Richard Briers
Known for Acting · 125 credits
- Born
- 1934-01-14
- Died
- 2013-02-17
- Place of birth
- 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
TV Shows (61)
Midsomer Murders
1997
as Stephen Wentworth
Play for Today
1970
as Mr. Smythe / Commander Jack Broome
Doctor Who
1963
as Chief Caretaker
Wogan
1982
as Self
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Nominee
Natural World
1983
Agatha Christie's Marple
2004
as Wilson
BBC Play of the Month
1965
as Sandy Tyrell
Screen Two
1985
as Old Arthur/George
Mr. Bean
1990
as Mr. Sprout
Tales of the Unexpected
1979
as Albert Dobson
New Tricks
2004
as James Farlow
Theatre 625
1964
as David Prentice
Torchwood
2006
as Parker
ITV Playhouse
1967
as A
Parkinson
1998
as Self
Dixon of Dock Green
1955
as Ken Tracey
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001
as Self
Monarch of the Glen
2000
as Hector MacDonald
Lovejoy
1986
as Raymond Doncaster
Extras
2005
as Richard Briers
Kingdom
2007
as Jim Wright
Brass Eye
1997
as Self
Thursday Theatre
1964
as David Prentice
The Sunday Drama
1977
as Dennis
Watership Down
1999
as Captain Broom (voice)
Comedy Connections
2003
The Good Life
1975
as Tom Good
Ooh La La!
1968
Roobarb and Custard Too
2005
as Narrator
Faces of Jim
1961
as John Frobisher / Lighthouse Assistant / Ricky Groin
The Galton & Simpson Playhouse
1977
as Henry Fairlane
Ben Travers Farces
1970
as Charlie Tutt
Armchair Theatre
1956
as Stanley Frelaine
Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk
1976
Marriage Lines
1961
as George Starling
That's What I Call Television
2007
as Self
A Respectable Trade
1998
as Sir Charles Fairley
From a Bird's Eye View
1970
as George Lemon
All in Good Faith
1985
as Reverend Philip Lambe
Ever Decreasing Circles
1984
Bird Bath
as Narrator
Between the Wars
1973
as Oswald Carstairs
Roobarb
1974
A Bucket O' French and Saunders
2007
NBC Experiment in Television
1967
as (voice)
The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything
2000
If You See God, Tell Him
1993
as Godfrey Spry
Tall Stories
1971
Goodbye Mr Kent
1982
as Travis Kent
Noddy
1975
as Narrator
Birds on the Wing
1971
as Charles Jackson
One-Upmanship
1976
as Stephen Potter
Brothers In Law
1962
The Norman Conquests
1977
as Reg
Alias the Jester
1985
as Alias
Geoff Hamilton: a Man and His Garden
1998
as Narrator
The Other One
1977
as Ralph Tanner
Down to Earth
1995
as Tony Fairfax
Little Red Tractor Stories
as Narrator (voice)
Movies (64)
Peter Pan
2003
as Sam "Smee" Smiegel
The Three Musketeers
1973
as Louis XIII (voice)
Much Ado About Nothing
1993
as Signor Leonato
Dad
2005
as Larry James
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994
as Grandfather
Cockneys vs Zombies
2012
as Hamish
Watership Down
1978
as Fiver (voice)
Hamlet
1996
as Polonius
The Four Musketeers
1974
as Louis XIII (voice) (uncredited)
Spice World
1997
as Bishop
Village Wooing
1979
as A
Love's Labour's Lost
2000
as Sir Nathaniel
Henry V
1989
as Lieutenant Bardolph
Doctor Who: Paradise Towers
1987
as The Chief Caretaker
The Bargee
1964
as Tomkins
Heavy Weather
1995
as The Hon. Galahad Threepwood
As You Like It
2006
as Adam
Arms and the Man
1983
as Bluntschli
Murder She Said
1961
as 'Mrs Binster'
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005
as Self
The Adventures of Toad
1996
as Rat
The Girl on the Boat
1962
as Eustace Hignett
Girls at Sea
1958
as 'Popeye' Lewis
Peter's Friends
1992
as Lord Morton
Unconditional Love
2002
as Barry Moore
Victoria & Albert
2001
as Joseph Paxton
The Student Prince
1998
as Dr. Corbitt
In the Bleak Midwinter
1995
as Henry
A Chorus of Disapproval
1989
as Ted Washbrook
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
1988
as Malvolio
Doctor in Distress
1963
as Medical Student (uncredited)
Run For Your Wife
2012
as Newspaper Seller
Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band: The Official BBC Children in Need Medley
2009
as Roobarb/Custard (voice)
A Month in the Country
1985
as Arkady
A Matter of WHO
1961
as Jamieson
French and Saunders' Christmas Carol
1994
as Self
The Good Life: Secret & Scandals
2022
as (archive footage)
Our Flesh and Blood
1977
as Mr. Smythe
Mole's Christmas
1994
as Rat
Fathom
1967
as Flight Lt. Timothy Webb
A Home of Your Own
1964
as The Husband
The Aerodrome
1983
as The Rector
The Adventures of Mole
1995
as Rat
Our Hidden Lives
2005
as Herbert Brush
National Theatre Live: London Assurance
2010
as Mr. Adolphus Spanker
Bottoms Up!
1960
as Colbourne
Swan Song
1992
as Nikita
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
as Acting Role (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rentadick
1972
as Miles Gannet
Children's Favourites - Volume 1
1988
as Alias (voice)
It's Your Move
1982
as The Husband
All the Way Up
1970
as Nigel Hadfield
Frances the Firefly
1994
as Narrator (voice)
All in Good Time
1964
as The Young Husband
Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot
2003
as Robert (voice)
Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time
2013
as Mouse (voice)
A Small Miracle
1976
as Himself - Commentator
All About The Good Life
2010
The Good Life: Inside Out
2025
Skallagrigg
1994
as Old Arthur/George
Roobarb and Custard: The Complete Collection
2017
as Narrator, Roobarb, Custard / lot of characters. (uncredited)
Great
1975
as Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Horror on the High Rise
2011
P.Q. 17
1981
as Jack Broome
About Richard Briers
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… With 125 credits spanning from 1955 to 2025, Richard Briers has appeared in 64 films and 61 TV shows.
Fans searching for Richard Briers movies, Richard Briers filmography, or the latest projects starring Richard Briers can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Richard Briers Movies
- Peter Pan (2003) — as Sam "Smee" Smiegel
- The Three Musketeers (1973) — as Louis XIII (voice)
- Much Ado About Nothing (1993) — as Signor Leonato
- Dad (2005) — as Larry James
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) — as Grandfather
Where to Watch Richard Briers Films
Most Richard Briers movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Richard Briers, check our movies catalogue and browse page.