Richard Briers

Biography

Richard Briers was an English performer whose work across five decades took in television, film, radio and the stage. He grew up in Surrey, trained at RADA from 1954 to 1956 and moved through repertory companies before a 1959 West End debut. Television made him a familiar face: George Starling in Marriage Lines, Tom Good in The Good Life, and Martin Bryce in Ever Decreasing Circles. Later came Hector MacDonald in Monarch of the Glen. Kenneth Branagh cast him in Shakespeare adaptations, among them Hamlet (1996), Much Ado About Nothing (1993) and As You Like It (2006), plus the films Peter's Friends (1992) and In the Bleak Midwinter (1995). Elsewhere he appeared in Murder She Said (1961), Fathom (1967), Spice World (1997) and Cockneys vs Zombies (2012), gave the voice of Fiver in Watership Down (1978), and earned BAFTA television nominations in 1966 and 1977.

79years old at death

Born January 14, 1934Surrey
Died February 17, 2013London
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Also credited as Richard David Briers

Movie Career

Films: 16
Career span: 51 years1961 to 2012

Genres

Comedy75%, 12 films
Drama63%, 10 films
Romance44%, 7 films
Adventure19%, 3 films
Crime19%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

Early training
After leaving the RAF, Briers attended RADA from 1954 to 1956, where he was placed in a class with Peter O'Toole and Albert Finney. He graduated with a silver medal and later gave John Fernald, the academy director, credit for nurturing his talent.
Big break
In 1962 Briers played callow barrister Roger Thursby in Brothers in Law, taken from Henry Cecil's book. Frank Muir and Denis Norden, the adaptors, gave him the part after seeing him in the West End.
A change of course
Richard Briers started out in a clerical role for a cable company in London. He took evening classes for a short while to gain an electrical engineering qualification, but he soon quit and took a job as a filing clerk.

Richard Briers movies on Netflix

Cockneys vs Zombies2012IMDb rating 5.9as Hamish
Run For Your Wife2012IMDb rating 2.7as Newspaper Seller
As You Like It2006IMDb rating 6.0as Adam
Peter Pan2003IMDb rating 6.8as Sam "Smee" Smiegel
Unconditional Love2002IMDb rating 6.7as Barry Moore
Love's Labour's Lost2000IMDb rating 5.9as Sir Nathaniel
Spice World1997IMDb rating 3.8as Bishop
Hamlet1996IMDb rating 7.7as Polonius
In the Bleak Midwinter1995IMDb rating 7.2as Henry Wakefield (Claudius, the Ghost, and the Player King)
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein1994IMDb rating 6.3as Grandfather
Much Ado About Nothing1993IMDb rating 7.3as Leonato
Peter's Friends1992IMDb rating 7.0as Lord Morton
A Chorus of Disapproval1989IMDb rating 5.5as Ted Washbrook
Watership Down1978IMDb rating 7.5as Fiver (voice)
Fathom1967IMDb rating 5.7as Timothy
Murder She Said1961IMDb rating 7.3as 'Mrs Binster'

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Watership Down1978 Adventure, Animation, Dramaas Fivervoice
IMDb rating 7.544K votes
Hamlet1996 Dramaas Polonius
IMDb rating 7.742K votes
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein1994as Grandfather
IMDb rating 6.364K votes
Peter Pan2003as Sam "Smee" Smiegel
IMDb rating 6.886K votes
Much Ado About Nothing1993as Leonato
IMDb rating 7.356K votes
In the Bleak Midwinter1995as Henry Wakefield (Claudius, the Ghost, and the Player King)
IMDb rating 7.22.9K votes
Spice World1997as Bishop
IMDb rating 3.839K votes
Fathom1967as Timothy
IMDb rating 5.72.0K votes

Most often with

Kenneth Branagh directed seven of these films, P.J. Hogan two. Kenneth Branagh appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Kenneth Branagh

