Richard Briers
Richard David Briers, CBE ( born January 14, 1934 in Raynes Park, Surrey; † February 17, 2013 ) was a British actor.
Life
Richard Briers first attended the Rokeby Prep School in Kingston -upon -Thames in Surrey, but left this at the age of 16 years without a degree. After various professional activities he undertook for two years in the Royal Air Force.
In 1956 he married his fellow actress Ann Davies, whom he had met during his fellowship at the Liverpool Repertory Company. Their daughter Lucy Briers also works as an actress. Richard Briers was a second cousin of British comedian Terry -Thomas.
Theater
Early 20s Briers met the actor Brian Murphy, who introduced him to the drama group of the Borough Road Polytechnic in London. After retiring from the Royal Air Force Briers completed from 1954 to 1956 studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to his classmates included, among others, Peter O'Toole and Albert Finney. As Schauspieleleve Briers was awarded the Silver Medal of the RADA and also won a scholarship to the Liverpool Repertory Company. His other stage stations of the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry and the Duke of York 's Theatre included in the prestigious West End of London, where he made his debut in a production of Lionel Hales Applies And Gingerbread 1959.
All his life he always returned to the stage. In the 1980s he played for Kenneth Branagh's Renaissance Theatre Company, numerous classic stage roles such as Shakespeare's " Malvolio " in As You Like It and King Lear and Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.
Television and Film
In 1961, Briers his first major role in a television production. Besides Prunella Scales, he played for six years starring in the series Marriage Lines. From 1975 to 1978 played the title role of " Tom Good" in the sitcom The Good Life, which had developed the writing team of John Esmonde and Bob Larbey for him. This series was one of his biggest successes. The last episode was recorded in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II. More Serie He also starred in Ever Decreasing Circles and Monarch of the Glen. Briers has guest starred in series and series such as Doctor Who, Torchwood, Mr. Bean, Inspector Morse and Midsomer Murders.
In 1958, he was alongside Michael Hordern in the comedy Girls at Sea made his feature film debut. In the following years he played mostly smaller parts in productions such as 16 clock 50 from Paddington, the Terry -Thomas ratted comedy, Doctor in distress and the Raquel Welch Adventure Fire Dragon. In later years he was to be seen internationally especially in various Shakespeare adaptations, Kenneth Branagh: In Henry V he played the " Bardolph " in Much Ado About Nothing the " Leonato " in the Hamlet " Polonius ," Lost in Love's Labour's the " Nathaniel " and in As You Like It the "Adam". He also played under Branagh's directing in Peter's Friends, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, A Winter Night's Dream and 1993 in the Oscar - nominated short film Swan Song. His last film appearance was in 2012 Briers in the splatter film Cockneys vs Zombies.
Briers worked as a spokesperson for commercials and synchronized among others, the advertising character of the Midland Bank. He also took speaking roles different animated series in the children's program and in 1978 as a " Fiver " one of the main roles for the animated adaptation of Richard Adams ' Watership Down. In the resulting nearly twenty years later remake of the novel as a television series he spoke with also, although this time in a different role as " Captain Bloom ", which was not yet come into appearance in the film.
For the BBC, he said the main role in a number of adaptation of the Doctor ... novels by Richard Gordon and the " Bertie Wooster " in various productions of Jeeves & Wooster stories by PG Wodehouse.
Also at the BBC, he became a voice role for Top Gear ( Staffe 19 Episode 5 ), in which he borrowed a navigation system for the elderly his voice.
Honors
Multiple Briers was honored for his services to the theater: he was appointed Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ( OBE) in 1989, 2003 Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ( CBE).