Editing Richard Briers

{{Short description|English actor (1934–2013)}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Richard Briers
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|size=100%|country=GBR|CBE}}
| image = Richard Briers Memorabilia March 2009 crop.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Briers in 2009
| birth_name = Richard David Briers
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|01|14|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Raynes Park]], [[Surrey]],<!-- it was in Surrey when he was born --> England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|2|17|1934|01|14|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Bedford Park, London|Bedford Park]], [[London]], England
| resting_place = [[Mortlake Crematorium]], London, England
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1958–2013
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Ann Davies (actress)|Ann Davies]]|1956}}
| children = 2, including [[Lucy Briers]]
}}
'''Richard David Briers''' (14 January 1934 – 17 February 2013) was an English actor whose five-decade career encompassed film, radio, stage and television.

Briers first came to prominence as George Starling in ''[[Marriage Lines]]'' (1961–66), but it was a few years later, when he narrated ''[[Roobarb]]'' (1974–76) and ''[[Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk]]'' (1976–77) and played Tom Good in the [[BBC]] [[British sitcom|sitcom]] ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]'' (1975–78), that he became a household name. He starred as Martin in ''[[Ever Decreasing Circles]]'' (1984–89), and had a leading role as Hector in ''[[Monarch of the Glen (TV series)|Monarch of the Glen]]'' (2000–05). From the late 1980s, with [[Kenneth Branagh]] as director, he performed Shakespearean roles in ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]'' (1989), ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (1993), ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1996) and ''[[As You Like It (2006 film)|As You Like It]]'' (2006), and also appeared in Branagh’s ''[[Swan Song (1992 film)|Swan Song]]'' (1992), ''[[Peter's Friends]]'' (1992), ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein]]'' (1994), and ''[[In the Bleak Midwinter (film)|In the Bleak Midwinter]]'' (1995).
==Early life==
Briers was born on 14 January 1934 in [[Raynes Park]], [[Surrey]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Coveney|first=Michael|title=Richard Briers obituary|work=The Guardian|date=18 February 2013|accessdate=14 January 2023|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/feb/18/richard-briers}}</ref> the son of Joseph Benjamin Briers (1901–1980) and his second wife{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 12-13}} Morna Phyllis (1909–1992), daughter of Frederick Richardson, of the [[Indian Civil Service]].{{sfn|Hogg|2018|p= 10}}<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.filmreference.com/film/67/Richard-Briers.html | title = Richard Briers Biography | publisher = Filmreference.com | access-date = 18 February 2013}}</ref> He was the first cousin once removed of actor [[Terry-Thomas]] (Terry-Thomas was his father's cousin).<ref name="Tel o"/> He spent his childhood at Raynes Park in a flat, Number 2 Pepys Court, behind the now demolished Rialto cinema, and later at [[Guildford]].<ref name="The Good Life">{{cite news|title=A Celebration of The Good Life|publisher=Orion Books|year=2000}}</ref> His father, Joseph Briers, was the son of a [[stockbroker]], of a family of Middlesex [[tenant farmer]]s; a gregarious and popular man, he contended with a nervous disposition, and drifted between jobs, spending most of his life as a bookmaker but also working as, amongst other things, an [[estate agent]]'s clerk and a factory worker for an [[air filter]] manufacturer, as well as being a gifted amateur singer who attended classes at the [[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]].{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 13-15}} His mother, Morna Briers, was a concert pianist and a drama and music teacher, and a member of [[Equity (British trade union)|Equity]], who wished for a showbusiness career, having acted in her youth. The couple had met when Joseph 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.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 12-13}} The family occasionally received money from a wealthy relation, and Briers's maternal grandparents paid for his education, despite not being particularly well-off, and having lived in slightly reduced circumstances in India before returning to England and coming to live at Wimbledon.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 13-15}}<ref name="Tel o"/>

Briers attended [[Rokeby Preparatory School|Rokeby School]] in [[Kingston-upon-Thames]], Surrey, and, having failed the examination for [[King's College School]], the Ridgeway School in [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]],<ref name="Tel o">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9877607/Richard-Briers.html|title=Richard Briers Obituary |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=23 February 2013 |date=18 February 2013}}</ref> which he left at the age of 16 without any formal qualifications.<ref name="The Good Life"/>

==Early career==
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.<ref name="The Good Life"/>