Gerard Horan

Richard Clifford

Jimmy Yuill

Patrick Doyle

Timothy Spall

Kenneth BranaghDirector, 7 films P.J. HoganDirector, 2 films

Films together

Kenneth Branagh5 films together, 1992 to 2000
Kenneth Branagh's page
- Love's Labour's Lost2000IMDb rating 5.9Briers as Sir NathanielBranagh as Berowne
- Hamlet1996IMDb rating 7.7Briers as PoloniusBranagh as Prince Hamlet
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein1994IMDb rating 6.3Briers as GrandfatherBranagh as Victor
- Much Ado About Nothing1993IMDb rating 7.3Briers as LeonatoBranagh as Benedick
- Peter's Friends1992IMDb rating 7.0Briers as Lord MortonBranagh as Andrew
Gerard Horan4 films together, 1993 to 2006
Gerard Horan's page
- As You Like It2006IMDb rating 6.0Briers as AdamHoran as Denis
- In the Bleak Midwinter1995IMDb rating 7.2Briers as Henry Wakefield (Claudius, the Ghost, and the Player King)Horan as Carnforth Greville (Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Horatio, and Barnardo)
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein1994IMDb rating 6.3Briers as GrandfatherHoran as Claude
- Much Ado About Nothing1993IMDb rating 7.3Briers as LeonatoHoran as Borachio
Richard Clifford4 films together, 1993 to 2006
Richard Clifford's page
- As You Like It2006IMDb rating 6.0Briers as AdamClifford as Le Beau
- Love's Labour's Lost2000IMDb rating 5.9Briers as Sir NathanielClifford as Boyet
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein1994IMDb rating 6.3Briers as GrandfatherClifford as Minister
- Much Ado About Nothing1993IMDb rating 7.3Briers as LeonatoClifford as Conrade
Jimmy Yuill3 films together, 1993 to 2006
Jimmy Yuill's page
- As You Like It2006IMDb rating 6.0Briers as AdamYuill as Corin
- Love's Labour's Lost2000IMDb rating 5.9Briers as Sir NathanielYuill as Constable Dull
- Much Ado About Nothing1993IMDb rating 7.3Briers as LeonatoYuill as Friar Francis
Patrick Doyle3 films together, 1993 to 2006
Patrick Doyle's page
- As You Like It2006IMDb rating 6.0Briers as AdamDoyle as Amiens
- In the Bleak Midwinter1995IMDb rating 7.2Briers as Henry Wakefield (Claudius, the Ghost, and the Player King)Doyle as Scotsman
- Much Ado About Nothing1993IMDb rating 7.3Briers as LeonatoDoyle as Balthazar
Timothy Spall2 films together, 1996 to 2000
Timothy Spall's page
- Love's Labour's Lost2000IMDb rating 5.9Briers as Sir NathanielSpall as Armado
- Hamlet1996IMDb rating 7.7Briers as PoloniusSpall as Rosencrantz
Kenneth BranaghDirector, 7 films, 1992 to 2006
All films by Kenneth Branagh
- As You Like It2006IMDb rating 6.0Briers as Adam
- Love's Labour's Lost2000IMDb rating 5.9Briers as Sir Nathaniel
- Hamlet1996IMDb rating 7.7Briers as Polonius
- In the Bleak Midwinter1995IMDb rating 7.2Briers as Henry Wakefield (Claudius, the Ghost, and the Player King)
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein1994IMDb rating 6.3Briers as Grandfather
- Much Ado About Nothing1993IMDb rating 7.3Briers as Leonato
- Peter's Friends1992IMDb rating 7.0Briers as Lord Morton
P.J. HoganDirector, 2 films, 2002 to 2003
All films by P.J. Hogan
- Peter Pan2003IMDb rating 6.8Briers as Sam "Smee" Smiegel
- Unconditional Love2002IMDb rating 6.7Briers as Barry Moore
Also two films together16 more actors
- Emma ThompsonMuch Ado About Nothing (1993) and Peter's Friends (1992)
- Stephen FrySpice World (1997) and Peter's Friends (1992)
- Celia ImrieIn the Bleak Midwinter (1995) and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
- Imelda StauntonMuch Ado About Nothing (1993) and Peter's Friends (1992)
- Nicholas FarrellHamlet (1996) and In the Bleak Midwinter (1995)
- Lynn RedgravePeter Pan (2003) and Unconditional Love (2002)
- Brian BlessedAs You Like It (2006) and Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
- Phyllida LawMuch Ado About Nothing (1993) and Peter's Friends (1992)
- Michael MaloneyHamlet (1996) and In the Bleak Midwinter (1995)
- Adrian LesterAs You Like It (2006) and Love's Labour's Lost (2000)
- Mark HadfieldIn the Bleak Midwinter (1995) and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
- Alex LoweMuch Ado About Nothing (1993) and Peter's Friends (1992)
- Derek GriffithsRun For Your Wife (2012) and Watership Down (1978)
- Alfred BellLove's Labour's Lost (2000) and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
- Ann DaviesIn the Bleak Midwinter (1995) and Peter's Friends (1992)
- Hetta CharnleyIn the Bleak Midwinter (1995) and Peter's Friends (1992)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.