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Daily Telegraph
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Telegraph
Mother and Son star Henri Szeps dies, aged 81
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Henri Szeps, one of the stars of one of Australia's most beloved television shows, Mother and Son, has died at the age of 81. In 2021, Szeps revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and had been living in a care facility since 2023. 'He was awarded countless acting prizes, culminating in an Order of Australia Medal in 2001,' according to a statement announcing his death on Thursday, the ABC said. 'His decline from Alzheimer's was largely peaceful, and Henri retained his sense of wonder and joie de vivre until the end.' Henri Szeps (right) starred in ABC TV's Mother and Son alongside Garry McDonald (left), and Ruth Cracknell in the 1980s. Szeps played Robert Beare, a dentist and the second son in the ABC sitcom Mother and Son alongside Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald. The comedy ran for which ran for 10 years till 1994, and was recently rebooted starring Denise Roberts as the iconic Maggie Beare. Henri Szeps starred on television and theatre. Henri Szeps is survived by his Mary, two sons and four grandchildren. Szeps was born to two Polish Holocaust survivors in a Swiss refugee camp in 1943, before moving to Australia at the age of eight. He retired at the age of 70 after performing in his last play, saying his memory was 'no longer up to the task'. He leaves behind his wife Mary, two sons and four grandchildren. 'He was awarded countless acting prizes, culminating in an Order of Australia Medal in 2001,' Thursday's statement said. On stage he played characters such as Gandalf in The Hobbit and Sigmund Freud. He also starred alongside a young Nicole Kidman in the war mini-series, Vietnam, as Vietnam War prime minister Harold. In the final years of his performing career he starred in a series of one man shows. Originally published as Mother and Son star Henri Szeps dies after battle with Alzheimer's disease, aged 81
The Australian
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Australian
Mother and Son star Henri Szeps dies, aged 81
Henri Szeps, one of the stars of one of Australia's most beloved television shows, Mother and Son, has died at the age of 81. In 2021, Szeps revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and had been living in a care facility since 2023. 'He was awarded countless acting prizes, culminating in an Order of Australia Medal in 2001,' according to a statement announcing his death on Thursday, the ABC said. 'His decline from Alzheimer's was largely peaceful, and Henri retained his sense of wonder and joie de vivre until the end.' Henri Szeps (right) starred in ABC TV's Mother and Son alongside Garry McDonald (left), and Ruth Cracknell in the 1980s. Szeps played Robert Beare, a dentist and the second son in the ABC sitcom Mother and Son alongside Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald. The comedy ran for which ran for 10 years till 1994, and was recently rebooted starring Denise Roberts as the iconic Maggie Beare. Henri Szeps starred on television and theatre. Henri Szeps is survived by his Mary, two sons and four grandchildren. Szeps was born to two Polish Holocaust survivors in a Swiss refugee camp in 1943, before moving to Australia at the age of eight. He retired at the age of 70 after performing in his last play, saying his memory was 'no longer up to the task'. He leaves behind his wife Mary, two sons and four grandchildren. 'He was awarded countless acting prizes, culminating in an Order of Australia Medal in 2001,' Thursday's statement said. On stage he played characters such as Gandalf in The Hobbit and Sigmund Freud. He also starred alongside a young Nicole Kidman in the war mini-series, Vietnam, as Vietnam War prime minister Harold. In the final years of his performing career he starred in a series of one man shows.
News.com.au
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Mother and Son star Henri Szeps dies after battle with Alzheimer's disease, aged 81
Henri Szeps, one of the stars of one of Australia's most beloved television shows, Mother and Son, has died at the age of 81. In 2021, Szeps revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and had been living in a care facility since 2023. 'He was awarded countless acting prizes, culminating in an Order of Australia Medal in 2001,' according to a statement announcing his death on Thursday, the ABC said. 'His decline from Alzheimer's was largely peaceful, and Henri retained his sense of wonder and joie de vivre until the end.' Szeps played Robert Beare, a dentist and the second son in the ABC sitcom Mother and Son alongside Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald. The comedy ran for which ran for 10 years till 1994, and was recently rebooted starring Denise Roberts as the iconic Maggie Beare. Szeps was born to two Polish Holocaust survivors in a Swiss refugee camp in 1943, before moving to Australia at the age of eight. He retired at the age of 70 after performing in his last play, saying his memory was 'no longer up to the task'. He leaves behind his wife Mary, two sons and four grandchildren. 'He was awarded countless acting prizes, culminating in an Order of Australia Medal in 2001,' Thursday's statement said. On stage he played characters such as Gandalf in The Hobbit and Sigmund Freud. He also starred alongside a young Nicole Kidman in the war mini-series, Vietnam, as Vietnam War prime minister Harold. In the final years of his performing career he starred in a series of one man shows.
