Richard O'Sullivan

Richard O'Sullivan (born 7 May 1944) is an English retired comedy actor. He is known for his role as Robin Tripp in the TV sitcoms Man About the House (1973–1976) and Robin's Nest (1977–1981) and as the title character in the period adventure series Dick Turpin (1979–1982). He also starred in Doctor at Large, Doctor in Charge (1972–1973), Alcock and Gander (1972), Me and My Girl (1984–1988) and Trouble In Mind (1991).

Early life O'Sullivan was born in 1944 to John and Ellen O'Sullivan (née Fleming) in Chiswick, where he grew up with his younger brother. His early education was at St John the Evangelist's RC Primary School in Brentford, Middlesex. After a family holiday in Ireland as a boy, he returned with a strong Irish accent and was sent to the Corona Theatre School to soften it. He appeared in his first film at the age of eight.

Career as child actor O'Sullivan's first film appearance was as an extra playing one of the children singing in the Sunday School sequence of The Yellow Balloon, filmed in 1952 when he was eight years old and released in 1953. He then played the main character in The Stranger's Hand, starring Alida Valli and Trevor Howard, in 1953. Possibly his earliest television work was the part he played in the Sherlock Holmes episode, "The Unlucky Gambler", broadcast on 18 July 1955. He appeared in the Children's Film Foundation's first serial, Raiders of the River, also produced in 1955. He also acted the part of Don Armado's pageboy Moth in Shakespeare's 'Love's Labour's Lost' directed by Peter Hall at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, in 1956. In the film It's Great to Be Young (1956), he appeared alongside John Mills. The following year, he played the title character in a BBC Television five part Sunday serial Little Lord Fauntleroy and then with Keith Michell and Belinda Lee in the opulent swashbuckler, Dangerous Exile, playing Louis XVII, the ten-year-old son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. In the 1963 blockbuster Cleopatra, he appeared as Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII, the younger brother of the title character played by Elizabeth Taylor. since suffering a stroke in 2003.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1953 The Yellow Balloon Boy Singing at Sunday School uncredited Malta Story Ninno Gozar 1954 The Stranger's Hand Roger Court 1954 Dance Little Lady Peter The Green Scarf Child Jacques Loves of Three Queens Benoni 1955 The Dark Avenger Thomas Holland Make Me an Offer Charlie as a Boy The Secret John Martin 1956 Raiders of the River Joey Jacqueline Michael It's Great to Be Young Lawson 1957 No Time for Tears William Reynolds Dangerous Exile Louis XVII / Richard de Beauvais 1959 The Nun's Story Pierre uncredited Carry On Teacher Robin Stevens Witness in the Dark Don Theobald 1960 And Women Shall Weep Godfrey Lumsden A Story of David Abiathar 1961 Spare the Rod Fred Harkness The Young Ones Ernest 1962 The Prince and The Pauper Hugo The Webster Boy Jimmy Webster 1963 Cleopatra Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow George Ransley 1964 Wonderful Life Edward US title: Swingers' Paradise Every Day's a Holiday Jimmy Dainty 1968 A Dandy in Aspic Nevil 1969 The Haunted House of Horror Peter 1970 Futtocks End The Boots 1972 Au Pair Girls Stephen 1973 Father, Dear Father Richard 1974 Man About the House Robin Tripp Can You Keep It Up for a Week? Mr. Rose

Television