Patrick Murray (actor)
Patrick Murray | |
|---|---|
.png) Murray as Mickey Pearce from Only Fools and Horses (circa 1988–1989) | |
| Born | Patrick Noel Murray 17 December 1956 Greenwich, London, England |
| Died | 29 September 2025 (aged 68) Rochester, Kent, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1973–2023 |
| Spouses | Shelley Wilkinson
(m. 1981; div. 1996)Anong Murray (m. 2016) |
| Children | 4 |
Patrick Noel Murray (17 December 1956 – 29 September 2025) was a British actor. He was most notable for his role as Mickey Pearce in Only Fools and Horses from 1983 to 2003. He also had roles in ITV Playhouse (1977), Scum and Quadrophenia (1979), Breaking Glass (1980), Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), Bergerac (1983), Dempsey and Makepeace (1986), and The Firm (1989).
Early life and career
[edit]Patrick Noel Murray was born in Greenwich on 17 December 1956, to Juana Romero, a Spanish dancer and Patrick Murray, an Irish tunnel miner.[1][2] He attended St Thomas the Apostle College. He started acting in stage plays when he turned 15 after seeing a theatrical agency advert.[3]
One of his first roles was in the television series The Terracotta Horse, playing the character David Jackson, which earned him some initial recognition.[4] In 1977, he appeared in the television play Scum, playing the character Dougan alongside Ray Winston's Carlin. Following the BBC's banning of the broadcast due to excessive violence, its director, Alan Clarke, remade the play into a feature film of the same name in 1979, where Murray was one of the six original cast members to reprise their roles.[3] Following this, Murray would continue to make small appearances in films, such as in Quadrophenia (1979) alongside Sting, Toyah Willcox, Michael Elphick and Timothy Spall,[5] in Breaking Glass (1980), and as the bellboy in Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).[3]
Murray's longest role was as Mickey Pearce in 20 episodes of Only Fools and Horses between 1983–2003, starring alongside David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst.[6] First mentioned in episodes starting in 1981 before making a physical appearance in the 1983 Healthy Competition, according to Murray, the character was conceived as a "Del Boy-lite". Murray was auditioned for the role after producer Ray Butt had noticed him in a television advertisement for Pizza Hut. He started working on the show three days after his audition.[3] His role as Mickey has since been described as a fan-favourite of the series,[7] and would regularly appear at Only Fools fan conventions;[8] his popularity caused him to make regular appearances in the show up to its finale in Christmas 2003.[3] This role led to him being offered a variety of guest appearances in television series such as The Upper Hand,[9] The Return of Shelley, The Bill (in two different roles) and Dempsey and Makepeace, as well as in the 1989 film The Firm,[3] alongside Gary Oldman.[10] In 2013, Murray appeared Vikingdom as Alcuin,[11] a wizard saved by the characters Sven (Craig Fairbrass); Brynna (Natassia Malthe); and Yang (Jon Foo).[12]
In 2015, he made a brief return to acting, featuring in the television series Endeavour,[13] and in the short film The Profession of Violence.[4] His final role was as the cockney gangster Frank Bridges in the TV series Conditions,[3] co-starring alongside Fenella Fielding.[8] Originally filmed in 2019 during his brief return to acting,[3] the appearance is set to air posthumously as the series has yet to have a release date.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Murray married Shelley Wilkinson in 1981; the couple had three sons before divorcing in 1996. In 2016, he married Anong in Thailand, and they later had one daughter.[3]
In 2017, returning to the UK, Murray gave up acting and became a taxi driver in order to comply with minimum income rules for citizens who wished to bring non-European spouses to the UK, to allow his wife and daughter to settle in the UK with him.[14][15] They later managed to obtain a visa.[16]
Illness and death
[edit]In 2018, Murray was planning to take part in a bus trip that would raise money for Demelza, a children's hospice. However, the trip was called off at the last minute as Murray revealed he was receiving treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).[14] The trip would have included him entertaining 70 fans while travelling from Leysdown-on-Sea in Kent to Margate.[14] Murray wanted to complete the trip at a later date.[14]
In January 2021, Murray revealed he had lung cancer.[17] Subsequent scans also found a tumour in his liver, for which he had surgery to remove half of his liver.[18] In May 2022, after a transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), he announced that he had been given the all-clear on his lung cancer and treatment had been successful.[16] However, in April 2023, he revealed the lung cancer had returned and spread.[19]
Murray died from lung cancer in Rochester, Kent, on 29 September 2025, at the age of 68.[7][20][21]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | The Moon Over the Alley | Ronnie Gusset | [22] |
| 1978 | The Class of Miss MacMichael | Boysie | [23] |
| 1979 | Scum | Dougan | [24] |
| Quadrophenia | Des | [25] | |
| 1980 | Breaking Glass | Injured boy | [26] |
| 1983 | Curse of the Pink Panther | Bellboy | [27] |
| 1984 | Haunters of the Deep | Jack | [28] |
| 1989 | The Firm | Nunk | [8][29] |
| 2013 | Vikingdom | Alcuin | [11] |
| 2023 | The Profession of Violence | Martin C | [4] |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Centre Play | Colin | Series 1 Episode 1: "Places Where They Sing" | [30] |
| 1973 | New Scotland Yard | Jimmy Lampard | Series 32 Episode 6: "Property, Dogs & Women" | [2] |
| 1973 | The Terracotta Horse | David Jackson | 6 episodes | [31] |
| 1977 | Scum | Dougan | Television play | [32] |
