Ray Brooks obituary

A veteran British actor whose work spanned five decades on television has died at age 86.

Ray Brooks dies at 86 after five decades on screen

Ray Brooks, a British actor whose career spanned five decades, has died at age 86. He narrated the 1970s children's show Mr Benn and played the male lead in Cathy Come Home, a landmark BBC drama about housing and poverty. Brooks also featured in primetime series Big Deal as Robbie Box and Running Wild as Max Wild. He was among the few actors to appear in both Coronation Street and EastEnders, playing Norman Philips in the 1960s Street and later Joe Macer in EastEnders, a character whose actions drove a major storyline.

Across genres, Brooks showed the flexibility that kept audiences watching. His work reflected shifts in British television, from social realism to lighthearted entertainment and long running soaps. His passing is a reminder of a time when television carried wide audiences through different formats and eras.

Brooks's career maps a broad arc in UK TV. Early work in Cathy Come Home placed him in a watershed moment for social realism, while Mr Benn offered a playful counterpoint that helped children engage with imagination. Later, his roles in Big Deal and Running Wild demonstrated a knack for balancing humor with character warmth. His rare crossover between Coronation Street and EastEnders underscored the industry’s willingness to keep familiar faces in view across generations.

Editorially, the story of Brooks is less about one standout role and more about consistency. He built trust with audiences by delivering performances that felt true rather than flashy. In an era of rapid format shifts, he remained a reliable thread linking past and present television.

Highlights

Television history runs on the steady hands of actors who stay committed.