4th September, 2026
The Royal Variety Charity is deeply saddened to announce the passing of the legendary and much-loved British actor, Richard O’Sullivan.
Richard, 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by his close family at the Royal Variety Charity’s Care Home, Brinsworth House in Twickenham, shortly after 6am on Friday, 4th September, where he had happily resided for the past 23 years.
Born in Chiswick on 7th May 1944, Richard will perhaps be best remembered by his legions of fans for his portrayal of ‘Robin Tripp’ in the iconic British 1970s sitcoms, ‘Man About the House’ and ‘Robin’s Nest' and the title character in the period advernture series 'Dick Turpin.'
However, Richard had an extraordinarily varied and successful career which encompassed being a child actor, appearing in his first film (‘The Yellow Balloon’,1953) aged eight and later appearing in Sir Peter Hall’s production of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford in 1956.
As the 1960s began, Richard became ever-more in demand for mainstream film roles, including appearing in two with Cliff Richard (‘The Young Ones’, 1961 and ‘Wonderful Life’, 1964).
It was in 1963 that Richard was given the much-coveted role as ‘Pharoah Ptolemy XIII’, in the iconic film, ‘Cleopatra’, also starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
One of Richard’s last public appearances was with his friend, and fellow Brinsworth House resident, Mike Yarwood, when they planted a tree together on the house lawn, to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. A living reminder, of a wonderful man, who will be much missed by residents and staff at Brinsworth.
Life-President of the Royal Variety, Giles Cooper OBE, paid tribute to Richard saying “Richard O’Sullivan was a master of effortless charm and impeccable comic timing, bringing pure warmth, effortless wit, and unforgettable joy into millions of living rooms as a true giant of British television. He will be sorely missed by us all at the Royal Variety Charity.”
Richard is survived by his son, James, who has asked that his family’s privacy be respected during this sad and difficult time. He also wishes to thank all the fans of his father, whose support meant so much to him during his long and happy life.
