Richard Briers

Richard Briers

Known for
Acting
Born
January 14, 1934
Died
February 17, 2013 (aged 79)
Birthplace
Raynes Park, Surrey, England, UK

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).

Known For

Photos

Richard Briers photoRichard Briers photoRichard Briers photoRichard Briers photo

Filmography

—
Bird Bath poster

Bird Bath

TV · as Narrator · 25 eps

—
Little Red Tractor Stories poster

Little Red Tractor Stories

TV · as Narrator (voice) · 4 eps

2025
The Good Life: Inside Out poster

The Good Life: Inside Out

Movie

2022
The Good Life: Secret & Scandals poster

The Good Life: Secret & Scandals

Movie · as (archive footage)

2017
Roobarb and Custard: The Complete Collection poster

Roobarb and Custard: The Complete Collection

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

2016
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves poster

British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves

Movie · as Acting Role (archive footage) (uncredited)

2013
Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time poster

Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time

Movie · as Mouse (voice)

2012
Cockneys vs Zombies poster

Cockneys vs Zombies

Movie · as Hamish

2012
Run For Your Wife poster

Run For Your Wife

Movie · as Newspaper Seller

2011
Horror on the High Rise poster

Horror on the High Rise

Movie

2010
National Theatre Live: London Assurance poster

National Theatre Live: London Assurance

Movie · as Mr. Adolphus Spanker

2010
All About The Good Life poster

All About The Good Life

Movie

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

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

Movie · as Roobarb/Custard (voice)

2007
That's What I Call Television

That's What I Call Television

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2007
A Bucket O' French and Saunders poster

A Bucket O' French and Saunders

TV · 1 ep

2007
Kingdom poster

Kingdom

TV · as Jim Wright · 1 ep

2006
As You Like It poster

As You Like It

Movie · as Adam

2006
Torchwood poster

Torchwood

TV · as Parker · 1 ep

2006
My Appalling School Report

My Appalling School Report

TV · 4 eps

2005
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy

The Funny Blokes of British Comedy

Movie · as Self

2005
Our Hidden Lives

Our Hidden Lives

Movie · as Herbert Brush

2005
Dad poster

Dad

Movie · as Larry James

2005
Extras poster

Extras

TV · as Richard Briers · 1 ep

2005
Roobarb and Custard Too poster

Roobarb and Custard Too

TV · as Narrator · 39 eps

2004
New Tricks poster

New Tricks

TV · as James Farlow · 1 ep

2004
Agatha Christie's Marple poster

Agatha Christie's Marple

TV · as Wilson · 1 ep

2003
Peter Pan poster

Peter Pan

Movie · as Sam "Smee" Smiegel

2003
Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot poster

Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot

Movie · as Robert (voice)

2003
More Great Comedy Moments poster

More Great Comedy Moments

Movie · as Martin Bryce (archive footage)

2003
Comedy Connections poster

Comedy Connections

TV · 1 ep

2002
Unconditional Love poster

Unconditional Love

Movie · as Barry Moore

2001
Victoria & Albert poster

Victoria & Albert

Movie · as Joseph Paxton

2001
Great Comedy Moments poster

Great Comedy Moments

Movie · as Tom Good (archive footage)

2001
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross poster

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2000
Love's Labour's Lost poster

