Ray Brooks obituary announced

Ray Brooks, remembered for Cathy Come Home and Mr Benn, dies at 86 after a long career in theatre, television and voice work.

Ray Brooks obituary highlights life and Cathy Come Home legacy

Ray Brooks was a working actor who rose to prominence in 1966 with Cathy Come Home, Ken Loach’s stark television drama about a couple’s descent into homelessness. He played Reg, the husband of Cathy, in a production that drew 12 million viewers and helped spark a national conversation about housing and poverty. Brooks later described the shoot as improvisational, likening it to jazz as the team used real-life situations to inform scenes.

The obituary underscores how one defining moment can outlive a career. Brooks benefited from the Cathy Come Home fame, but the wider industry did not funnel him into steady leading roles. His career traversed stage, television and voice work, revealing a versatile performer who found renewal in theater and in memorable parts on popular shows. The breadth of his work, including Mr Benn and a long run on EastEnders, illustrates the pressures and opportunities actors face when fame is fleeting. His passing also invites reflection on how biography can be shaped by a single, powerful performance.

Highlights

Brooks’s life reminds us that influence in the arts often travels far beyond a single screen moment.