Aged 18, Briers was called up for two years' [[national service]] in the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF), during which he was a filing clerk at [[Northwood Headquarters|RAF Northwood]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about_us/who_we_are/our_honorary_vice_president.aspx |publisher=Parkinson's UK |access-date=18 February 2013 |title=Richard Briers, Honorary Vice President |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517084331/http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about_us/who_we_are/our_honorary_vice_president.aspx |archive-date=17 May 2012 }}</ref> where he met future ''[[George and Mildred]]'' actor [[Brian Murphy (actor)|Brian Murphy]]. Murphy introduced 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, Briers studied at [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art|RADA]], which he attended from 1954 to 1956.<ref name="The Good Life"/> Placed in a class with both [[Peter O'Toole]] and [[Albert Finney]], Briers later credited academy director John Fernald with nurturing his talent.<ref name=bbcobit>{{cite news | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21294570 | title = Obituary: Richard Briers | date = 18 February 2013 | access-date = 18 February 2013 | work = BBC News}}</ref> Graduating from RADA with a silver medal,<ref name=Indp1313648/> he won a scholarship with the Liverpool Repertory Company, and after 15 months moved to the [[Belgrade Theatre]] in [[Coventry]] for 6 months. He made his [[West End theatre|West End]] debut in the [[Duke of York's Theatre]] 1959 production of ''Gilt And Gingerbread'' by [[Lionel Hale]].<ref name=bbcobit/><ref name="Coveney">{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/feb/18/richard-briers | work = The Guardian | title = Richard Briers obituary | first =Michael | last = Goveney | access-date = 18 February 2013 | date = 23 February 2013}}</ref>

==Television career==

In 1961, Briers was cast in the leading role in ''[[Marriage Lines]]'' (1961–66), with [[Prunella Scales]] playing the role of his wife. For ''Marriage Lines'', ''Simon and Laura'', ''Points of View'', [[Present Laughter (Play of the Week)|''Present Laughter'']] - ''Excerpt'', ''Charley's Aunt'' and ''To You at Home Today'', Briers was nominated for the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]] in 1966.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Actor |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/television/actor-television |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref> In between the pilot and the series itself, Briers appeared in ''[[Brothers in Law (TV series)|Brothers in Law]]'' (from the book by [[Henry Cecil Leon|Henry Cecil]]) as callow barrister Roger Thursby in 1962. He was cast in this role by adaptors [[Frank Muir]] and [[Denis Norden]], who had seen him in the West End.

His other early appearances included ''[[Faces of Jim|The Seven Faces of Jim]]'' (1961) with [[Jimmy Edwards]], ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'' (1962), a production of [[Noël Coward]]'s ''[[Hay Fever (play)|Hay Fever]]'' (1968) and the storyteller in several episodes of ''[[Jackanory]]'' (1969).{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 158-159}} In 1970, he starred in the Ben Travers farce "Rookery Nook", shown on the BBC.  In the 1980s he played several Shakespearean roles, including ''Twelfth Night''.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 263-266}}

Briers was a subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' on two occasions, in May 1972<ref>{{cite news |title= Thames take first three in TV ratings |date= 13 May 1972 |work= The Daily Telegraph |location= London |issue= 36390 |page= 11 }}</ref> and in March 1994.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 36, 169}}

In a role specifically written for him by [[Esmonde and Larbey|John Esmonde and Bob Larbey]], Briers was cast in the lead role in ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]'' (1975–78), playing Tom Good, a [[Technical drawing|draughtsman]] who decides, on his 40th birthday, to give up his job and try his hand at [[self-sufficiency]], with the support of his wife Barbara, played by [[Felicity Kendal]]. Briers persuaded the producers to cast his friend [[Paul Eddington]], a fellow council member of [[Equity (trade union)|Equity]], in the role of Jerry.<ref name=Indp1313648/> An enormously successful series, the last episode in 1978 was performed in front of Queen [[Elizabeth II]]. In 1977, he starred with his ''The Good Life'' co-star [[Penelope Keith]] in the televised version of [[Alan Ayckbourn]]'s trilogy ''[[The Norman Conquests]]''.<ref name=bbcobit/> He also starred as Ralph in 13 episodes of ''The Other One'' (1977–79) with [[Michael Gambon]].{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 268-269}} In 1977, for ''The Good Life'' and ''One-Upmanship'', he was nominated for the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance|British Academy Television Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Light Entertainment Performance |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/television/light-entertainment-performance |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>

