TV heartthrob Richard O’Sullivan
From film roles with some of the world’s greatest stars to becoming one of Britain’s best-loved comedy actors, we take a look at the fascinating life and times of actor Richard O’ Sullivan
Think of the actor Richard O’Sullivan and the chances are that roles with two of the world’s greatest screen sirens, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, don’t immediately spring to mind. But as a young actor Richard was in films with them both. In the unforgettable The Nun’s Story (1959) he played Peter, the brother of Gabrielle (Audrey Hepburn) saying goodbye to her as she left home to enter the convent and in the epic film Cleopatra he played the younger brother of the queen. Speaking in an interview on The Terry Wogan chat show in 1989 about Cleopatra he joked that he looked more beautiful than Elizabeth Taylor. “I wore more makeup than her,” he quipped. He also revealed how, like many of the cast, he spent many months twiddling his thumbs in Rome waiting to be called to film his part – often flying home
at weekends to watch his beloved Chelsea football team play at home to relieve the boredom.
So where did it all begin? Born in Chiswick, London in 1944, Richard went to the Corona Theatre School in London, but he didn’t have to wait long before landing his first film role. Aged just eight he played Trevor Howard’s son in the 1954 British-Italian thriller The Stranger’s Hand. For much of the Sixties, Richard worked on TV series with parts in Emergency Ward 10, Redcap, Danger Man, No Hiding Place, Dixon of Dock Green and Strange Report.
Then in the early Seventies he was offered the role of Dr Lawrence Bingham, a nerdy knowit-all doctor, in the hugely successful TV comedy series Doctor at Large. It was a role that steered him firmly into TV comedy waters, but more was to come. In 1973 he was offered one of the starring roles in a new groundbreaking sitcom called Man About The House. The series, considered daring at the time as it featured a man sharing a flat with two single women, made Richard a household name. Running from 1973 to 1976, millions of us tuned in every week to see if Richard’s character Robin Tripp would ever win the heart of fellow flatmate Chrissy
(Paula Wilcox). Also starring Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy, the series led to the spin-off Robin’s Nest, and of course George and Mildred. Robin's Nest, which co-starred Tessa Wyatt playing Robin’s girlfriend, ran from 1977 to 1981. In real life Richard and Tessa were partners from 1978 to 1985 having a son, Jamie O’Sullivan.
At the same time RIchard starred in the children’s series Dick Turpin playing the lead character before playing widower Simon Harrap in the sitcom Me and My Girl from 1984 to 1988, co-starring Tim Brooke-Taylor and Joan Sanderson.
His final acting role was in 1996 in a one-off satire with Tony Robinson entitled Holed, about a suburban golf club. After this he largely retired from public life although he was a guest on a 1999 edition of This Is Your Life held in honour of his Doctor co-star George Layton. He had himself been the subject of the show in 1974.
Sadly in 2003, Richard O’Sullivan suffered a stroke and today he lives in Brinsworth House, a retirement home for entertainers. But his wonderful comedies are still shown regularly on many TV stations. A fitting tribute to a man of many talents.
A young Richard O’Sullivan played a mischievous pupil in Carry on Teacher in 1959