
Richard Briers
Known for Acting · 123 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 (60)

Midsomer Murders
1997
as Stephen Wentworth

Doctor Who
1963
as Chief Caretaker

Play for Today
1970
as Mr. Smythe / Commander Jack Broome

Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Nominee

Agatha Christie's Marple
2004
as Wilson

Wogan
1982
as Self

Natural World
1983

BBC Play of the Month
1965
as Sandy Tyrell

Tales of the Unexpected
1979
as Albert Dobson

New Tricks
2004
as James Farlow

Screen Two
1985
as Old Arthur/George

Torchwood
2006
as Parker

Theatre 625
1964
as David Prentice

ITV Playhouse
1967
as A

Mr. Bean
1990
as Mr. Sprout

Lovejoy
1986
as Raymond Doncaster

Parkinson
1998
as Self

Extras
2005
as Richard Briers

Monarch of the Glen
2000
as Hector MacDonald

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001
as Self

Dixon of Dock Green
1955
as Ken Tracey

Kingdom
2007
as Jim Wright

Brass Eye
1997
as Self

The Good Life
1975
as Tom Good

Watership Down
1999
as Captain Broom (voice)
The Sunday Drama
1977
as Dennis

Ooh La La!
1968

Comedy Connections
2003

NBC Experiment in Television
1967
as (voice)

Armchair Theatre
1956
as Stanley Frelaine

From a Bird's Eye View
1970
as George Lemon

The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything
2000

The Galton & Simpson Playhouse
1977
as Henry Fairlane
Thursday Theatre
1964
as David Prentice

Ever Decreasing Circles
1984

A Respectable Trade
1998
as Sir Charles Fairley

Roobarb
1974

The Other One
1977
as Ralph Tanner

If You See God, Tell Him
1993
as Godfrey Spry
That's What I Call Television
2007
as Self
Faces of Jim
1961
as John Frobisher / Lighthouse Assistant / Ricky Groin

Marriage Lines
1961
as George Starling

All in Good Faith
1985
as Reverend Philip Lambe

Roobarb and Custard Too
2005
as Narrator
One-Upmanship
1976
as Stephen Potter

A Bucket O' French and Saunders
2007
Down to Earth
1995
as Tony Fairfax

Alias the Jester
1985
as Alias

The Norman Conquests
1977
as Reg

Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk
1976
Ben Travers Farces
1970
as Charlie Tutt
Birds on the Wing
1971
as Charles Jackson

Goodbye Mr Kent
1982
as Travis Kent

Noddy
1975
as Narrator
Brothers In Law
1962

Bird Bath
as Narrator

Little Red Tractor Stories
as Narrator (voice)
My Appalling School Report
2006

Geoff Hamilton: a Man and His Garden
1998
as Narrator
Tall Stories
1971
Movies (63)

Peter Pan
2003
as Sam "Smee" Smiegel

Spice World
1997
as Bishop

Watership Down
1978
as Fiver (voice)

Much Ado About Nothing
1993
as Signor Leonato

The Three Musketeers
1973
as Louis XIII (voice)

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994
as Grandfather

Hamlet
1996
as Polonius

Unconditional Love
2002
as Barry Moore

Henry V
1989
as Lieutenant Bardolph

The Four Musketeers
1974
as Louis XIII (voice) (uncredited)

Love's Labour's Lost
2000
as Sir Nathaniel

As You Like It
2006
as Adam

Peter's Friends
1992
as Lord Morton

Cockneys vs Zombies
2012
as Hamish

Murder She Said
1961
as 'Mrs Binster'

In the Bleak Midwinter
1995
as Henry
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005
as Self

British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
as Acting Role (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Bargee
1964
as Tomkins

Heavy Weather
1995
as The Hon. Galahad Threepwood
Village Wooing
1979
as A

Victoria & Albert
2001
as Joseph Paxton

Fathom
1967
as Flight Lt. Timothy Webb

Girls at Sea
1958
as 'Popeye' Lewis
Our Hidden Lives
2005
as Herbert Brush

The Adventures of Toad
1996
as Rat

Dad
2005
as Larry James

Doctor in Distress
1963
as Medical Student (uncredited)

The Girl on the Boat
1962
as Eustace Hignett

Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band: The Official BBC Children in Need Medley
2009
as Roobarb/Custard (voice)
Swan Song
1992
as Nikita

All the Way Up
1970
as Nigel Hadfield

Rentadick
1972
as Miles Gannet

Run For Your Wife
2012
as Newspaper Seller

A Chorus of Disapproval
1989
as Ted Washbrook

The Adventures of Mole
1995
as Rat

Doctor Who: Paradise Towers
1987
as The Chief Caretaker
Arms and the Man
1983
as Bluntschli

The Student Prince
1998
as Dr. Corbitt

The Good Life: Secret & Scandals
2022
as (archive footage)

A Matter of WHO
1961
as Jamieson

Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot
2003
as Robert (voice)

National Theatre Live: London Assurance
2010
as Mr. Adolphus Spanker

Twelfth Night, or What You Will
1988
as Malvolio

The Good Life: Inside Out
2025

Bottoms Up!
1960
as Colbourne

Our Flesh and Blood
1977
as Mr. Smythe

P.Q. 17
1981
as Jack Broome

Mole's Christmas
1994
as Rat

Great
1975
as Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Children's Favourites - Volume 1
1988
as Alias (voice)

The Aerodrome
1983
as The Rector

Horror on the High Rise
2011

A Home of Your Own
1964
as The Husband

It's Your Move
1982
as The Husband

Skallagrigg
1994
as Old Arthur/George

Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time
2013
as Mouse (voice)

All in Good Time
1964
as The Young Husband

Roobarb and Custard: The Complete Collection
2017
as Narrator, Roobarb, Custard / lot of characters. (uncredited)

A Small Miracle
1976
as Himself - Commentator

All About The Good Life
2010

French and Saunders' Christmas Carol
1994
as Self

Frances the Firefly
1994
as Narrator (voice)
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 123 credits spanning from 1955 to 2025, Richard Briers has appeared in 63 films and 60 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
- Spice World (1997) — as Bishop
- Watership Down (1978) — as Fiver (voice)
- Much Ado About Nothing (1993) — as Signor Leonato
- The Three Musketeers (1973) — as Louis XIII (voice)
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.