Actor and comedian Brian Murphy, best known for his role in 1970s British sitcoms Man About The House and George and Mildred, has died aged 92.
Murphy passed away at his home in Kent on Sunday morning. He leaves behind his wife, Hi-de-Hi! actress Linda Regan and his two sons, Trevor and Kevin, from his first marriage.
Ms Regan said: ‘I was lucky to have in my lifetime found my soulmate. Brian who I will love forever.’
Throughout his early career, he worked closely with theatre director Joan Littlewood.
In the popular sitcoms Man About The House and George and Mildred he played George Roper.
More recently he featured in episodes of the BBC‘s Holby City, The Catherine Tate Show, ITV‘s Benidorm.
Murphy’s friend and agent, Thomas Bowington, described the star as a ‘joyful and profoundly good-hearted man’ and paid tribute to his ‘talent and humanity’.
Actor and comedian Brian Murphy, best known for his role in 1970s British sitcoms Man About The House and George and Mildred, has died aged 92
He was best known for his role in 1970s British sitcoms Man About The House and George and Mildred in which he played George Roper (Pictured: Murphy and Yootha Joyce in George and Mildred)
He leaves behind his wife, Hi-de-Hi! actress Linda Regan (pictured together) and his two sons, Trevor and Kevin, from his first marriage
The actor was born on the Isle of Wight in 1932 and his career began in the 1950s when he joined the Theatre Workshop.
The pioneering group was founded by Joan Littlewood and her partner Gerry Raffles and was dedicated to modernising theatre and opening the industry up to working-class audiences.
Murphy performed in Shakespeare productions directed by Littlewood and even appeared in her only feature-length film Sparrows Can’t Sing.
But he was famous for his role as George Roper in ITV sitcom Man About the House, which was considered daring in the 1970s as it explored the dynamics between a man sharing a flat with two women.
Actors Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce lying in bed as their characters George and Mildred Roper in sitcom series George And Mildred in 1979
Murphy passed away at his home in Kent on Sunday morning. Throughout his early career, he worked closely with theatre director Joan Littlewood
Brian Murphy and Paula Wilcox who starred in Man About The House together
Murphy’s friend and agent, Thomas Bowington, described the star as a ‘joyful and profoundly good-hearted man’ and paid tribute to his ‘talent and humanity’
His co-stars were Chrissy and Jo, played by Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett, whilst Yootha Joyce played his domineering wife Mildred.
Joyce and Murphy later starred in their own spin-off George and Mildred which was equally successful.
In 2023, Murphy and his wife joined the cast of award-nominated podcast sitcom Barmy Dale.
The husband and wife duo starred as Felicity Palmer, Mayoress of Barmy Dale and Lord Palmer, husband of Felicity.
Speaking to the Express in 2016, Murphy said he was still keeping in touch with his former Man About The House co-stars, including visiting Richard O’Sullivan, who played Robin Tripp.
He said: ‘I still keep in touch with Sally Thomsett and Paula Wilcox, who played Jo and Chrissy in Man About The House.
‘Together, we’ve visited Richard O’Sullivan, who’s in a retirement home after suffering a stroke.’
At the time, he explained he had still been working, including his small roles in Casualty, Benidorm and Holby City.
He also done promotional work for Talking Pictures TV who show classic films and B-movies on Sky and Freeview. As a collector of old films, it was a subject ‘close to his heart’.
Speaking about his wife and work slowing down, he added: ‘It’s nice not working so much now because I can spend time at home with Linda. We met while appearing in Wife Begins At 40 at Eastbourne. She played my wife and we hit it off straight away.
‘We married in 1995. I can’t grumble about my lot because I’m very happy. I’ve brought up a family and been working relatively solidly for 60 years. It has been a lot of fun.’