| 1977, 1980 | ITV Playhouse | Bobby / Telephone man | Two episodes: S9 E9 & S12 E12 | [33] |
| 1978 | Premiere | Mul | [34] | |
| 1979 | Turning Year Tales | College | "Big Jim and the Figaro Club" | [35] |
| 1980 | Keep It in the Family | Blackie | S2.E3 "Games People Play" | [36] |
| 1983–2003 | Only Fools and Horses | Mickey Pearce | 20 episodes | [6] |
| 1983 | Down in the Valley | Valley person | Television film | [37] |
| 1983 | Bergerac | Barman | S3.E2 "A Hole in the Bucket" | [33] |
| 1985 | Florence Nightingale | Young Soldier | Television film | [30] |
| 1986 | Dempsey and Makepeace | Launderette Manager | Episode: "Out of Darkness" | [38] |
| 1987 | Pulaski | Reporter | S1 E2 "The Price of Fame" | [30] |
| 1988 | Crossbow | Garth's Son | S2 E2 "Birthright" | [30] |
| 1988 | The Return of Shelley | William | S7 | [30] |
| 1990–1996 | The Upper Hand | Joey | [39] | |
| 1993 | Lovejoy | Dave the Dealer | Episode: "They Call Me Midas" | [40] |
| 1994, 1997 | The Bill | Barry Eaton / Harvey Cook | "Big Eagle Day" S10 E51; "Hunt" S13 E99 | [40] |
| 2015 | Endeavour | [13] | ||
| 2019 | Conditions | Frank Bridges | 13 episodes | [3][8] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Only Fools and Horses star diagnosed with cancer for second time". The Independent. 13 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Inside Only Fools and Horses' Patrick Murray life – from comedy career to cancer battle". The Mirror. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hayward, Anthony (5 October 2025). "Patrick Murray obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d Chauhan, Vatsala (2 October 2025). "What was Patrick Murray's first role before Only Fools and Horses? Career highlights explored as actor dies at 68". SoapCentral. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ "Quadrophenia". letterboxd.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Patrick Murray". comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ a b Razzak, Rohail (2 October 2025). "Patrick Murray, 'Only Fools and Horses' star, dies aged 68 after battle with cancer". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Patrick Murray, actor who won hearts as the lovable spiv Mickey in Only Fools and Horses". The Telegraph. 5 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Panons, Jacob (2 October 2025). "Only Fools and Horses actor dies aged 68". BBC News. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "The Firm". theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Vikingdom - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (3 October 2013). "Film Review: 'Vikingdom: The Red Eclipse'". Variety. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ a b Burton, Poppy (2 October 2025). "'Only Fools And Horses' Mickey star Patrick Murray has died, aged 68". NME. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Only Fools and Horses actor Patrick Murray reveals he's fighting lung disease after he pulls out of charity top actor tribute". mirror.co.uk. 30 August 2018.
- ^ "Only Fools and Horses star's heartbreak as Thai wife and daughter are banned from entering UK". dailyrecord.co.uk. 17 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray gives update on cancer battle: 'I'm over the moon'". entertainmentdaily.co.uk. 23 May 2022.
- ^ "Only Fools and Horses star diagnosed with cancer for second time". The Independent. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray dies, aged 68". The Independent. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Only Fools And Horses star Patrick Murray reveals cancer has returned". Sky News. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Only Fools and Horses actor Patrick Murray dies aged 68". Guardian. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (2 October 2025). "Patrick Murray death: Only Fools and Horses star dies, aged 68". The Independent. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "The Moon Over the Alley - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "The Class of Miss MacMichael - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Scum - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Quadrophenia (The movie)". Quadrophenia.net. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Breaking Glass - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)". AFI Catalog. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Haunters of the Deep - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Firm, The (1989)". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Патрик Мюррэй" [Patrick Murray]. Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Terracotta Horse: 1: The Seal of Solomon". BBC Genome Project. 12 November 1973. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Scum (1977)". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b Court, Molly (2 October 2025). "Only Fools and Horses legend Patrick Murray dies aged 68". News Shopper. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Premiere 2: Hanging Around". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Turning Year Tales". BBC Genome Project. 24 June 1979. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Distribuţie Games People Play (1980)" [Games People Play Distribution (1980)]. Cinemagia (in Romanian). Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ Palmer, Katie (2 October 2025). "Patrick Murray's life from wife to career swap as only fools star dies". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ Morton, Tom (2 October 2025). "Only fools and Horses Star Patrick Murray - Mickey Pearce - dies". NationalWorld.com. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "The Upper Hand - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ a b Arnold, Ben (2 October 2025). "'Only Fools and Horses' star Patrick Murray battling lung disease". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2 October 2025.