51 Facts About Richard Briers

Richard David Briers was an English actor whose five-decade career encompassed film, radio, stage and television.

Richard Briers starred as Martin in Ever Decreasing Circles, and had a leading role as Hector in Monarch of the Glen.

Richard Briers was the first cousin once removed of actor Terry-Thomas.

Richard Briers spent his childhood at Raynes Park in a flat, Number 2 Pepys Court, behind the now demolished Rialto cinema, and later at Guildford.

Richard Briers's mother, Morna Briers, was a concert pianist and a drama and music teacher, and a member of Equity, who wished for a showbusiness career, having acted in her youth.

The couple had met when Joseph Richard Briers asked Morna to stand in for his regular pianist for a performance; by this time his first marriage had collapsed and six months later they had entered a relationship.

Richard Briers attended Rokeby School in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, and, having failed the examination for King's College School, the Ridgeway School in Wimbledon, which he left at the age of 16 without any formal qualifications.

Richard Briers's first job was a clerical post with a London cable manufacturer, and for a short time he went to evening classes to qualify in electrical engineering, but soon left and became a filing clerk.

Aged 18, Richard Briers was called up for two years' national service in the RAF, during which he was a filing clerk at RAF Northwood, where he met future George and Mildred actor Brian Murphy.

Murphy introduced Richard Briers, who had been interested in acting since the age of 14, to the Dramatic Society at the Borough Polytechnic Institute, now London South Bank University, where he performed in several productions.

When he left the RAF, Richard Briers studied at RADA, which he attended from 1954 to 1956.

Richard Briers made his West End debut in the Duke of York's Theatre 1959 production of Gilt And Gingerbread by Lionel Hale.

In 1961, Richard Briers was cast in the leading role in Marriage Lines, with Prunella Scales playing the role of his wife.

For Marriage Lines, Simon and Laura, Points of View, Present Laughter - Excerpt, Charley's Aunt and To You at Home Today, Richard Briers was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1966.

In between the pilot and the series itself, Richard Briers appeared in Brothers in Law as callow barrister Roger Thursby in 1962.

Richard Briers was cast in this role by adaptors Frank Muir and Denis Norden, who had seen him in the West End.

Richard Briers was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions, in May 1972 and in March 1994.

Richard Briers persuaded the producers to cast his friend Paul Eddington, a fellow council member of Equity, in the role of Jerry.

Richard Briers starred as Ralph in 13 episodes of The Other One with Michael Gambon.

Richard Briers starred in All in Good Faith, Tales of the Unexpected as Albert Dobson, and the first episode of Mr Bean as Mr Sprout.

Richard Briers spent much of his career in the theatre, including appearances in plays by Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw.

Richard Briers joined the company, and went on to play title parts in King Lear and Uncle Vanya.

Richard Briers appeared in many of Branagh's films, including Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet.

The theatre production of Twelfth Night was adapted for television, with Richard Briers reprising his role as Malvolio.

In 1990, Richard Briers appeared in The Wind in the Willows at the National Theatre, which earnt him a nomination for the following year's Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance.

In 2010, Richard Briers played in the Royal National Theatre revival of Dion Boucicault's London Assurance, alongside Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw.

Richard Briers played the character of Captain Bluntschli, in George Bernard Shaw's play Arms and the Man.

Richard Briers made his film debut in the British feature film Bottoms Up.

Richard Briers later appeared in Michael Winner's A Chorus of Disapproval and the film Unconditional Love, as well as the Kenneth Branagh adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, in which he played the role of Leonato.

Richard Briers was the original narrator and voice actor for all the characters in the Noddy TV series based on the Enid Blyton character, and then another series with Godfrey, Noah and Nelly in.

Richard Briers provided the voice of Fiver in the animated film adaptation of Watership Down.

In 1990 Richard Briers provided the narration and voiced all the characters in the five-minute animated series Coconuts about a monkey, a king lion and a parrot who lived on a tropical island.

Richard Briers latterly starred alongside Neil Morrissey in Bob the Builder as Bob's Dad, Robert to his credit.

Richard Briers featured in the television series adaptation of Watership Down, this time voicing a series exclusive character called Captain Broom, and was one of the very few actors who stayed for all three series.

Richard Briers narrated numerous commercials, including adverts for the Midland Bank in which he was the voice of the company's Griffin symbol.

Richard Briers narrated the public information film Frances the Firefly, about the dangers of playing with matches, firstly in the mid 1990s when first made, and then in the early 2000s when re-made by the Government fire safety campaign Fire Kills.

Richard Briers recorded the voice of a satnav specifically designed for senior citizens in BBC 2's TV Show Top Gear, Series 19, episode 5, which aired only a week after his death.

Richard Briers starred as Hector in the first three series of Monarch of the Glen from 2000 to 2002, a role which saw him return to the limelight.

Richard Briers contributed "Sonnet 55" to the 2002 compilation album, When Love Speaks, which features famous actors and musicians interpreting Shakespeare's sonnets and play excerpts.

Richard Briers made a cameo appearance as a dying recluse in the 2008 Torchwood episode "A Day in the Death".

On 17 December 2000, Richard Briers was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.

Richard Briers met Ann Davies while both were at Liverpool Rep.

At Eddington's memorial service, Richard Briers read both from Cymbeline and Wodehouse; he later read chapters from Eddington's autobiography on BBC Radio 4.

In 2014, BBC Radio 4 broadcast Memories of a Cad, an affectionate comedy drama by Roy Smiles about the relationship between Terry-Thomas and Richard Briers, played by Martin Jarvis and Alistair McGowan respectively.

Richard Briers helped to launch a Sense, The National Deafblind and Rubella Association campaign.

Richard Briers was a non-medical patron of the TOFS charity, which supports children and the families of children born unable to swallow.

Richard Briers was a keen visitor of Britain's historic churches, and visited over one hundred for his book English Country Churches, which was published in 1988.

Richard Briers died at his home in Bedford Park, London, on 17 February 2013 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Richard Briers's funeral was held at the local church of St Michael and All Angels in Chiswick on 6 March 2013.

Richard Briers was greatly loved and he is deeply missed.

On Christmas Day 2013, BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast a day of tribute to Richard Briers titled "Ever Increasing Wonder", with a variety of his BBC Radio recordings, many of them introduced by those who knew him and worked with him.