Richard O'Sullivan
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| Richard O'Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 7, 1944 Chiswick, Middlesex, England |
Richard O'Sullivan (born May 7, 1944, Chiswick, Middlesex) is a British comedy actor who is best known for his roles in Now Look Here, Alcock and Gander, Man About the House, Robin's Nest, Me and My Girl (TV series) and Trouble in Mind.
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[edit] Early life
Richard O'Sullivan's early education was at St. John the Evangelist's RC primary school in Brentford, Middlesex. After a family holiday in Ireland as a boy, O'Sullivan returned with a strong Irish accent and was sent to stage school to try to get rid of it, thus starting a distinguished acting career. He appeared in his first film at the age of eight.
[edit] Career
His earliest recognised work was the film It's Great to Be Young where he appeared alongside John Mills. He appeared alongside Keith Michell and Belinda Lee in the 1957 opulent swashbuckler, Dangerous Exile as Louis XVII, the ten year old son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. He also starred in Carry On Teacher but did not join the Carry On team for further movies.
In the early 1960s he appeared in two Cliff Richard films: The Young Ones, and Wonderful Life. O'Sullivan also had a small part in the film Cleopatra.
For the rest of the 1960s he was a jobbing actor until he was offered the major role of Dr. Lawrence Bingham in the ITV/London Weekend Television (LWT) situation comedy Doctor in the House (sometimes transmitted under the names Doctor at Large and Doctor in Charge). In 1972, he had a main role in the ITV/Thames Television comedy Alcock and Gander, and his comic timing was such that he was offered the lead role in sitcom Man About the House, written by the same writers and produced by the same company as Alcock and Gander, in 1973, which made him a household name.
Three years later, he reprised his role as Robin Tripp when Man About the House (with Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce, Brian Murphy and Doug Fisher) came to a natural end and the writers conceived a spin-off called Robin's Nest (with Tessa Wyatt), in which Tripp set up a restaurant with his fiancee. Again, this show was a big success and the first UK sitcom to feature an unmarried couple cohabiting. While he was playing a chef, he wrote a recipe book called Man About The Kitchen, which was published in 1980. During this period, he also appeared in adverts for British Gas. He also co-wrote the show's theme tune.
He then took the title role in the LWT children's drama Dick Turpin which ran from 1979 to 1982 and also played the widower in sitcom Me and My Girl broadcast from 1984 to 1988, co-starring Tim Brooke-Taylor and Joan Sanderson and also produced by LWT. In the 1990s, his profile decreased although he was rarely short of work. His final acting role was in a 1996 one-off satire in entitled Holed with Tony Robinson about a suburban golf club.
[edit] Recent years
O'Sullivan largely retired from public life in the late 1990s. His last appearance on television was as a guest on an episode of This Is Your Life held in honour of his Doctor... co-star George Layton (O' Sullivan had been honoured by the show previously, in 1974).
O'Sullivan suffered a stroke late in 2003. He is now living in Brinsworth House, a retirement home for actors and performers in England, run by the Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund. In 2006, O'Sullivan recorded commentary for the DVD release of Carry On Teacher.
[edit] Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 to 1973 | Now Look Here | Keith |
| 1972 | Alcock and Gander | Richard Gander |
| 1973 to 1976 | Man About the House | Robin Tripp |
| 1977 to 1981 | Robin's Nest | Robin Tripp |
| 1979 to 1982 | Dick Turpin (TV series) | Dick Turpin |
| 1984 to 1988 | Me and My Girl (TV series) | Simon Harrap |
| 1991 | Trouble in Mind (TV series) | Adam Charlesworth |
