Richard O’Sullivan, the sitcom actor whose lopsided grin entertained British audiences throughout the 1970s, has died aged 82.
He passed peacefully surrounded by his close family at the Brinsworth House, the Royal Variety Charity’s care home for former entertainers, in Twickenham, London shortly after 6am local time today.
The Royal Variety Charity said it was “deeply saddened to announce the passing of the legendary and much-loved British actor,” who had lived at the home for 23 years following a stroke.
O’Sullivan was a fixture on British TV and amassed a huge following for his portrayal of Robin Tripp in iconic sitcoms Man About the House and its spin-off, Robin’s Nest. Notably, the character inspired John Ritter’s Jack Tripper in ABC’s Three’s Company, which was a remake of Man About the House, which Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke wrote.
Born in Chiswick, west London, on May 7, 1944, O’Sullivan began his career as a child actor in 1953’s The Yellow Balloon aged eight and then appeared in Peter Hall’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford in 1956.
In the 1960s, he began landing film roles such as The Young Ones and Wonderful Life, both of which he appeared in opposite to Cliff Richard. In 1963, he played Pharoah Ptolemy XIII in Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Then came the sitcoms and a title role in the period adventure series Dick Turpin. Man About the House, in which he played a student chef, was seen as particularly daring for its time as it was among the first shows to place a man living with two single women, who were played by Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett.
The Royal Variety Charity said one of O’Sullivan’s last public appearances was with his friend and fellow Brinsworth House resident, Mike Yarwood, as they planted a tree together on the house lawn to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. In 2018, he was visited by the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, at Brinsworth House
“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,” said Giles Cooper, Life-President of the Royal Variety. “He will be sorely missed by us all at the Royal Variety Charity.”
O’Sullivan is survived by his son, James.
