Man About the House actor Brian Murphy dies aged 92

Brian Murphy, the actor and comedian renowned for his roles in 1970s sitcoms Man About the House and George and Mildred, died aged 92 on Sunday.

Murphy died at home in Kent with his wife, Linda Regan, by his side, according to his agent, Thomas Bowington. He had recently been diagnosed with cancer, Bowington added.

“It is almost impossible to describe the depth of his talent and humanity,” Bowington said of his late client and friend, “A truly joyful and profoundly good-hearted man.”

Born on the Isle of White in 1932, Murphy’s career kickstarted in the 1950s when he joined Theatre Workshop, a pioneering East London theatre group founded by director Joan Littlewood.

Murphy went on to star in the 1973 sitcom Man About the House, playing a landlord called George Roper, alongside the late Yootha Joyce (who played Mildred Roper). The show was regarded as controversial because it featured a man living alone with two single women.

In 1976, Murphy performed in the spin-off series, George and Mildred, which aired for five seasons. The comedy series depicted the couple moving to an upmarket house in a middle-class neighborhood.

Alongside his esteemed TV roles, Murphy starred in a number of theatrical performances, including the first major stage adaptation of HG Wells’ ‘The Invisible Man.’

Murphy also performed in several Shakespeare productions directed by Littlewood, and starred in her only feature film, Sparrows Can't Sing. Released in 1963, the film featured a British merchant seaman who returned home to find his wife married to another man.

In recent years, Murphy had appeared in a number of British TV shows including Holby City and The Catherine Tate Show.

Murphy died at home in Kent on February 2, 2025. The cause of death has not yet been publicly disclosed.

On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Brain Murphy’s wife, Linda Regan, posted a photo of the couple kissing, alongside the words: 'My love for you will never die. RIP sweetheart'.

Murphy is survived by Regan and his two sons, Trevor and Kevin.

Linda Regan, is a British actress and writer, who was born in 1949. She is best known for her role in the 1980s British sitcom Hi-de-Hi!, in which she played the role of Yellowcoat April.

Regan and Murphy met when they were cast as a married couple in the BBC One TV sitcom Wife Begins at 40, which aired in 1988. The show told the story of George and Linda Harper, whose marriage had become stale. Regan and Murphy went on to marry in 1995.

Alongside her extensive acting career, spanning performances in TV, film, theatre and radio, Regan is also the author of numerous crime novels, featuring a team of murder investigation detectives in South London.