Richard O'Sullivan
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Richard O'Sullivan (born 7 May 1944) is an English comedy actor. He is known for his role as Robin Tripp in the TV sitcoms ''
Man About the House ''Man About the House'' is a British sitcom created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer. It starred Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy (actor), Brian Murphy. Six series were broadcast on ITV (TV netw ...
'' (1973–1976) and '' Robin's Nest'' (1977–1981) and as the title character in the period adventure series ''
Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...
'' (1979–1982). He also starred in '' Doctor at Large'' (1971), '' Doctor in Charge'' (1972–1973), '' Alcock and Gander'' (1972), ''
Me and My Girl ''Me and My Girl'' is a musical with music by Noel Gay and its original book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose. The story, set in the late 1930s, tells of an unapologetically unrefined Cockney gentleman named Bill Snibson, wh ...
'' (1984–1988) and '' Trouble In Mind'' (1991).


Early life

O'Sullivan was born in 1944 to John and Ellen O'Sullivan (née Fleming) in
Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...
, where he grew up with his younger brother. His early education was at St John the Evangelist's RC Primary School in
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
,
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
. After a family holiday in Ireland as a boy, he returned with a strong Irish accent and was sent to the
Corona Theatre School Corona Theatre School (formerly Corona Academy) was founded in 1950 as a performing arts academy in west London. After the retirement of its owner, Rona Knight, it reopened as Ravenscourt Theatre School in 1989. History Corona Academy Rona ...
to soften it. He appeared in his first film at the age of eight.


Career as child actor

O'Sullivan's first film appearance was as an extra playing one of the children singing in the Sunday School sequence of '' The Yellow Balloon'', filmed in 1952 when he was eight years old and released in 1953. He then played the main character in '' The Stranger's Hand'', starring
Alida Valli Baroness Alida Maria Laura Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli, or simply Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, span ...
and
Trevor Howard Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved leading man star status in the film '' Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by '' The Third M ...
, in 1953. Possibly his earliest television work was the part he played in the ''
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
'' episode, "The Unlucky Gambler", broadcast on 18 July 1955. He appeared in the
Children's Film Foundation The Children's Film Foundation (CFF) is a non-profit organisation which makes films and other media for children in the United Kingdom. Originally it made films to be shown as part of children's Saturday morning matinée cinema programming. Th ...
's first serial, ''Raiders of the River'', also produced in 1955. In the film '' It's Great to Be Young'' (1956), he appeared alongside
John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...
. The following year, he played the title character in a BBC Television five part Sunday serial ''
Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in ''St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Charles Scribner's Sons, Scribner's (the publisher of ...
'' and then with Keith Michell and Belinda Lee in the opulent swashbuckler, '' Dangerous Exile'', playing
Louis XVII Louis XVII (born Louis Charles, Duke of Normandy; 27 March 1785 – 8 June 1795) was the younger son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette. His older brother, Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France, died in June 1789, a little over ...
, the ten-year-old son of
Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
and
Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...
. Also during that period, he featured in two episodes of Sapphire Films' ''
The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...
'' (1957) alongside Richard Greene, one role being that of Will Dale in the episode "The Challenge of the Black Knight". In the '' Sword of Freedom'' series (1957), also made by Sapphire, he played Alberto in the episode "Chart of Gold". In an early '' Carry On'' film, '' Carry On Teacher'' (1959), he had the small role of student Robin Stevens. Around the same time, he was cast in the role of Pierre van der Mal in an early scene of ''
The Nun's Story ''The Nun's Story'' is a 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme. It was a Book of the Month selection and reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list, ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. Premise The lead character of the book, Sister Luk ...
'' (also 1959), playing the younger brother of Gabrielle (
Audrey Hepburn Audrey Kathleen Hepburn ( Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Holly ...
). Also around that time, he had a leading role in an episode of the Sapphire/ ITC series '' The Four Just Men'' ("The Man with the Golden Touch", 1959), as Neapolitan street urchin Pietro, who foils a robbery.


