Richard O’Sullivan, best known for playing Robin Tripp in the 1970s sitcoms ‘Man About the House’ and Robin’s Nest’, has passed away at the age of 82. Over his career, he also took on notable roles in ‘Doctor at Large’, ‘Dick Turpin’, and the 1980s sitcom ‘Me and My Girl’, sharing the screen with Tim Brooke-Taylor, Joanne Ridley, and Joan Sanderson.
Richard O’Sullivan passes away at Brinsworth House
According to BBC, O’Sullivan passed away with close family by his side at Brinsworth House, the Royal Variety Charity’s care home in west London, where he had made his home for the past 23 years.
Royal Variety Charity pays tribute to Richard O’Sullivan
Giles Cooper of the Royal Variety Charity paid tribute in a statement, saying: “Richard O’Sullivan was a master of effortless charm and impeccable comic timing, bringing pure warmth, wit, and unforgettable joy to millions of living rooms as a true giant of British television.” Cooper further noted that O’Sullivan would be “sorely missed by us all at the Royal Variety Charity”.
Richard O’Sullivan’s son remembers him fondly
The actor’s son, James O’Sullivan, shared his own tribute, saying: “My dad was as funny and charming in real life as he appeared on our TV screens over the years. Although much of his career happened before I was born, I was fortunate enough to be able to enjoy and witness his incredible talents on the countless re-runs of his shows that made him the respected and loved actor that he was.” He also expressed gratitude to the staff at Brinsworth House for their “love, kindness and care”.
Richard O’Sullivan’s most memorable TV roles
Set around a man cohabiting with two single women in a London flat, a fairly daring concept for its time, ‘Man About the House’ ran for six series on ITV, with O’Sullivan starring alongside Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce, and Brian Murphy. In ‘Me and My Girl’, he played a different role altogether, that of a widower bringing up his teenage daughter.
Richard O’Sullivan’s early life and career beginnings
O’Sullivan, born in London in 1944, began acting as a child in the 1950s and 60s, taking on uncredited parts in dramas as early as 1953. He later featured in ‘Raiders of the River’, the Children’s Film Foundation’s debut serial, and in 1956 appeared in Sir Peter Hall’s staging of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford. His credits also include the 1961 drama Spare the Rod, a social commentary starring Max Bygraves and Donald Pleasance about a teacher working in a deprived, challenging area, in which O’Sullivan portrayed a rebellious, difficult student in his final year. After building steady momentum with dramatic parts, including playing Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII in 1963’s ‘Cleopatra’ alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, he shifted towards comedy, appearing in shows like ‘The Ronnie Barker Playhouse’ in 1968 and ‘The Galton’ and ‘Simpson Comedy’ the year after.
