Richard Briers, Honorary Vice President

Richard Briers was formerly President of the Parkinson's Disease Society and continues to support our work as Honorary Vice President.

Richard spent two years as a filing clerk and a further two years as a filing clerk in the RAF, before he got himself a place at RADA.

For the last 50 years he has been one of England’s most versatile actors playing everything from Shakespeare to pantomime. He has appeared in the West End in over twenty plays spanning Ibsen, Shaw, Coward, Ayckbourn, Simon Gray and Ray Cooney. On stage, he has worked for Kenneth Branagh playing Malvolio, Bottom, King Lear and Uncle Vanya.

In 1998, he had a huge success in Simon McBurney’s production of The Chairs with Geraldine McEwan, which went on to repeat its success on Broadway. Recent theatre productions include the West End revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce and the UK tour of The Tempest playing Prospero.

Richard has starred in several hugely popular television series including Ever Decreasing Circles and the beloved The Good Life, which has been seen in many countries all over the world. He appeared in three series of Monarch of the Glen for Ecosse Films and BBC1, and starred in the acclaimed one-off drama about elder abuse: Dad for the BBC.

On film, Richard has worked extensively with Kenneth Branagh, appearing in Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, In the Bleak Midwinter, Swansong, Hamlet , Love’s Labours Lost and As You Like It and has played Smee in the movie Peter Pan.

Richard is married to the actress Ann Davies and they live in Chiswick. They have two daughters, Katy and Lucy.  He received a CBE in 2003 for services to the Theatre.