Brian Murphy
Murphy in the 1970s
Born	Brian Trevor John Murphy (1932-09-25)25 September 1932 Ventnor,Isle of Wight, England
Died	2 February 2025(2025-02-02) (aged 92) Kent, England
Occupation	Comic actor
Years active	1960–2025
Known for	George Roper in the television seriesMan About the House andGeorge and Mildred Alvin Smedley in the television seriesLast of the Summer Wine
Spouses	Carol Gibson ​ ​ (m. 1957, divorced)​ Linda Regan ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	2

Brian Trevor John Murphy (25 September 1932 – 2 February 2025) was an English comic actor. He was best known as the henpecked husband George Roper in the popular sitcomMan About the House and its spin-off seriesGeorge and Mildred. He also played Alvin Smedley inLast of the Summer Wine. Other notable roles included Stan the shopkeeper in the 1990s children's seriesWizadora, and Maurice in the comedy drama seriesThe Booze Cruise.

Murphy was born inVentnor on theIsle of Wight, on 25 September 1932.^[1] He was the son of grocer's assistant Gerald Murphy and his wife Mabel, both of whom later became restaurateurs.^[2] His two brothers Ken and Eric died during active service in theSecond World War.^[3] He was called up to do hisnational service atRAF Northwood, where he met futureThe Good Life actorRichard Briers. Upon leaving the RAF the two aspiring actors both performed in productions by the Dramatic Society at theBorough Polytechnic Institute (nowLondon South Bank University).

Murphy was a member of theTheatre Workshop (alongside future TV co-starYootha Joyce), and a jobbing actor in the 1960s and early 1970s, combining his theatre work with guest appearances in television shows such asThe Avengers,Z-Cars,Callan andDixon of Dock Green. He also starred in Littlewood's filmSparrows Can't Sing (1963) alongside his Theatre Workshop peers including Joyce,Barbara Windsor,Stephen Lewis,Bob Grant andRoy Kinnear. Other film roles at this time includedSan Ferry Ann (1965; also starring Windsor),The Activist (1969),The Devils (1971) andThe Boy Friend (1971).

By the early 1970s, Murphy was considering giving up acting in order to become an insurance salesman, however he was cast in an episode of the sitcomAlcock and Gander (1972) which was written byJohnnie Mortimer andBrian Cooke. The pair were impressed by Murphy's performance and offered him a role in their then-forthcoming sitcomMan About the House which would make him a household name.

Murphy first came to prominence in the ITV television sitcomMan About the House,^[4] playing George Roper, whose wife, Mildred, played by Yootha Joyce, was a domineering social climber – a sharp contrast to the character of George, a lazy landlord whose desire was for an easy and quiet life. The pairing was an instant hit.^[5] A contributing factor to the actors' immediate chemistry was that they had been friends for many years.

WhenMan About The House ended in 1976, a spin-off was created for Murphy and Joyce, titledGeorge and Mildred. Like its predecessor,George and Mildred was also a massive success and ran for five series until 1979. In 1978 Murphy released the single "Jogging" (b/w "The Great Gnome Robbery"), recorded in the persona of George, on thePye label. He later said, "Out of the blue I was requested to record 'Jogging' in the manner of George, and naturally could not refuse. I had been told I had an excellent singing voice and in fact did some training, but sadly I lacked confidence and missed opportunities – one of my biggest regrets."^[6] Murphy reprised his role in feature films of both sitcoms. Joyce died in 1980, and the planned sixth and final series ofGeorge and Mildred was cancelled.

In 1981, another television sitcom,The Incredible Mr. Tanner, was created specifically for Murphy with him in the title role and featuring regularMan About The House andGeorge and Mildred co-starRoy Kinnear, but the show only lasted for one series. Murphy also starred in theEric Sykes filmsThe Plank (1979) andIt's Your Move (1982). Murphy moved to the BBC in 1982 for the driving school sitcomL for Lester alongsideAmanda Barrie but the series was cancelled after just one series. He then had a main role in the BBC sitcomLame Ducks (1984–1985) as aprivate investigator, and gave an acclaimed performance asArthur Lucan in the television playOn Your Way, Riley (1985).

Roles in the 1990s included a shopkeeper called Stan in the pre-school children's TV seriesWizadora,One Foot in the Grave,^[7]Brookside,The Bill (as a drunken tramp dressed as an elf at Christmas), and animated seriesPond Life.

Murphy was the subject ofThis Is Your Life in 1998.^[2]

Murphy continued to appear regularly on television, most notably as Alvin Smedley inLast of the Summer Wine from 2003 until the show's end in 2010.^[5] Alvin became one of the show's main trio of characters alongsidePeter Sallis andFrank Thornton, and latterly withRuss Abbot andBurt Kwouk.

Murphy also starred in all three episodes of the ITV comedyThe Booze Cruise, playing Maurice and appeared as Neville in four episodes ofThe Catherine Tate Show between 2005 and 2006. In 2010, Murphy appeared in an episode ofHustle and featured in the Christmas episode ofBenidorm as Noreen's (Elsie Kelly) new boyfriend, Clive. Murphy continued to make guest appearances in comedy shows such asWhite Van Man,This Is Jinsy andPlebs. He also appeared as Jack Dobson inThe Cafe from 2011 to 2013, and also in theChannel 4 comedyMan Down as music teacher Frank Field-Williams in the 2013 Christmas special.

In 2023, Murphy wrote the introduction to the autobiography of hisOh, What a Lovely War! co-starLarry Dann.^[8] He continued to work until the end of his life, and was set to appear in a film with his wife that would have begun shooting in June 2025.^[9]

Murphy married Carol Gibson in 1957; they had two children, Trevor and Kevin, and divorced in the 1980s.^[3] In 1995, Murphy marriedHi-de-Hi! actressLinda Regan;^[10] they lived at The Old Cottage inShortlands,Bromley,Kent, which dated back to at least the 17th century, but sold the property in 2018.^[3][11]

Murphy died on 2 February 2025, after being diagnosed with cancer in his spine and shoulders, three weeks before. He was 92.^[3][9][12]

• Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Christopher Bond), Theatre Royal Stratford East, Title role (Sweeney Todd), 1973
• On Your Way, Riley (Alan Plater), The Queen's Theatre,Arthur Lucan (Old Mother Riley), February–March 1983
• When We Are Married (J. B. Priestley), Whitehall Theatre, Herbert Soppitt, 1986
• Roll on Friday (Roger Hall), Watford Palace Theatre, Jim, October 1989

From October 1987 to July 1991, Murphy played Ernest Bond inBBC Radio 4's drama seriesCitizens.

Murphy also played Robert Collins in an episode of the audio series ofDoctor Who byBig Finish Productions in an episode entitled "The Home Guard" in November 2019.^[13]

Murphy appeared for three episodes - along with his wife, Linda Regan - playing the role of Mayor, Lord Palmer, in podcast sitcomBarmy Dale.^[14]

• Brian Murphy atIMDb
• Brian Murphy atBritish Comedy Guide
• Brian Murphy role reviews
• Brian Murphy atRotten Tomatoes
• Brian Murphy discography atDiscogs

• 1932 births
• 2025 deaths
• 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel
• 20th-century English male actors
• 21st-century English male actors
• English male film actors
• English male radio actors
• English male stage actors
• English male television actors
• English male voice actors
• English people of Irish descent
• Male actors from the Isle of Wight
• Male actors from Kent
• Military personnel from the Isle of Wight
• People from Ventnor

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