Brian Murphy

Brian Trevor John Murphy (born 25 September 1932) is an English actor, best known as the henpecked husband George Roper, alongside Yootha Joyce in the popular sitcom Man About the House and its spin-off series George and Mildred, and as Alvin Smedley in Last of the Summer Wine.
== Early life and Acting career ==
Murphy was born in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. He was called up to do his national service at RAF Northwood, where he met future The Good Life actor Richard Briers. On leaving the RAF the two aspiring actors both performed in productions by the Dramatic Society at the Borough Polytechnic Institute, now London South Bank University. Murphy was a member of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop (alongside Yootha Joyce), and a jobbing actor in the 1960s and early 1970s, combining his theatre work with appearances in television shows such as The Avengers, Z-Cars, Callan and Dixon of Dock Green, before being cast in the role which would make him a household name.
In Man About the House, Murphy played the lazy George Roper, who's wife, Mildred, was played by Yootha Joyce. Her domineering, social-climbing characteristic was a sharp contrast to George's desire for an easy and quiet life and the pairing was an instant hit. A contributing factor to their immediate chemistry was that they had been friends for many years. Aside from their Theatre Workshop years, Murphy also featured in Sparrows Can't Sing (1963) with Joyce and other Theatre Workshop colleagues. When Man About The House ended in 1976, a spin-off was created for Murphy and Joyce, entitled George and Mildred. This ran for five series until 1979. Murphy reprised his role in feature films of both sitcoms. Joyce died in 1980, and George and Mildred was cancelled. Another sitcom was created for Murphy with him in the title role in The Incredible Mr. Tanner along with Man About The House and George and Mildred co-star Roy Kinnear, but the show failed to gain popularity.
Murphy has continued to appear regularly on television, most notably as "Alvin Smedley" in Last of the Summer Wine from 2003 to 2010, and also with roles in On Your Way, Riley (1985) as Arthur Lucan,[2] Lame Ducks (as a private investigator); The Bill (as a drunken tramp dressed as an elf at Christmas); comedy series Pond Life, an animation series, as Len Pond, the father of protagonist Dolly Pond (Sarah Ann Kennedy), One Foot in the Gravestarring Richard Wilson (playing a character called Mr Foskett);,[3] Brookside; and as a shopkeeper called Stan in the pre-school children's TV series Wizadora. In 2010 he appeared in an episode of Hustle called "The Thieving Mistake". He has more recently made appearances in comedy shows The Catherine Tate Show, This is Jinsy and Benidorm. Murphy can also be seen in all three episodes of the ITV comedy The Booze Cruise, playing Maurice. He also appeared as Frank Dobson in The Cafe from 2011 and 2013.
== Family ==
Murphy's second wife is Hi-de-Hi! actress Linda Regan. Brian lives in Kent with Regan and has two grown-up children, Trevor and Kevin, from his first marriage.[4] His grandson is the playwright Martin Murphy, whose play Manor was performed at the Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden in 2010,[5] and his second cousin is actor Benjayx Murphy.
== Theatre ==
* 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.
== Radio ==
From October 1987 to July 1991, Murphy played Ernest Bond in BBC Radio 4's drama series Citizens.
== Film and television roles ==
Year 	Title 	Role
1963 	Sparrows Can't Sing 	Jack
1965 	San Ferry Ann 	Garage Mechanic
1971 	The Devils 	Adam
1971 	The Boy Friend 	Peter
1972 	The Ragman's Daughter 	Tony's Father
1973 to 1976
1976 to 1980	Man About the House
George and Mildred	George Roper
1976 	I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight	Caretaker
1981 	The Incredible Mr Tanner 	Ernest Tanner
1981 	Black Jack 	Archibald
1982 	L for Lester 	Lester Small
1984 to 1985	Lame Ducks 	Ansell
1993 to 1999	Wizadora 	Stan
1994 	One Foot in the Grave 	Mr. Foskett
1998 	Jonathan Creek 	Ken Speed
1999 	Mrs Merton & Malcolm 	Mr Capstick
2003 	The Booze Cruise 	Maurice
2003 to 2010	Last of the Summer Wine 	Alvin Smedley
2005 to 2006	The Catherine Tate Show 	Neville
2010 	Hustle 	Larry
2010 	Benidorm 	Clive Mitchell
2011 	White Van Man 	Albert
2011-2013 	The Cafe 	Frank Dobson
2011 	Grave Tales 	Arthur
2012 	Run For Your Wife 	Allotment Man
2013 	Man Down 	Mr Field-Williams
2013 	Plebs 	Victor
2014 	It's An Unknown World 	George Timemile
2014 	Holby City 	Charlie Evans
2016 	Casualty 	Frank Haines
2016 	After Hours 	Drunk Man
2018 	Claude 	Mr Lovelybuns