ABC News
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Australian TV actor Henri Szeps dies aged 81
Henri Szeps, award-winning actor and star of ABC's Mother and Son, has died at the age of 81. Szeps shot into televised entertainment through his role in the iconic sitcom, playing dentist Robert Beare alongside Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald. The show's 10-year run saw it voted as the best Australian television program, before wrapping up in 1994. Born to two Polish Holocaust survivors in a Swiss refugee camp in 1943, Szeps moved to Australia at the age of eight and went on to study electrical engineering at Sydney University. Moving into acting, Szeps enjoyed a storied career on the stage, featuring in the London production of I, Cladius in his twenties before moving back home in the 1970s. But it was his first stage production in the 1968 rendition Boys in the Band that earned him critical acclaim at home. From there, he trained in the Sydney Ensemble Theatre, where a green room is now named after him. The final years of his performing career saw him star in a series of one man shows. Szeps officially retired at the age of 70 after performing in his last play, citing that his memory was "no longer up to the task", a statement confirming his passing read. In 2021, Szeps revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and had been living in a care facility since 2023. "He was awarded countless acting prizes, culminating in an Order of Australia Medal in 2001," Thursday's statement said. On the stage he played characters such as Gandalf in The Hobbit and Sigmund Freud, before earning a role in war drama Vietnam as Harold Holt alongside a young Nicole Kidman. The series won a Logie and shot Nicole Kidman onto a path of global super-stardom. He leaves behind his wife Mary, two sons and four grandchildren.
News.com.au
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Legendary Australian actor Henri Szeps, 81, dies
Australian actor Henri Szeps, 81, best known for starring in ABC sitcom Mother and Son, has died. Szeps played Robert Beare opposite Garry McDonald and Ruth Cracknell from 1984 to 1994 in the beloved comedy series. The TV star also featured in roles including raunchy soap Number 96; the medical dramas A Country Practice, GP and All Saints. He also enjoyed some movie roles during his illustrious career, most notably starring in war drama Vietnam, in which he played prime minister Harold Holt opposite a young Nicole Kidman. Trained in The Method at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre – where a green room is now named in his honour – Henri took Australian theatre by storm in the 1968 production of The Boys in the Band. It was there that he met his wife, the actress Mary Ann Severne, who was by his side when he died. Szeps had been in a residential care unit since 2023 after revealing his Alzhimers diagnosis two-years prior. He was awarded countless acting prizes, culminating in an Order of Australia Medal in 2001. His decline from Alzheimer's was largely peaceful, said his family, who said the actor 'retained his sense of wonder and joie de vivre until the end'. His showstopping theatre performances ranged from Gandalf in the stage production of The Hobbit; Sigmund Freud in the award-winning Freud's Last Session; Sam Mendes' reboot of Cabaret with Tina Arena and Toby Allen for which Szeps won the Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Despite an invitation to join the Royal Shakespeare Company in London, Szeps resisted the temptation to advance his career abroad for the sake of his family. The final chapter of his showbiz life was defined by a string of sold-out one-man shows developed at his original stomping ground, The Ensemble Theatre. By the time Szeps finished the run of his final play, David Walliamson's Cruise Control, at the age of 70, he decided that his memory was no longer able to remember lines well enough and so he chose to retire from acting. Szeps is survived by his wife and two sons: Amos, a psychologist and master coach, and Josh, a broadcaster and journalist, and four grandchildren.
