Man About the House and George and Mildred star Brian Murphy has died at the age of 92.

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Murphy, who passed away at his home in Kent on Sunday morning (2nd February), has been remembered by his agent Thomas Bowington as "a truly joyful and profoundly good-hearted man".

His wife, Hi-De-Hi! star and crime writer Linda Regan, posted a picture of the two of them on social media alongside a caption that read: "My love for you will never die. RIP sweetheart."

In an earlier statement, Regan said: "I was lucky to have in my lifetime found my soulmate. Brian, who I will love forever."

Born on the Isle of Wight in 1932, Murphy’s acting career began in the 1950s when he joined the pioneering Theatre Workshop, which was founded by Joan Littlewood and her partner Gerry Raffles, who were committed to modernising theatre and drawing in working-class audiences.

Murphy went on to appear in many Shakespeare productions directed by Littlewood, and starred in her only 1963 comedy film Sparrows Can’t Sing.

However, it was his role in ITV sitcom Man About the House that launched him to fame, which explored the dynamics between two women cohabiting with a man.

After Man About the House ended in 1976, Murphy appeared in the spin-off George and Mildred.

Murphy's other TV credits include Holby City, The Catherine Tate Show, Last of the Summer Wine and ITV comedy Benidorm, while film credits include The Boy Friend and The Devils.

Tributes have been flooding in for the late actor on social media following the news of his passing.

"I can picture him now as George, sitting in bed scoffing pickled onions #RIPBrianMurphy #GeorgeandMildred," Toni McDonald, BBC local radio DJ posted on Twitter, which has rebranded as X.

"I first met #BrianMurphy some 20 years ago, through my friend, the filmmaker Stanley Long. #ManAboutTheHouse was always my fave sitcom, so meeting him was a thrill.

"Brian was so gracious, eloquent, and incredibly friendly. Everything you heard about him is true. #RIPBrianMurphy," filmmaker Simon Sheridan said.

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Murphy is survived by his wife, Regan, and his two sons.

Authors

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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