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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actor Ray Brooks, voice of Mr Benn, dies aged 86
TV actor Ray Brooks, who starred in some of the UK's best-known programmes in a career spanning five decades, has died aged 86. Brooks narrated the classic 1970s children's show Mr Benn and played the male lead in the ground-breaking 1960s BBC drama Cathy Come Home. He also starred in primetime 1980s programmes Big Deal, in which he played loveable rogue gambler Robbie Box, and Running Wild, as the comic lead Max Wild. Brooks also became one of few actors to appear in both Coronation Street and EastEnders. He played Norman Philips in the ITV soap in the 1960s, and arrived in Albert Square 40 years later to portray Joe Macer, who infamously murdered his wife Pauline Fowler. He died on Saturday after a short illness, his family told the BBC. In a statement, the actor's sons Will and Tom said their dad thought he was best known for Mr Benn, "with people continually asking him to say the catchphrase 'as if by magic!'". The cartoon followed Mr Benn who, through dressing up in a magical costume shop, found himself in a new adventure every episode. Brooks's sons added: "Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years." The list of TV shows in which Brooks appeared in the 1960s and 1970s reads like a run-down of the British small screen's biggest hits of the era. They included roles in Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, Emergency-Ward 10, The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Z Cars. He also had a number of film successes, including in the 1965 film The Knack... and How to Get It, which won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He played Georgio, the waiter in the crumbling hotel, in Carry On Abroad in 1972, and also appeared in the 1966 Dr Who movie Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. Brooks also enjoyed appearances in the theatre, including Alan Ayckbourn's Absent Friends alongside Richard Briers, Peter Bowles and Phyllida Law. He also starred opposite Felicity Kendal in Tom Stoppard's On The Razzle. His most acclaimed role came early in his career when he played Reg in the gritty BBC TV play Cathy Come Home, which chronicled Britain's housing shortage in the late 1960s. Directed by Ken Loach and filmed in a documentary style, it followed a young couple's struggle with homelessness. It is regularly cited as one of the most influential TV broadcasts of all time. But arguably Brooks's biggest mainstream successes came in the 1980s, with two successive primetime leading roles. In Big Deal, his character Robbie Box seeks to make a living playing poker and betting on horses and dogs - while trying to keep his relationship together with his partner Jan, played by Sharon Duce. The fast-talking Londoner became one of TV's best-loved working-class characters in an era of Del Boy Trotter and Arthur Daley Duce went on to appear in an episode of Running Wild, Brooks's next big hit - where he switched channels to ITV for a sitcom about a former Teddy Boy going through a mid-life crisis. His popular partnership with Duce was revived by the BBC in 1992's Growing Pains, which saw the pair play a couple who become foster parents. Throughout his career his unmistakeable voice saw him land several roles as narrator, including the beloved children's show Mr Benn, The Pickwick Papers and 30 episodes reading the stories to young viewers in Jackanory. He also voiced thousands of adverts for companies including Guinness, Whiskas, Marmite and R Whites Lemonade. Nonetheless, his sons said Brooks "shunned the limelight" in real life. They said: "His three true loves were family [he also had a daughter Emma, who died in 2003], Fulham Football Club, and spending time in Brighton, where he was born. He was among the celebrity Fulham fans who fought against the club's proposed merger with QPR in the 1980s - and son Will recalled that Brooks even wore a "Save Fulham" badge during an interview on Wogan at the time. The family revealed that he had spent the last few years living with dementia but died peacefully on Saturday with his family at his bedside.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Ray Brooks, British actor and voice of Mr Benn, dies aged 86
Ray Brooks, the British actor who starred in EastEnders, Ken Loach's drama Cathy Come Home and narrated the 1970s children's TV show Mr Benn, has died at the age of 86. Brooks died peacefully on Saturday with his loved ones at his bedside after a short illness, according to a statement shared by his family with the BBC. The statement also revealed that Brooks had spent the last few years living with dementia. Brooks' sons, Will and Tom, said: 'His three true loves were family (he also had a daughter Emma, who died in 2003), Fulham Football Club, and spending time in Brighton, where he was born.' The cartoon Mr Benn, narrated by Brooks, follows the character who enters a magical costume shop and travels to new places based on the costumes he wears. Only 13 episodes were released but the cartoon became well known with generations of children because episodes were repeated twice a year for more than 21 years. 'I was asked to do other cartoons because of Mr Benn – including Rupert the Bear, which was the worst thing I've ever done. I used to have a couple of pints before recording it, to numb my brain for his terrible rhymes,' Brooks told the Guardian in 2017, adding: 'Grandmas come up to me and say their grandchildren are fed up with today's cartoons, but they love the simplicity of Mr Benn, the fact that he's very moral, always sorting out people's problems – including dragons.' Brooks went on to appear in a host of different primetime television shows including ITV's Coronation Street, in which he played Norman Phillips, and EastEnders, where he played Joe Macer, who memorably killed his wife, the long-running character Pauline Fowler. Brooks also starred in the BBC comedy drama Big Deal, which followed gambler Robbie Box as he tried to make a living by betting while also trying to maintain his relationship with Jan, played by Sharon Duce. Brooks earned a number of film credits, including a role in The Knack … And How To Get It, which won the 1965 Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival. A year later he starred in Ken Loach's Cathy Come Home, a BBC drama filmed like a documentary, which explored the impact of Britain's housing shortage in the late 1960s. In 2000, a British Film Institute poll of 100 industry figures rated it as the second-best British television programme ever made, after Fawlty Towers. Press Association contributed to this report.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Mr Benn' star Ray Brooks passes away at the age of 86