During the 1980s and 1990s, Briers had leading roles in several television shows, including ''[[Goodbye, Mr Kent]]'' (1982), a rare failure also featuring [[Hannah Gordon]]; the lead role of Martin Bryce in ''[[Ever Decreasing Circles]]'' (1984–89); and as Godfrey Spry in the BBC comedy drama ''[[If You See God, Tell Him]]'' (1993). He also starred in ''[[All in Good Faith]]'' (1985), ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)|Tales of the Unexpected]]'' as Albert Dobson (in episode 9/4 "The Verger" – 1988), and the first episode of ''[[Mr. Bean]]'' (1990) as Mr. Sprout. In 1987, he appeared as the principal villain in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' serial ''[[Paradise Towers]]'', a performance which was described by ''[[Radio Times]]'' writer Patrick Mulkern as Briers's "career low".<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-07-17/paradise-towers/ | title= Doctor Who: Paradise Towers | work=Radio Times | first=Patrick | last=Mulkern | access-date=16 June 2013}}</ref> In 1995, he played the character Tony Fairfax in the BBC comedy ''[[Down to Earth (1995 TV series)|Down to Earth]]''. In the ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'' episode "[[Death Is Now My Neighbour (TV)|Death is Now My Neighbour]]", he played the evil master of Lonsdale College, Sir Clixby Bream.<ref name=hits>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/celebrity-news-video/9877592/Richard-Briers-TV-hits.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130221082824/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/celebrity-news-video/9877592/Richard-Briers-TV-hits.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 21 February 2013 | work = The Daily Telegraph | location = London | access-date = 18 February 2013 | date = 18 February 2013 | title = Richard Briers' TV hits}}</ref>

During the 2000s, Briers was the curmudgeonly and extravagant father Hector MacDonald in the BBC television programme ''[[Monarch of the Glen (TV series)|Monarch of the Glen]]'' (2000–05), appearing in series 1, 2, 3 and 7.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 310-311}} Also in the 2000s, specifically 2006, he appeared in an episode of [[New Tricks]] entitled Old Dogs playing a character called James Farlow.<ref name=TV>{{citation | url = https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0796136 | title = New Tricks - Old Dogs - James Farlow}}</ref>

==Stage work==
Briers spent much of his career in the theatre, including appearances in plays by [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] and [[George Bernard Shaw]]. In 1967, one of his earliest successes was playing alongside [[Michael Hordern]] and [[Celia Johnson]] in the London production of Alan Ayckbourn's ''[[Relatively Speaking (Ayckbourn play)|Relatively Speaking]]''.<ref name="The Good Life"/>

After a long career in television sitcom, and looking to expand his career, his daughter Lucy took him to [[Stratford-upon-Avon]] to watch [[Kenneth Branagh]] in ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]''.<ref name=GuardCvZ/> After meeting Branagh backstage after the performance, Branagh offered Briers the role of [[Malvolio]] in the [[Renaissance Theatre Company]] production of ''[[Twelfth Night]]''.<ref name=bbcobit/> Briers joined the company, and went on to play title parts in ''[[King Lear]]'' and ''[[Uncle Vanya]]''. Briers also appeared in many of Branagh's films, including  ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]'' (1989, as Bardolph), ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (1993, as Signor Leonato) and ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1996, as [[Polonius]]). The theatre production of ''[[Twelfth Night (1988 TV drama)|Twelfth Night]]'' (1988) was adapted for television, with Briers reprising his role as Malvolio.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/feb/18/richard-briers-stage-good-life | work = [[The Guardian]] | access-date = 18 February 2013 | date = 18 February 2013 | title = Richard Briers was a potent presence on stage, as well as in The Good Life | first = Michael | last = Billington |author-link = Michael Billington (critic)}}</ref>

In 1990, Briers appeared in [[The Wind in the Willows|''The Wind in the Willows'']] at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]], which earnt him a nomination for the [[1991 Laurence Olivier Awards|following year's]] [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olivier Winners 1991 |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1991/ |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Olivier Awards |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2010, Briers played in the [[Royal National Theatre]] revival of [[Dion Boucicault]]'s ''[[London Assurance]]'', alongside [[Simon Russell Beale]] and [[Fiona Shaw]]. A performance of this was broadcast live to cinemas round the world as part of the ''NT Live!'' programme.<ref>{{citation|title=Briers, Shaw and Russell Beale Lead National Spring Season|date=13 November 2009|url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/briers-shaw-and-russell-beale-lead-national-spring-season-108240/|publisher=OfficialLondonTheatre.com|access-date=31 October 2017}}</ref> He also played the character of Captain Bluntschli, in [[George Bernard Shaw]]'s play ''[[Arms and the Man]]''.