Love's Labour's Lost

Movie · as Sir Nathaniel

2000
Monarch of the Glen poster

Monarch of the Glen

TV · as Hector MacDonald · 33 eps

2000
The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything poster

The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything

TV · 2 eps

1999
Watership Down poster

Watership Down

TV · as Captain Broom (voice) · 1 ep

1998
The Student Prince poster

The Student Prince

Movie · as Dr. Corbitt

1998
Geoff Hamilton: a Man and His Garden poster

Geoff Hamilton: a Man and His Garden

TV · as Narrator · 5 eps

1998
A Respectable Trade poster

A Respectable Trade

TV · as Sir Charles Fairley · 4 eps

1998
Parkinson poster

Parkinson

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1997
Spice World poster

Spice World

Movie · as Bishop

1997
Midsomer Murders poster

Midsomer Murders

TV · as Stephen Wentworth · 1 ep

1997
Brass Eye poster

Brass Eye

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1996
Hamlet poster

Hamlet

Movie · as Polonius

1996
The Adventures of Toad poster

The Adventures of Toad

Movie · as Rat

1995
In the Bleak Midwinter poster

In the Bleak Midwinter

Movie · as Henry

1995
Heavy Weather poster

Heavy Weather

Movie · as The Hon. Galahad Threepwood

1995
The Adventures of Mole poster

The Adventures of Mole

Movie · as Rat

1995
Down to Earth

Down to Earth

TV · as Tony Fairfax · 7 eps

1994
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein poster

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Movie · as Grandfather

1994
Mole's Christmas poster

Mole's Christmas

Movie · as Rat

1994
Skallagrigg poster

Skallagrigg

Movie · as Old Arthur/George

1994
Frances the Firefly poster

Frances the Firefly

Movie · as Narrator (voice)

1994
French and Saunders' Christmas Carol poster

French and Saunders' Christmas Carol

Movie · as Self

1993
Much Ado About Nothing poster

Much Ado About Nothing

Movie · as Signor Leonato

1993
If You See God, Tell Him poster

If You See God, Tell Him

TV · as Godfrey Spry · 4 eps

1992
Swan Song

Swan Song

Movie · as Nikita

1992
Peter's Friends poster

Peter's Friends

Movie · as Lord Morton

1990
Mr. Bean poster

Mr. Bean

TV · as Mr. Sprout · 1 ep

1989
A Chorus of Disapproval poster

A Chorus of Disapproval

Movie · as Ted Washbrook

1989
Henry V poster

Henry V

Movie · as Lieutenant Bardolph

1988
Twelfth Night, or What You Will poster

Twelfth Night, or What You Will

Movie · as Malvolio

1988
Children's Favourites - Volume 1

Children's Favourites - Volume 1

Movie · as Alias (voice)

1988
Comic Relief poster

Comic Relief

TV · 2 eps

1987
Doctor Who: Paradise Towers poster

Doctor Who: Paradise Towers

Movie · as The Chief Caretaker

1986
Lovejoy poster

Lovejoy

TV · as Raymond Doncaster · 1 ep

1985
A Month in the Country poster

A Month in the Country

Movie · as Arkady

1985
Alias the Jester poster

Alias the Jester

TV · as Alias · 13 eps

1985
Screen Two poster

Screen Two

TV · as Old Arthur/George · 1 ep

1985
All in Good Faith poster

All in Good Faith

TV · as Reverend Philip Lambe · 18 eps

1984
Ever Decreasing Circles poster

Ever Decreasing Circles

TV · 26 eps

1983
Arms and the Man

Arms and the Man

Movie · as Bluntschli

1983
The Aerodrome poster

The Aerodrome

Movie · as The Rector

1983
Natural World poster

Natural World

TV · 1 ep

1982
It's Your Move poster

It's Your Move

Movie · as The Husband

1982
Wogan poster

Wogan

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1982
Goodbye Mr Kent poster

Goodbye Mr Kent

TV · as Travis Kent · 7 eps

1981
P.Q. 17 poster

P.Q. 17

Movie · as Jack Broome

1979
Village Wooing

Village Wooing

Movie · as A

1979
Tales of the Unexpected poster

Tales of the Unexpected

TV · as Albert Dobson · 1 ep

1978
Watership Down poster

Watership Down

Movie · as Fiver (voice)

