Profile of Richard O'Sullivan on Famous Like Me

Richard O'Sullivan (born Chiswick, London, May 7, 1944) is a British actor, notable for his sitcom roles in the 1970s and 1980s.

After a family holiday in Ireland as a boy, O'Sullivan returned with a strong Irish accent and was sent to stage school to try to get rid of it, thus starting a distinguished acting career. He appeared in his first film at the age of eight.

His earliest recognised work was the film The Young Ones, the first of two films in which he starred alongside Cliff Richard; the second was Wonderful Life.

For the rest of the 1960s he was a jobbing actor until he was offered the major role of Dr. Lawrence Bingham in the "Doctor in the House" series ("Doctor at Large" and "Doctor in Charge"). His comic timing was such that he was offered the lead role in sitcom Man About The House in 1973, which made him a household name.

Three years later, he reprised his role as Robin Tripp when Man About The House (with Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy) came to a natural end and the writers conceived a spin-off called Robin's Nest (with Tessa Wyatt), in which Tripp got married and set up a restaurant. Again, this was a big success.

He then took the title role in a TV series based on Dick Turpin and also played the widower in sitcom Me & My Girl (with Tim Brooke-Taylor, Joan Sanderson and Joanne Ridley). In the 1990s his profile decreased although he was rarely short of work.

In recent years, O'Sullivan disappeared from the public eye and was believed to be living a reclusive life. His last appearance on television was as a guest on an episode of This Is Your Life held in honour of his Doctor... co-star George Layton.

Richard O'Sullivan suffered a stroke late in 2003. He is now living in a retirement home for actors in England.

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