==Film==
Briers made his film début in the British feature film ''[[Bottoms Up (1960 film)|Bottoms Up]]'' (1960).<ref name=bbcobit/> He then took parts in ''[[Murder She Said]]'' (1961), ''[[The Girl on the Boat (film)|The Girl on the Boat]]'' (1962), ''[[A Matter of WHO]]'' (1962), ''[[The V.I.P.s (film)|The V.I.P.s]]'' (1963); and [[Raquel Welch]]'s spy spoof ''[[Fathom (1967 film)|Fathom]]'' (1967).<ref name=bbcobit/>

He later appeared in [[Michael Winner]]'s ''[[A Chorus of Disapproval (film)|A Chorus of Disapproval]]'' (1988) and the film ''[[Unconditional Love (2002 film)|Unconditional Love]]'' (2002), as well as the Kenneth Branagh adaptation of ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (1993), in which he played the role of Leonato.<ref name=bbcobit/> In 1997 he played the Archbishop of Canterbury, a minor role in the film ''[[Spice World (film)|Spice World]]''. His last film was ''[[Cockneys vs Zombies]]'' (2012).<ref name=GuardCvZ>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/nov/08/richard-briers-cockneys-vs-zombies |title=Richard Briers on Cockneys Vs Zombies |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=8 November 2012 |access-date=18 February 2013 |first=Stuart |last=Heritage}}</ref>

==Radio and voice work==
He was a familiar [[Voice acting|voice actor]]. Briers [[Narration|narrated]] the animated children's TV programme ''[[Roobarb]]'' (1974). Originally shown on BBC1 just before the evening [[news]], each five-minute cartoon was written by [[Grange Calveley]] and produced by [[Bob Godfrey]]. He was the original narrator and voice actor for all the characters in the ''[[Noddy (character)|Noddy]]'' (1975) TV series based on the [[Enid Blyton]] character,<ref name=bbcobit/> and then another series with Godfrey, ''[[Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk]]'' (1976). He also provided the voice of Fiver in the animated film adaptation of ''[[Watership Down (film)|Watership Down]]'' (1978). In 1990 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. The series ran for ten episodes and first aired on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] on 23 April 1990. In the 1990s, he voiced the part of Mouse, opposite [[Alan Bennett]]'s Mole in the TV series ''[[Mouse and Mole]]'', based on books by Joyce Dunbar and [[James Mayhew]]. He latterly starred alongside [[Neil Morrissey]] in ''[[Bob the Builder]]'' (2005) as Bob's Dad, Robert to his credit. As well as performing all 12 of Fiona Waters' stories on the 1995 ''Stories For Bedtime'' book for [[Cassette tape|audio cassette]], he recorded all 4 of the seasonal ''[[Percy the Park Keeper]]'' stories for a grand [[Compact disc|CD]] release based on the books by [[Nick Butterworth]], creating memorable voices for all of the animal characters as well as Percy the Park Keeper himself. Briers also featured in the television series adaptation of ''[[Watership Down (1999 TV series)|Watership Down]]'' (1999–2001), this time voicing a series exclusive character called Captain Broom, and was one of the very few actors who stayed for all three series.

His work in radio included playing Dr. Simon Sparrow in [[BBC Radio 4]]'s adaptions of [[Richard Gordon (English author)|Richard Gordon]]'s ''[[Doctor in the House (novel)|Doctor in the House]]'' and ''Doctor at Large'' (1968), and a retired thespian in a series of six plays with [[Stanley Baxter]] ''[[Marilyn Imrie#Two Pipe Problems: A Streetcar Named Revenge|Two Pipe Problems]]'' (2008), and later the play ''Not Talking'', commissioned for [[BBC Radio 3]] by [[Mike Bartlett (playwright)|Mike Bartlett]]. In 1986 he narrated Radio 4's ''Oh, yes it is!'', a history of pantomime written by Gerald Frow. Between 1973 and 1981, Briers played [[Bertie Wooster]] in the radio series ''[[What Ho! Jeeves]]'' with [[Michael Hordern]] as [[Jeeves]].<ref>Taves, Brian. ''P.G. Wodehouse And Hollywood: Screenwriting, Satires And Adaptations'', Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2006, p.128</ref>