1977
Our Flesh and Blood poster

Our Flesh and Blood

Movie · as Mr. Smythe

1977
The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show

The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show

Movie · as Theatre Patron

1977
The Other One poster

The Other One

TV · as Ralph Tanner · 13 eps

1977
The Norman Conquests poster

The Norman Conquests

TV · as Reg · 3 eps

1977
The Galton & Simpson Playhouse poster

The Galton & Simpson Playhouse

TV · as Henry Fairlane · 1 ep

1977
The Sunday Drama

The Sunday Drama

TV · as Dennis · 1 ep

1976
A Small Miracle poster

A Small Miracle

Movie · as Himself - Commentator

1976
Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk poster

Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk

TV · 30 eps

1976
One-Upmanship

One-Upmanship

TV · as Stephen Potter · 17 eps

1975
Great poster

Great

Movie · as Isambard Kingdom Brunel

1975
The Good Life poster

The Good Life

TV · as Tom Good · 28 eps

1975
Noddy poster

Noddy

TV · as Narrator · 26 eps

1974
The Four Musketeers poster

The Four Musketeers

Movie · as Louis XIII (voice) (uncredited)

1974
Roobarb poster

Roobarb

TV · 30 eps

1973
The Three Musketeers poster

The Three Musketeers

Movie · as Louis XIII (voice)

1973
Between the Wars

Between the Wars

TV · as Oswald Carstairs · 1 ep

1972
Rentadick poster

Rentadick

Movie · as Miles Gannet

1971
Tall Stories

Tall Stories

TV · 6 eps

1971
Birds on the Wing

Birds on the Wing

TV · as Charles Jackson · 6 eps

1970
All the Way Up poster

All the Way Up

Movie · as Nigel Hadfield

1970
From a Bird's Eye View poster

From a Bird's Eye View

TV · as George Lemon · 1 ep

1970
Play for Today poster

Play for Today

TV · as Mr. Smythe, Commander Jack Broome · 1 ep

1970
Ben Travers Farces

Ben Travers Farces

TV · as Charlie Tutt · 7 eps

1968
Ooh La La! poster

Ooh La La!

TV · 1 ep

1967
Fathom poster

Fathom

Movie · as Flight Lt. Timothy Webb

1967
NBC Experiment in Television poster

NBC Experiment in Television

TV · as (voice) · 1 ep

1967
ITV Playhouse poster

ITV Playhouse

TV · as A · 1 ep

1965
BBC Play of the Month poster

BBC Play of the Month

TV · as Sandy Tyrell · 1 ep

1964
The Bargee poster

The Bargee

Movie · as Tomkins

1964
All in Good Time poster

All in Good Time

Movie · as The Young Husband

1964
A Home of Your Own poster

A Home of Your Own

Movie · as The Husband

1964
Theatre 625 poster

Theatre 625

TV · as David Prentice · 1 ep

1964
Thursday Theatre

Thursday Theatre

TV · as David Prentice · 1 ep

1963
Doctor in Distress poster

Doctor in Distress

Movie · as Medical Student (uncredited)

1963
Doctor Who poster

Doctor Who

TV · as Chief Caretaker · 4 eps

1962
The Girl on the Boat poster

The Girl on the Boat

Movie · as Eustace Hignett

1962
Brothers In Law

Brothers In Law

TV · 13 eps

1961
A Matter of WHO poster

A Matter of WHO

Movie · as Jamieson

1961
Murder She Said poster

Murder She Said

Movie · as 'Mrs Binster'

1961
Faces of Jim

Faces of Jim

TV · as John Frobisher, Lighthouse Assistant, Ricky Groin · 1 ep

1961
Marriage Lines poster

Marriage Lines

TV · as George Starling · 43 eps

1960
Bottoms Up! poster

Bottoms Up!

Movie · as Colbourne

1958
Girls at Sea poster

Girls at Sea

Movie · as 'Popeye' Lewis

1956
Armchair Theatre poster

Armchair Theatre

TV · as Stanley Frelaine · 1 ep

1956
Tony Awards poster

Tony Awards

TV · as Self - Nominee · 1 ep

1955
Dixon of Dock Green poster

Dixon of Dock Green

TV · as Ken Tracey · 1 ep