We may all remember him for sitcoms such as The Good Life – but his career encompassed everything from Doctor Who to Shakespeare. And who can forget the classic Roobarb?
With more than 50 years of work to his name, Richard Briers was one of the most instantly recognisable – and most beloved – actors in Britain. Much of this is down to his sitcom work, primarily The Good Life. Although it only ran for three years, The Good Life managed to latch onto a prevailing public mood – that of suburban alienation and a desire to connect with the earth – which is why it has been so endlessly repeated (and used as the basis for more than one reality show) over the years. Despite being the work he'll be most remembered for, Briers never got on with his character, often calling him stubborn and unlikable in the press.
There was much more to Briers's...
With more than 50 years of work to his name, Richard Briers was one of the most instantly recognisable – and most beloved – actors in Britain. Much of this is down to his sitcom work, primarily The Good Life. Although it only ran for three years, The Good Life managed to latch onto a prevailing public mood – that of suburban alienation and a desire to connect with the earth – which is why it has been so endlessly repeated (and used as the basis for more than one reality show) over the years. Despite being the work he'll be most remembered for, Briers never got on with his character, often calling him stubborn and unlikable in the press.
There was much more to Briers's...
- 2/18/2013
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
Veteran stage and screen actor Richard Briers passed away at his London home on Sunday. He was 79. Briers is best known to UK audiences for his work in such BBC series as The Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles and Monarch Of The Glen. His TV breakout was the 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines in which he starred opposite Prunella Scales, but it was The Good Life (1975-1978) that made him a household name as the obstinate Tom Good. Briers began acting in the theater in the late 1950s and went on to become a member of Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company, taking on parts in classic Shakespeare works. He also had roles in several of Branagh’s movies including Peter’s Friends, Much Ado About Nothing, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Henry V and Hamlet. Branagh said today, “He was a national treasure, a great actor and a wonderful man. He...
- 2/18/2013
- by NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor
- Deadline TV
Much-loved TV and Shakespearean actor Richard Briers has died aged 79. He died peacefully at home after suffering from a chronic lung complaint for a number of years.Born in Surrey in 1934, Briers became a living room staple thanks to a long-standing stint in the BBC’s The Good Life, in which he played cantankerous Tom Good to Felicity Kendal’s Barbara from 1975 to 1978, but his profile had already been established thanks to a successful career as a stage and TV actor.Encouraged by his mother’s career as a drama teacher, as a teenager Briers made his way into Rada via stints as a filing clerk and national service in the Raf. From there he made a name for himself on stage doing repertory theatre in Liverpool and Coventry. His performances in West End productions caught the eye of TV producers who cast him in Marriage Lines and Brothers In Law.
- 2/18/2013
- EmpireOnline
Richard Briers has died at the age of 79.
The Good Life actor had recently revealed that he was battling with emphysema as a result of his smoking addiction and his agent confirmed that he died "peacefully" at his London home yesterday (February 17).
> Richard Briers 1934-2013: Career highlights in video
"I've got emphysema, you see, so I'm buggered," Briers told the Daily Mail only last month.
"I haven't even got the strength to garden anymore. Five hundred thousand cigarettes, darling - that's the trouble."
He added: "It's totally my fault. So, I get very breathless, which is a pain in the backside. Trying to get upstairs - oh God, it's ridiculous. Of course, when you're bloody nearly 80 it's depressing because you've had it anyway.
"The ciggies got me. I stopped ten years ago but too late. If you do it in your 30s then you're okay, but after 30 it gets you.
The Good Life actor had recently revealed that he was battling with emphysema as a result of his smoking addiction and his agent confirmed that he died "peacefully" at his London home yesterday (February 17).
> Richard Briers 1934-2013: Career highlights in video
"I've got emphysema, you see, so I'm buggered," Briers told the Daily Mail only last month.
"I haven't even got the strength to garden anymore. Five hundred thousand cigarettes, darling - that's the trouble."
He added: "It's totally my fault. So, I get very breathless, which is a pain in the backside. Trying to get upstairs - oh God, it's ridiculous. Of course, when you're bloody nearly 80 it's depressing because you've had it anyway.
"The ciggies got me. I stopped ten years ago but too late. If you do it in your 30s then you're okay, but after 30 it gets you.
- 2/18/2013
- Digital Spy
Richard Briers has died. The British actor - best known for roles in shows such as 'Ever Decreasing Circles', 'Marriage Lines' and 'Monarch of the Glen' - passed away ''peacefully'' at his London home yesterday (17.02.13) at the age of 79, his agent has confirmed. Richard had been battling a serious lung condition for a number of years and said recently years of smoking had been to blame for his emphysema. Explaining he was diagnosed five years ago with the condition, Richard - who quit his deadly habit a decade ago - said: ''It's totally my fault. So, I get very...
- 2/18/2013
- Virgin Media - TV
Richard Briers has died. The British actor - best known for roles in shows such as 'Ever Decreasing Circles', 'Marriage Lines' and 'Monarch of the Glen' - passed away ''peacefully'' at his London home yesterday (17.02.13) at the age of 79, his agent has confirmed. Richard had been battling a serious lung condition for a number of years and said recently years of smoking had been to blame for his emphysema. Explaining he was diagnosed five years ago with the condition, Richard - who quit his deadly habit a decade ago - said: ''It's totally my fault. So, I get very...
- 2/18/2013
- Virgin Media - Celebrity
Richard Briers has died. The British actor - best known for roles in shows such as 'Ever Decreasing Circles', 'Marriage Lines' and 'Monarch of the Glen' - passed away ''peacefully'' at his London home yesterday (17.02.13) at the age of 79, his agent has confirmed. Richard had been battling a serious lung condition for a number of years and said recently years of smoking had been to blame for his emphysema. Explaining he was diagnosed five years ago with the condition, Richard - who quit his deadly habit a decade ago - said: ''It's totally my fault. So, I get very...
- 2/15/2013
- Virgin Media - TV
Fawlty Towers legend and Tesco ad veteran Prunella Scales and 1980s geeky Hollywood star Rick Moranis are from opposing ends of the comedy spectrum. While Moranis was goofing around on Ghostbusters, Honey I Shrunk The Kids and Spaceballs, Scales was making waves in straight roles like The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne and Howard's End. How are the pair connected? Digital Spy will show you in five simple steps... Prunella Scales to... Richard Briers - Before making us chuckle as Basil Fawlty's long-suffering wife Sybil, Scales found fame in the 1960s domestic sitcom Marriage Lines. Scales played lead Kate Sterling, wife of junior clerk George Sterling, played by British sitcom staple Richard Briers. Richard Briers to... Peter Kay - Although Briers is best known for his comic turns in The (more)...
- 11/9/2008
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
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