Briers narrated numerous commercials, including adverts for the [[Midland Bank]] in which he was the voice of the company's Griffin symbol. Between 1984 and 1986 he made a series of commercials for the [[Ford Sierra]] done in a sitcom style portraying the Sierra as "one of the family".<ref name=bbcobit/> 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. He also recorded the voice of a [[Satellite navigation|satnav]] specifically designed for senior citizens in [[BBC 2]]'s TV Show ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'', Series 19, episode 5, which aired only a week after his death. Presenter [[Jeremy Clarkson]] paid a brief tribute to his memory at the end of the episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r2ckq|title=Episode 5, Series 19, Top Gear – BBC Two|publisher=BBC}} Briers also briefly provided a voice-over for [[Top Up TV|'Top-UP TV']] commercials – a digital TV service in the UK, following the collapse of ITV Digital/On Digital, with the catchphrase 'Fancy a top up?' in Briers's inimitable vocal style.</ref>

==Later career==
After 1990, he appeared in ''[[Lovejoy]]'', ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'', ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' "[[Death's Shadow (Midsomer Murders)|Death's Shadow]]" as Stephen Wentworth in 1999, ''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'', ''[[New Tricks]]'', ''[[Kingdom (2007 TV series)|Kingdom]]'', and ''[[If You See God, Tell Him]]''. Richard Briers starred as Hector in the first three series of ''[[Monarch of the Glen (TV series)|Monarch of the Glen]]'' from 2000 to 2002 (and as a guest in series 7 in 2005), a role which saw him return to the limelight. He contributed "[[Sonnet 55]]" to the 2002 [[compilation album]], ''[[When Love Speaks]]'', which features famous actors and musicians interpreting Shakespeare's [[sonnet]]s and play excerpts. In 2005, he appeared alongside [[Kevin Whately]] in ''[[Dad (2005 film)|Dad]]'', a TV Film made by [[BBC Wales]] exploring issues of [[elder abuse]]. In 2006, he made an appearance in an episode of ''[[Extras (TV series)|Extras]]'', and portrayed the servant Adam in Kenneth Branagh's 2006 Shakespeare adaptation, ''[[As You Like It (2006 film)|As You Like It]]''. He made a cameo appearance as a dying recluse in the 2008 ''[[Torchwood]]'' episode "[[A Day in the Death]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=A new face for Torchwood and a new look for Martha |publisher=BBC Press Office |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/08_august/15/torchwood.shtml |access-date=18 February 2013 | date = 15 August 2007}}</ref> In 2009 he appeared in Agatha Christie's Marple "Why didn't they ask Evans?" as Wilson.

On 17 December 2000, Briers was the guest on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Desert Island Discs]]''. Among his musical choices were "Di quella pira" from ''[[Il trovatore]]'' by [[Giuseppe Verdi]], "I Feel A Song Coming On" by [[Al Jolson]] and "[[On the Sunny Side of the Street]]" by [[Louis Armstrong]]. His favourite piece was the Organ Concerto in F major "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" by [[George Frideric Handel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00949dk|title=Richard Briers, Desert Island Discs – BBC Radio 4|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Briers met [[Ann Davies (actress)|Ann Davies]] while both were at Liverpool Rep. Davies was employed as a stage manager, and had acted on television and in films from the mid-1950s. Soon after meeting, he borrowed £5 from his mother, bought an engagement ring and they were married within six months.<ref name="The Good Life"/> They had two daughters, one of whom, [[Lucy Briers|Lucy]], is also an actress.<ref name="Coveney"/><ref name="Dowell">{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/feb/18/richard-briers-good-life-dies|title= The Good Life's Richard Briers dies at 79|date=18 February 2013|work= Guardian UK|first =Ben|last=Dowell|access-date=18 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Paton">{{cite news|author=Paton, Maureen|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/10422484/Lucy-Briers-Emphysema-robbed-my-father-of-his-laughter.html|title=Lucy Briers: 'Emphysema robbed my father of his laughter'|work= The Daily Telegraph|date= 2 November 2013|access-date = 2 July 2022}}</ref>

Briers and his friend [[Paul Eddington]] shared a similar sense of humour, and knew each other before being cast in ''The Good Life''. After Eddington was diagnosed with [[skin cancer]], Briers accepted a role opposite him in [[David Storey]]'s play ''[[Home (Storey play)|Home]]'' in 1994, agreeing to take on all of the publicity interviews to allow Eddington time for his treatment. At Eddington's memorial service, Briers read both from ''[[Cymbeline]]'' and Wodehouse; he later read chapters from Eddington's autobiography on [[BBC Radio 4]].<ref name=Indp1313648>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/how-we-met-patricia-eddington-and-richard-briers-1313648.html |title=How We Met; Patricia Eddington and Richard Briers |work=The Independent |location=London |date=8 December 1996 |access-date=18 February 2013}}</ref>

