RIP Richard Briers

When I heard the news earlier this week that actor Richard Briers had passed away at the age of 79, I was deeply saddened. Only a month or so ago, I had read an interview with him in The Guide in which he talked about what turned out to be his final project, the comedy film Cockneys vs Zombies. What you couldn't fail to notice, reading that interview, was how completely charming, witty and funny he was. It's an opinion that has been echoed in the many obituaries I have read this week. Quite simply, Richard Briers was one of life's nice guys. He was also a wonderful actor, whose work touched people's lives.

Like many others, I first became aware of Richard Briers through his role as Tom Good in the classic BBC sitcom The Good Life, which ran from 1975 to 1978. However, I am of course too young to remember the series when it was first aired. It was introduced to me a few years ago by my parents. They described it as "sweet but very funny." I loved it.

For those who haven't seen the show, it revolves around a suburban couple, Tom and Barbara Good (played by Briers and Felicity Kendal) and their attempts to live self-sufficiently, much to the disapproval of their conservative neighbours Margo and Jerry Leadbetter (played by Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington). The chemistry between the four actors is wonderful to watch, and it's little wonder that viewers took the characters to their hearts. Briers' death sadly means that now only two cast members remain - Felicity Kendal and Penelope Keith. Paul Eddington died of skin cancer in 1995.

For Penelope Keith, Briers was not just a co-star, but a close friend. She has spoken this week of his humour and self-deprecation, and how she has never heard anyone say a bad word about him. That just goes to show what a kind and courteous man he was.

Of course, Briers was not just known for The Good Life. He had a long and successful career and was equally adept at comedy and straight acting. He started out on the stage and found television success in 1961 with Marriage Lines, in which he co-starred with Prunella Scales (later of Fawlty Towers). After the enormous success of The Good Life, he starred in another much-loved sitcom, Ever Decreasing Circles, from 1984 to 1989. He played compulsive 'pillar of the community' Martin Bryce, with Penelope Wilton as his long-suffering wife Ann. In recent years, he starred in Monarch of the Glen.

Briers returned to his roots in theatre on joining Kenneth Branagh's company in the late 1980s, playing key roles in the likes of King Lear. He also starred in Branagh's film versions of Henry V, Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, as well as the TV adaptation of Twelfth Night.

He will also be fondly remembered as a part of people's childhoods - he did voice work in Roobarb and Custard, Noddy, Watership Down and latterly Bob the Builder.

In a recent interview, he spoke of his poor health due to years of smoking. He gave up cigarettes ten years ago, but admitted, "I've got emphysema, you see, so I'm buggered." Right until the end of his life, that self-deprecation still came through.

We have lost another great actor, but he and his work will always be remembered with a fond smile. RIP Richard.