Adult acting career

In the early 1960s, O'Sullivan appeared in two
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...
films: '' The Young Ones'' (1961), and '' Wonderful Life'' (1964). In the 1963 blockbuster ''
Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...
'', he appeared as Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII, the younger brother of the title character played by
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
. For the remainder of the 1960s, O'Sullivan was a jobbing actor appearing in such TV series as ''Dr Syn: the Scarecrow'', '' Emergency Ward 10'', '' Redcap'', ''
Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...
'', ''
No Hiding Place ''No Hiding Place'' is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV (TV network), ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series ''Murder Bag'' ...
'', ''
Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...
'' and '' Strange Report'' among others, until he was offered the role of Lawrence Bingham in the LWT sitcom '' Doctor at Large'' (1971), a role which continued in the later ''Doctor in Charge'' (1972–73). Meanwhile, he also had a main role in the
Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...
comedy '' Alcock and Gander'' (1972) with
Beryl Reid Beryl Elizabeth Reid (17 June 1919 – 13 October 1996) was a British actress. She won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for '' The Killing of Sister George'', the 1980 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for '' Born in th ...
. By then a regular in TV
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
s, he starred as Robin Tripp, a trainee chef, in the flatshare sitcom ''
Man About the House ''Man About the House'' is a British sitcom created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer. It starred Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy (actor), Brian Murphy. Six series were broadcast on ITV (TV netw ...
'' written by
Johnnie Mortimer John Edward Mortimer (2 July 1930 – 2 September 1992) was a British scriptwriter for British TV whose work, along with creative writing partner Brian Cooke, also served as inspiration for American television projects. Career John Edward ...
and
Brian Cooke Brian Cooke (born 1937) is a British comedy writer who, with co-writer Johnnie Mortimer, penned scripts for and devised many top 1970s/80s television sitcoms, including '' Man About the House'', '' George and Mildred'', and '' Robin's Nest''. ...
, launched in 1973. In 1975, he starred in the stage comedy ''Boeing Boeing'', undertaking two record-breaking national tours, alongside two of his ''Man About The House'' co-stars,
Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce Needham (20 August 1927 – 24 August 1980), known as Yootha Joyce, was an English actress best known for playing Mildred Roper opposite Brian Murphy in the sitcom '' Man About the House'' (1973–1976) and its spin-off '' George ...
and
Sally Thomsett Sally Thomsett (born 3 April 1950) is an English actress who starred as Phyllis in the film '' The Railway Children'' (1970) and played Jo in the TV sitcom '' Man About the House'' (1973–1976). She also appeared as Janice in the film '' Straw ...
. When ''Man About the House'' ended in 1976, he continued playing Robin Tripp in the spin-off sitcom '' Robin's Nest'', in which Robin sets up a
bistro A bistro or bistrot (), in its original Parisian form, is a small restaurant serving moderately priced, simple meals in a modest setting. In more recent years, the term has become used by restaurants considered, by some, to be pretentious. Style ...
with funding from his girlfriend Vicky's father, James Nicholls (
Tony Britton Anthony Edward Lowry Britton (9 June 1924 – 22 December 2019) was an English actor. He appeared in a variety of films (including '' The Day of the Jackal'') and television sitcoms (including '' Don't Wait Up'' and '' Robin's Nest''). Backgrou ...
). During his run as Robin, he had relationships with two of his co-stars,
Sally Thomsett Sally Thomsett (born 3 April 1950) is an English actress who starred as Phyllis in the film '' The Railway Children'' (1970) and played Jo in the TV sitcom '' Man About the House'' (1973–1976). She also appeared as Janice in the film '' Straw ...
from ''Man About the House'', and Tessa Wyatt, who played Vicky in ''Robin's Nest''. From the latter relationship, he had a son, Jamie. ''Robin's Nest'' was a big success, and was the first UK sitcom to feature an unmarried couple cohabiting. To tie in with the series, O'Sullivan wrote a recipe book called ''Man About the Kitchen'', and a sequel ''Roastin’ with Richard'' which were published in 1980. He also wrote the ''Robin's Nest'' theme tune, which was arranged by
Brian Bennett Brian Laurence Bennett (born 9 February 1940) is an English drummer, pianist, composer and producer of popular music. He is best known as the drummer of the UK rock and roll group the Shadows. He is the father of musician and Shadows band memb ...
. During that period, O'Sullivan also appeared in adverts for
British Gas British Gas (trading as Scottish Gas in Scotland) is an energy and home services provider in the United Kingdom. It is the trading name of British Gas Services Limited and British Gas New Heating Limited, both subsidiaries of Centrica. Serving ...
. In 1979, he starred in the title role of LWT's drama series ''
Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...
'', which ran until 1982. He then played the
widower A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjective for ...
Simon Harrup in the sitcom ''
Me and My Girl ''Me and My Girl'' is a musical with music by Noel Gay and its original book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose. The story, set in the late 1930s, tells of an unapologetically unrefined Cockney gentleman named Bill Snibson, wh ...
'', broadcast from 1984 to 1988, co-starring
Tim Brooke-Taylor Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor (17 July 194012 April 2020) was an English actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of The Goodies. Brooke-Taylor became active in performing in comedy sketches while at the University of Cambridge and beca ...
and
Joan Sanderson Joan Sanderson (24 November 1912 – 24 May 1992) was an English actress. During a long career on stage and screen, her tall and commanding disposition led to her playing mostly dowagers, spinsters and matrons, as well as intense Shakespearean ...
, also produced by LWT. He also appeared in a one-off comedy-drama ''The Giftie'', shown on Channel Four in 1988, in which he and a friend discovered a photocopier at work that could duplicate living copies of themselves, unwisely doing so, and predictably leading to mistaken identities and chaos. In the 1990s, his profile decreased although he was never short of work. His final acting role was in a 1996 one-off satire titled ''Holed'', with Tony Robinson, about a suburban golf club.


Later life

O'Sullivan largely retired from public life in 1996. His last appearance on television was as a guest on a 1999 edition of '' This Is Your Life'' held in honour of his ''Doctor...'' co-star
George Layton George Layton (born George Michael William Löwy; 2 March 1942) is a British actor, director, screenwriter and author best known for three television roles – junior doctor Paul Collier in the comedy series ''Doctor in the House'' and its sequ ...
. O'Sullivan had himself been the subject of the show in 1974. In 2006, O'Sullivan recorded a commentary for the DVD release of '' Carry On Teacher''. He has lived in
Brinsworth House Brinsworth House is a residential and nursing retirement home for theatre and entertainment professionals on Staines Road, Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. The house is owned and run by the Royal Variety Cha ...
, a retirement home for entertainers in
Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...
, since suffering a stroke in 2003.


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Osullivan, Richard 1944 births Living people English male child actors English male film actors English male television actors English people of Irish descent Male actors from London Actors from the London Borough of Hounslow 20th-century English male actors People from Chiswick English male comedians Comedians from the London Borough of Hounslow