In 2014, BBC Radio 4 broadcast ''Memories of a Cad'', an affectionate comedy drama by [[Roy Smiles]] about the relationship between [[Terry-Thomas]] and Briers, played by [[Martin Jarvis (actor)|Martin Jarvis]] and [[Alistair McGowan]] respectively. Set in 1984 when he had suffered from [[Parkinson's disease]] for many years, Terry-Thomas is delighted by the visit to his home in Ibiza of the much younger Briers, whom he recognises from television, and who proves to be his first cousin once removed. Briers cheers him up by recalling the career the film-star has long forgotten.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vkjsm ''Afternoon Drama: Memories of a Cad'']. ''BBC Radio 4'', 30 December 2014.</ref> It was re-broadcast in 2016.

As a result of Terry-Thomas's Parkinson's, Briers became President of [[Parkinson's UK]].<ref>Parkinson's annual report 2003</ref> He also helped to launch a [[Sense, The National Deafblind and Rubella Association]] campaign. Briers was also a non-medical patron of the TOFS ([[Tracheoesophageal fistula|Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula]] Support) charity, which supports children and the families of children born unable to swallow.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.tofs.org.uk/index.php/about_tofs/patrons| publisher = Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula Support | access-date = 18 February 2013 | title = Patrons }}</ref>

Interviewed by ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' in 2008, Briers admitted that, while on holiday, he enjoyed being recognised, saying, "I'm gregarious by nature, so I love chatting to people. It really cheers me up."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hubs/heavenandhell/3524751/Richard-Brierss-heaven-and-hell.html |title=Richard Briers's heaven and hell |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=19 February 2013 |date=26 November 2008}}</ref>

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. From his national service in the RAF, he was a supporter for a national memorial for [[RAF Bomber Command]].<ref name=ITVRAF>{{cite news |url=http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2013-02-18/poignant-interview-with-richard-briers-supporter-of-bomber-command/ |title=Poignant interview with Richard Briers, supporter of Bomber Command |work=[[ITV.com]] |access-date=18 February 2013}}</ref>

Briers was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] in 1989, and CBE in 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2988170.stm|title=Richard Briers' classic | work=BBC News | date=13 June 2003}}</ref>

==Declining health and death==
According to his daughter Lucy, he quit smoking in 2001 immediately after a routine chest X-ray suggested he would otherwise soon be in a wheelchair.<ref name="Paton"/> He was diagnosed with [[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease|emphysema]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last= Paton |first= Maureen |date= 2 November 2013 |title= Lucy Briers: 'Emphysema robbed my father of his laughter' |work= The Telegraph |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/10422484/Lucy-Briers-Emphysema-robbed-my-father-of-his-laughter.html |access-date=27 February 2024 }}</ref>

Briers died at his home in [[Bedford Park, London]], on 17 February 2013<ref name="Dowell"/> of [[chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]].<ref name="Paton"/> His funeral was held at the local church of [[St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park|St Michael and All Angels]] in [[Chiswick]] on 6 March 2013.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 333}}

==Tributes==
The BBC referred to Richard Briers as "one of Britain's best-loved actors".<ref name="bbcobit"/> Sir [[Kenneth Branagh]] paid tribute to him, saying, "He was a national treasure, a great actor and a wonderful man. He was greatly loved and he is deeply missed."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-19/veteran-british-actor-richard-briers-dies-aged-79/4526116 |title=Veteran British actor Richard Briers dies aged 79 |newspaper=ABC News |date=18 February 2013 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=18 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9877376/Richard-Briers-The-Good-Life-star-dies-aged-79.html |title=Richard Briers: The Good Life star dies aged 79 |date=18 February 2013 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=19 February 2013 }}</ref>

Briers's agent, Christopher Farrar, said: "Richard was a wonderful man, a consummate professional and an absolute joy to work alongside. Following his recent discussion of his battle with emphysema, I know he was incredibly touched by the strength of support expressed by friends and the public."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2013/02/richard-briers-dies-aged-79/ |title="Richard Briers dies aged 79" at |work=The Stage |access-date=19 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-good-life-actor-richard-briers-dies-aged-79-after-battle-with-lung-disease-8499744.html |title=The Good Life actor Richard Briers dies aged 79 after battle with lung disease |date=18 February 2013 |work=The Independent |location=London |access-date=19 February 2013 |first=Matilda |last=Battersby}}</ref>

