callan and Dixon of Dock Green, before being cast in the role which would make him a household name.
Man About the House and George and Mildred
Murphy first came to prominence in the ITV television sitcom Man About the House, playing George Roper, whose wife, Mildred, played by Yootha Joyce, was a domineering social climber – a sharp contrast to the character of George, a lazy landlord whose desire was for an easy and quiet life. The pairing was an instant hit.[2] A contributing factor to the actors' immediate chemistry was that they had been friends for many years. Aside from their Theatre Workshop years, Murphy also featured opposite Joyce in Sparrows Can't Sing (1963).
When Man About The House ended in 1976, a spin-off was created for Murphy and Joyce, titled George and Mildred. This ran for five series until 1979. In 1978 he released the single "Jogging" (b/w "The Great Gnome Robbery"), recorded in the persona of George, on the Pye label. Murphy later said, "Out of the blue I was requested to record "Jogging" in the manner of George, and naturally could not refuse. I had been told I had an excellent singing voice and in fact did some training, but sadly I lacked confidence and missed opportunities – one of my biggest regrets."[5] Murphy reprised his role in feature films of both sitcoms. Joyce died in 1980, and the planned final series of George and Mildred was cancelled.
After George and Mildred
In 1981, another television sitcom was created specifically for Murphy with him in the title role in The Incredible Mr. Tanner (the series would feature regular Man About The House and George and Mildred co-star Roy Kinnear), but the show failed to gain popularity. He moved to the BBC in 1982 for the driving school TV sitcom L for Lester, but this was also a ratings failure and was cancelled after just six episodes.
Murphy was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1998.[4]
Last of the Summer Wine and others
He continued to appear regularly on television, most notably as "Alvin Smedley" in Last of the Summer Wine from 2003 to 2010, which was promoted by a cast return to the Rose Theatre site, and also with roles in On Your Way, Riley (1985) as Arthur Lucan,[6] Lame Ducks (as a private investigator); The Bill (as a drunken tramp dressed as an elf at Christmas); comedy series Pond Life, an animation series, as Len Pond, the father of protagonist Dolly Pond (Sarah Ann Kennedy), One Foot in the Grave starring Richard Wilson (playing a character called Mr Foskett);[7] Brookside; and as a shopkeeper called Stan in the pre-school children's TV series Wizadora.
In 2010 he appeared in an episode of Hustle called "The Thieving Mistake". He has more recently made appearances in comedy shows The Catherine Tate Show, This is Jinsy and Benidorm. Murphy can also be seen in all three episodes of the ITV comedy The Booze Cruise, playing Maurice. He also appeared as Frank Dobson in The Cafe from 2011 and 2013, and also in the Channel 4 comedy Man Down as music teacher Frank Field-Williams in the 2013 Christmas special.
In 2023, Murphy wrote the introduction to the autobiography of his Oh, What a Lovely War! co-star Larry Dann.[8]
Personal life
Murphy is married to Hi-de-Hi! actress Linda Regan.[9] Regan is his second wife and the couple married in 1995; they live in Kent. Murphy has two adult children, Trevor and Kevin, from his previous marriage to Carol Gibson.[citation needed]
His grandson is the playwright Martin Murphy, whose play Manor was performed at the Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden in 2010.[10]
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 | |
1971 | 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 | Maurice Stringer | |
2011 | Grave Tales | Arthur | |
2011 | The Estate | Geoff | |
2012 | Blitz and Bananas | Clarence Spratt | |
2012 | 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" |
1961 | The Interrogator | Corporal Doggart | TV film |
1962 | Z Cars | Wallace Brackett | 2 episodes |
1963 | ITV Television Playhouse | Man with Alsatian | Episode: "The Wedding Dress" |
1963 | 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 |
1965 | A World of Comedy | Motorist | 2 episodes |
1965 | Blackmail | Talbut | Episode: "Cobb" |
1966 | Hope and Keen | Episode: "S.S. Bounty" | |
1966 | Drama 61-67 | Nick | Episode: "Drama '66: A Hero of Modern Industry" |
1966 | Blackmail | Fletcher | Episode: "Vacant Possession" |
1967 | The White Rabbit | Perkins | Episode: "The Beginning" |
1967 | Baker's Half-Dozen | Various | 5 episodes |
1968 | Love Story | Party guest | Episode: "S for Sugar, A for Apple, M for Missing" |
1968 | Resurrection | Kriltsov | 2 episodes |
1969 | Sez Les | Various | 12 episodes |
1970 | The Misfit | The drunk | Episode: "On Protest" |
1970 | ITV Playhouse | Driver | Episode: "A Sound from the Sea" |
1972 | The Moonstone | Septimus Luker | 3 episodes |
1972 | Callan | Reeves | Episode: "None of Your Business" |
1972 | Alcock and Gander | Pluthero | Episode: "Soho Is Too Small" |
1972 | 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 |
1981 | 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" |
1986 | 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 |
1995 | Next of Kin | Salesman | Episode: "Expansion" |
1995 | Paul Merton's Life of Comedy | Grandad's friend | 2 episodes |
1996 | Delta Wave | Mr. Seffel | Episode: "Dodgy Jammers: Part 2" |
1996 | 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" |
1997 | Western Lights: Laugh Until You Die | Ricky Chapple | TV film |
1997 | Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... | Father | Episode: "Visiting Day" |
1997 | 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 |
1999 | Hilltop Hospital | Dr. Atticus | Voice; Episode: "Gracey Greyshell's Last Day" |
1999 | Casualty | Walter Burnley | Episode: "To Have and to Hold" |
1999 | 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 |
2010 | Hustle | Larry | Episode: "The Thieving Mistake" |
2010 | Paul O'Grady Live | Alvin | Episode: #1.6 |
2010 | Benidorm | Clive Mitchell | Episode: "Christmas Special" |
2011 | White Van Man | Albert | Episode: "Beginnings and Ends" |
2011 | This is Jinsy | Melty Harris | Episode: "Kelpman" |
2011–2013 | The Cafe | Jack Dobson | 9 episodes |
2013 | Plebs | Victor | Episode: "Bananae" |
2013 | Man Down | Mr Frank Field-Williams | Episode: "Christmas Special" |
2014 | It's an Unknown World | George Timemile | Unknown episodes |
2014 | 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 | ; 1 episode |
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. Brian returned to radio/podcast alongside his wife Linda Regan playing the role of the Mayor of Barmy Dale, Lord Palmer. Barmy Dale encompassed some of the great British Sitcom actors including Jeffrey Holland, Judy Buxton, Mike Fenton Stevens and Karl Howman.
References
- ^ "Brian Murphy as George Roper in Man about the house". Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 13 September 1976. p. 7. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ a b Lawson, Mark (15 August 2023). "'Naughty rather than dirty': 50 years of Man About the House, the sitcom that introduced sex to British TV". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ "Brian Murphy". bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Brian Murphy – This Is Your Life. 5 January 1998". YouTube.
- ^ "Brian Murphy interview". British Comedy Guide. 6 September 2021.
- ^ "On Your Way Riley". 2 January 1985. Retrieved 22 December 2016 – via IMDb.
- ^ 'Mr Foskett' Archived 16 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 24 September 2007
- ^ "Larry Dann – Oh, What A Lovely Memoir". Devonfire. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ 'Allo 'Allo star dies BBC News. 4 August 2002. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ "Tristan Bates Theatre". tristanbatestheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 22 December 2016.