Cherished actor and comedian Brian Murphy has died at 92. Best known for his iconic roles in the 1970s British sitcoms ‘Man About the House’ and ‘George and Mildred’, Murphy also featured in a variety of ITV dramas and comedies throughout his later years.
He passed away peacefully at his home in Kent on Sunday morning, reports the Mirror. Murphy is survived by his wife, ‘Hi-de-Hi!’ actress Linda Regan, and their two sons.
In a heartfelt statement, she said: “I was lucky to have in my lifetime found my soulmate. Brian who I will love forever.” His agent, Thomas Bowington, also paid tribute to a “joyful and profoundly good-hearted man”, commending both his “talent and humanity”.
Murphy’s early career was notably shaped by his collaboration with theatre director Joan Littlewood. More recently, he appeared in BBC’s ‘Holby City’, ‘The Catherine Tate Show’, ITV’s ‘Benidorm’, and ‘Last of the Summer Wine’.
Born on the Isle of Wight in 1932, Murphy embarked on his acting career in the 1950s with the innovative Theatre Workshop, co-founded by Joan Littlewood and Gerry Raffles, which aimed to revolutionise theatre and engage working-class audiences.
Murphy demonstrated his acting prowess in numerous Shakespeare productions directed by Littlewood, and also took a leading role in her only feature film, the kitchen sink comedy Sparrows Can’t Sing. He is perhaps best known for his part in Man About the House, an ITV sitcom that delved into the dynamics of one man and two women sharing a flat in the 1970s.
He later starred in the spin-off George and Mildred, where Murphy played the downtrodden George Roper alongside fellow Theatre Workshop actress Yootha Joyce as his wife.
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