Fellow television star [[Penelope Keith]] said, "He was always courteous, always generous and always self-deprecating" adding, "He was also such a clever actor that he made you feel secure. You believed he was who he was portraying on the screen or on the stage... I just think of Richard and smile."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9879312/Richard-Briers-was-laughing-and-joking-right-up-until-his-death-says-fellow-Good-Life-star-Penelope-Keith.html |title=Richard Briers was 'laughing and joking' right up until his death, says fellow Good Life star Penelope Keith |author=Philipson, Alice |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |access-date=19 February 2013 |date=19 February 2013}}</ref>

Writing in ''[[The Guardian]]'', critic [[Michael Coveney]] described Briers as "always the most modest and self-deprecating of actors, and the sweetest of men," and noted: "Although he excelled in the plays of Alan Ayckbourn, and became a national figure in his television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s, notably ''The Good Life'', he could mine hidden depths on stage, giving notable performances in [[Ibsen]], [[Chekhov]] and, for Kenneth Branagh's Renaissance company, [[Shakespeare]]."<ref name="Coveney"/>

On 30 March 2013, [[BBC Two]] broadcast a one-hour long review of Briers's life and career, with tributes from many friends and colleagues.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01rrgg4/Richard_Briers_A_Tribute/ |title=Richard Briers: A Tribute |publisher=BBC |year=2013 |access-date=30 March 2013}}</ref>

===''Ever Increasing Wonder''===
On Christmas Day 2013,<ref name="4 extra schedule">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl7l/2013/12/25|title=BBC Radio 4 Extra – Schedules, Wednesday 25 December 2013|publisher=BBC}}</ref> [[BBC Radio 4 Extra]] broadcast a day of tribute to Briers titled "Ever Increasing Wonder",<ref name="Ever Increasing Wonder">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/entries/7232fcf7-c15c-3d17-9555-1c0d8cdb4a03|title=Ever Increasing Wonder – Remembering Richard Briers|date=24 December 2013|website=The Radio 4 Blog}}</ref> with a variety of his BBC Radio recordings, many of them introduced by those who knew him and worked with him. Guest speakers included: [[Prunella Scales]], [[Stephen Fry]], [[Michael Chaplin (writer)|Michael Chaplin]], [[Alan Bennett]], [[Michael Ball (singer)|Michael Ball]], [[Kenneth Branagh]], [[Ed Harris (playwright)|Ed Harris]] as well as Briers's widow [[Ann Davies (actress)|Ann Davies]] and their daughters.

==Radio==
{{div col}}
*''Brothers in Law'' (adaptation of the [[Brothers in Law (TV series)|TV series]])
*''Doctor in the House'' (adaptation of the [[Doctor in the House (TV series)|TV series]])
*''Marriage Lines'' (adaptation of the [[Marriage Lines|TV series]])
*''[[Largo desolato]]'' (by [[Václav Havel]])
*''What Ho! Jeeves: Joy in the Morning'' (adaptation of the [[Joy in the Morning (Wodehouse novel)|novel]] by [[P. G. Wodehouse]])
* ''[[The Wind in the Willows]]'' (by [[Kenneth Grahame]], dramatised by Alan Bennett)
* [[Aled Jones]]'s interview of Briers
{{div col end}}

==Selected filmography==

===Film===
{{div col}}
* ''[[Girls at Sea (1958 film)|Girls at Sea]]'' (1958) – 'Popeye' Lewis
* ''[[Bottoms Up (1960 film)|Bottoms Up]]'' (1960) – Colbourne
* ''[[Murder, She Said]]'' (1961) – 'Mrs. Binster'
* ''[[A Matter of WHO]]'' (1961) – Jamieson
* ''[[The Girl on the Boat (film)|The Girl on the Boat]]'' (1962) – Eustace Hignett
* ''[[The V.I.P.s (film)|The V.I.P.s]]'' (1963) – Met. Official (uncredited)
* ''[[Doctor in Distress (film)|Doctor in Distress]]'' (1963) – Medical Student (uncredited)
* ''[[The Bargee]]'' (1964) – Tomkins
* ''[[A Home of Your Own]]'' (1965) – The Husband
* ''[[Fathom (1967 film)|Fathom]]'' (1967) – Timothy
* ''[[All the Way Up (film)|All the Way Up]]'' (1970) – Nigel Hadfield
* ''[[Rentadick]]'' (1972) – Miles Gannet
* ''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (1973) – King Louis XIII (voice, uncredited)
* ''[[Watership Down (film)|Watership Down]]'' (1978) – Fiver (voice)
* ''[[A Chorus of Disapproval (film)|A Chorus of Disapproval]]'' (1989) – Ted Washbrook
* ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]'' (1989) – Lieutenant Bardolph
* ''[[Peter's Friends]]'' (1992) – Lord Morton
* ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (1993) – Leonato
* ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Frankenstein]]'' (1994) – Grandfather
* ''[[In the Bleak Midwinter (film)|A Midwinter's Tale]]'' (1995) – Henry Wakefield (Claudius, the Ghost, and the Player King)
* ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1996) – Polonius
* ''[[Spice World (film)|Spice World]]'' (1997) – Bishop
* ''[[Love's Labour's Lost (film)|Love's Labour's Lost]]'' (2000) – Sir Nathaniel
* ''[[Unconditional Love (2002 film)|Unconditional Love]]'' (2002) – Barry Moore
* ''[[Peter Pan (2003 film)|Peter Pan]]'' (2003) – Smee
* ''[[As You Like It (2006 film)|As You Like It]]'' (2006) – Adam
* ''[[Run for Your Wife (2012 film)|Run for Your Wife]]'' (2012) – Newspaper Seller
* ''[[Cockneys vs Zombies]]'' (2012) – Hamish
{{div col end}}