Trigger warning: This article contains references to an individual's death . Legendary British actor Ray Brooks, celebrated for his iconic voice work in the beloved children's series 'Mr Benn' and his powerful performances in groundbreaking films like 'Cathy Come Home', has passed away at the age of 86. The news of his death was confirmed by his family in a statement. Brooks' career spanned decades, leaving an lasting mark on British television and cinema with his versatile talent and distinctive presence. Read on to know more. Ray Brooks passes away Ray Brooks passed away on August 9 at the age of 86, as confirmed by the beloved actor's family from a BBC report. The report shared that the actor passed away peacefully on Saturday and was surrounded by friends and family. The reason for his demise has been shared to be a short illness. The 'Big Deal' star had been in the last stages of dementia in the past few years. More on the iconic star, the late Ray Brooks Ray Brooks was a force to be reckoned with, with a career spanning over five decades, featuring in a wide range of projects. His career in the TV industry first started in the 60s, when he starred in the mini-series titled 'The Secret Kingdom and Julius Caesar'. Later on, he went on to work in other TV shows; however, his breakthrough role that helped him rise to fame came with his feature on the popular dramedy show, 'Taxi!'. Another one of his popular roles came around the same time when he starred in the show 'Coronation Street'. 1965 brought forth another wave of fame as he starred in the film 'The Knack … and How to Get It'. He featured in the film alongside big names such as Rita Tushingham, Donal Donnelly and Michael Crawford, and was heavily praised for his acting at the time. His recent titular role came with the British soap opera 'EastEnders', where he worked around the mid-2000s. Some of his other works include, but are not limited to, 'Death of an Expert Witness', 'Two People, Jackanory', 'A Thinking Man as Hero', 'Oranges and Lemons', 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', and many others. He is survived by his children, Emma Brooks, Tom Brooks, and Will Brooks, as well as his wife, Sadie Brooks.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ray Brooks, voice of Mr Benn, dead at 86
TV actor Ray Brooks, who starred in some of the UK's best-known shows, has died aged 86. In a career spanning five decades, Brooks narrated the classic 1970s children's show Mr Benn, and played the male lead in the ground-breaking 1960s BBC drama Cathy Come Home. He also starred in primetime 1980s programmes Big Deal, in which he played loveable rogue gambler Robbie Box, and Running Wild, as the comic lead Max Wild. Brooks also became one of a handful of actors to appear in both Coronation Street and EastEnders. He played Norman Philips in the ITV soap in the 1960s, and arrived in Albert Square 40 years later to portray Joe Macer, who infamously murdered his wife, Pauline Fowler. He died on Saturday after a short illness, his family told the BBC. In a statement, the actor's sons, Will and Tom, said their dad believed he was best known for Mr Benn, with people continually asking him to say the catchphrase "As if by magic!". The cartoon followed Mr Benn, who, by dressing up in a magical costume shop, found himself in a new adventure every episode. Brooks's sons added: "Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TV actor Ray Brooks dies aged 86
TV star Ray Brooks has died aged 86. The actor - whose career spanned five decades - passed away on Saturday (09.08.25) following a short illness. Brooks was, perhaps, best-known for narrating Mr Benn, the animated TV series that aired on the BBC in the 70s, while he also played a leading role in Cathy Come Home, the TV play directed by Ken Loach. In a statement, the actor's sons, Will and Tom, told the BBC that he he was best known for Mr Benn, "with people continually asking him to say the catchphrase 'as if by magic!'". They added: "Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years." Brooks - who spent the last few years living with dementia - was also known for playing Robbie Box, the rogue gambler, in Big Deal, the BBC comedy drama series that aired between 1984 and 1986. What's more, Brooks is one of few actors to star in both EastEnders and Coronation Street. The late actor played Norman Philips on Coronation Street in the 60s, and he played Joe Macer - who murdered his wife Pauline Fowler - on EastEnders. In a post on X, EastEnders' official account said: "We are deeply saddened to hear that Ray Brooks has passed away. Ray will always be remembered fondly by everyone that worked with him at EastEnders. Our love and thoughts are with Ray's family and friends." Danny Baker, the veteran broadcaster, has also paid tribute to Brooks. Alongside a throwback image of Brooks, Danny wrote on X: "Ray Brooks in the landmark film, Cathy Come Home. "When I was young it was a sensation because it was shot round our way. "Here's Ray in Southwark Park with my school and estate in the background. "His excellent 1971 album is worth £££ too... "RIP mate. (sic)" Brooks' sons noted that he "shunned the limelight", despite his fame and success. They said: "His three true loves were family [he also had a daughter Emma, who died in 2003], Fulham Football Club, and spending time in Brighton, where he was born."