===Television===
{{div col}}
* ''[[Faces of Jim]]'' - Various characters
* ''[[Marriage Lines]]'' (1961–1966) – George Starling
* ''[[Ben Travers' Farces]]'' (1970) – Various characters
* ''[[Rookery Nook (1970 TV drama)|Rookery Nook]]'' (1970) – Gerald Popkiss
* ''[[Birds on the Wing]]'' (1971) – Charles Jackson
* ''[[Roobarb and Custard Too|Roobarb and Custard]]'' (1974, 2005) – All voices
* ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]'' (1975–1978) – Tom Good
* ''[[The Other One (1977 TV series)|The Other One]]'' (1977–1979) – Ralph Tanner
* ''[[Goodbye, Mr Kent]]'' (1982) – Travis Kent
* ''[[Ever Decreasing Circles]]'' (1984–1989) – Martin Bryce
* ''[[All in Good Faith]]'' (1985–1988) – Reverend Philip Lambe
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (1987), (Serial: "[[Paradise Towers]]") – Chief Caretaker/Kroagnon
* ''[[Mr. Bean]]'' (1990), (Episode: "Mr. Bean") – Mr. Sprout
* ''[[If You See God, Tell Him]]'' (1993) – Godfrey Spry
* ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'' (1997), (Episode: Death is Now My Neighbour) – Sir Clixby Bream
* ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' (1999), (Episode: "Death's Shadow) – Stephen Wentworth
* ''[[Monarch of the Glen (TV series)|Monarch of the Glen]]'' (2000–2005) – Hector MacDonald
* ''Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-a-Lot'' (2003) - Robert (voice; UK dub)
* ''Bob the Builder: Project Build it'' (2005-2007) - Robert (voice; UK dub)
* ''Bob the Builder: When Bob Became a Builder'' (2005) - Robert (voice; UK dub)
* ''Bob the Builder: Scrambler to the Rescue'' (2007) - Robert (voice; UK dub)
* ''Bob the Builder: Race to the Finish'' (2008) - Robert (voice; UK dub)
* ''[[Torchwood]]'' (2008), (Episode: "[[A Day in the Death]]") – Henry Parker
* ''National Theatre Live: London Assurance'' (2010) – Mr. Adolphus Spanker
* ''The Only One Who Knows You're Afraid'' (2011) – Narrator
* ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'' (series 19, episode 5) – Sat Nav voice (posthumous release)
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Hogg|first=James|title=More than Just a Good Life: The Authorised Biography of Richard Briers|date=2018|publisher=Little, Brown |isbn=978-1-4721-2922-2}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0001972}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170425033507/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f3b0888 Richard Briers] at the [[British Film Institute]]
*{{IBDB name|33027}}
*[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1157964/index.html Richard Briers] at BFI ScreenOnline
*[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/richard-briers-much-loved-actor-of-stage-and-screen-who-rose-to-prominence-as-a-pioneering-suburban-8500350.html Obituary] in [[The Independent]] by [[Marcus Williamson]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Briers, Richard}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Merton]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:Audiobook narrators]]
[[Category:Comedians from Surrey]]
[[Category:Comedians from the London Borough of Merton]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Deaths from emphysema]]
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male radio actors]]
[[Category:English male Shakespearean actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English male voice actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Surrey]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Surrey]]