{{Short description|British actor (1956–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Patrick Murray | image = Patrick Murray as Mickey Pearce (circa 1988-1989).png | caption = Murray as Mickey Pearce from ''Only Fools and Horses'' (1989) | birth_name = Patrick Noel Murray | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1956|12|17}} | birth_place = Greenwich, London, England | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2025|9|29|1956|12|17}} | death_place = Rochester, Kent, England | occupation = Actor | nationality = | spouse = {{Plainlist| * {{Marriage|Shelley Wilkinson|1981|1996|end=divorced}} * {{Marriage|Anong Murray|2016}} }} | children = 4 | years_active = 1973–2023 }}
'''Patrick Noel Murray''' (17 December 1956 – 29 September 2025) was a British actor. He was best known for playing Mickey Pearce in the British sitcom television series ''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== Patrick Noel Murray was born in Greenwich on 17 December 1956, the son of Juana Romero, a Spanish dancer and Patrick Murray, an Irish tunnel miner.<ref name="Independent">{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/patrick-murray-cancer-liver-tumour-dead-b2261487.html|title=''Only Fools and Horses'' star diagnosed with cancer for second time|website=The Independent|date=13 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="Inside">{{cite news |title=Inside Only Fools and Horses' Patrick Murray life – from comedy career to cancer battle |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/inside-only-fools-horses-patrick-26581759 |access-date=2 October 2025 |publisher=The Mirror |date=29 March 2022}}</ref> He attended St Thomas the Apostle College. He started acting in stage plays when he turned 15 after seeing a theatrical agency advert.<ref name="Hayward-2025">{{cite news |last1=Hayward |first1=Anthony |title=Patrick Murray obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/05/patrick-murray-obituary |access-date=7 October 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=5 October 2025}}</ref>
One of his first roles was in the television series ''The Terracotta Horse'', playing the character David Jackson, which earned him some initial recognition.<ref name="SOP">{{Cite web|url=https://www.soapcentral.com/entertainment/what-patrick-murray-s-first-role-only-fools-horses-career-highlights-explored-actor-dies-at-68|title=What was Patrick Murray's first role before Only Fools and Horses? Career highlights explored as actor dies at 68|last=Chauhan|first=Vatsala|date=2 October 2025|website=SoapCentral|access-date=3 October 2025}}</ref> In 1977, he appeared in the television play ''Scum'', playing the character Dougan alongside Ray Winstone'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.<ref name="Hayward-2025" /> 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,<ref name="quad">{{Cite web|url= https://letterboxd.com/film/quadrophenia/ |title=Quadrophenia|work=letterboxd.com|access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref> in ''Breaking Glass'' (1980), and as the bellboy in ''Curse of the Pink Panther'' (1983).<ref name="Hayward-2025" />
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.<ref name="brit">{{Cite web|url= https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/patrick_murray/ |title=Patrick Murray|work=comedy.co.uk|access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Hayward-2025" /> His role as Mickey has since been described as a fan-favourite of the series,<ref name="pk">{{Cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2570229/patrick-murray-only-fools-and-horses-star-dies-aged-68-after-battle-with-cancer?amp=1|title=Patrick Murray, 'Only Fools and Horses' star, dies aged 68 after battle with cancer|first=Rohail|last=Razzak|date=2 October 2025|newspaper=The Express Tribune|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> and would regularly appear at ''Only Fools'' fan conventions;<ref name="Graph">{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/10/05/patrick-murray-actor-spiv-mickey-only-fools-obituary/|title=Patrick Murray, actor who won hearts as the lovable spiv Mickey in Only Fools and Horses|date=5 October 2025|website=The Telegraph|access-date=9 October 2025|url-access=registration}}</ref> his popularity caused him to make regular appearances in the show up to its finale in Christmas 2003.<ref name="Hayward-2025" /> This role led to him being offered a variety of guest appearances in television series such as ''The Upper Hand'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly18vlj7gjo|title=Only Fools and Horses actor dies aged 68|last=Panons|first=Jacob|date=2 October 2025|website=BBC News|access-date=9 October 2025}}</ref> ''The Return of Shelley'', ''The Bill'' (in two different roles) and ''Dempsey and Makepeace'', as well as in the 1989 film ''The Firm'',<ref name="Hayward-2025" /> alongside Gary Oldman.<ref name="firm">{{Cite web|url= https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/the-firm |title=The Firm|work=theskinny.co.uk|access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref> In 2013, Murray appeared ''Vikingdom'' as Alcuin,<ref name="Vik">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/vikingdom/cast/2000121275/|title=Vikingdom - Full Cast & Crew|website=TV Guide|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> a wizard saved by the characters Sven (Craig Fairbrass); Brynna (Natassia Malthe); and Yang (Jon Foo).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/vikingdom-the-red-eclipse-review-1200686213/|title=Film Review: 'Vikingdom: The Red Eclipse'|last=Harvey|first=Dennis|date=3 October 2013|website=Variety|access-date=9 October 2025}}</ref>
In 2015, he made a brief return to acting, featuring in the television series ''Endeavour'',<ref name="NME">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/tv/only-fools-and-horses-mickey-star-patrick-murray-has-died-aged-68-3896865|title='Only Fools And Horses' Mickey star Patrick Murray has died, aged 68|last=Burton|first=Poppy|date=2 October 2025|website=NME|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> and in the short film ''The Profession of Violence''.<ref name="SOP" /> His final role was as the cockney gangster Frank Bridges in the television series ''Conditions'',<ref name="Hayward-2025" /> co-starring along with Fenella Fielding.<ref name="Graph" /> Originally filmed in 2019 during his brief return to acting,<ref name="Hayward-2025" /> the appearance is set to air posthumously as the series has yet to have a release date.<ref name="SOP" />
==Personal life and death== In 1981, Murray married Shelley Wilkinson; the couple had three sons before divorcing in 1996. In 2016, he married Anong in Thailand, and they later had one daughter.<ref name="Hayward-2025" />
In 2017, returning to England, 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 England, to allow his wife and daughter to settle in England with him.<ref name="mirror"/><ref name="record">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/only-fools-horses-star-reveals-11185332|title=Only Fools and Horses star's heartbreak as Thai wife and daughter are banned from entering UK|work=dailyrecord.co.uk|date=17 September 2017}}</ref> They later managed to obtain a visa.<ref name="ED"/>
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).<ref name="mirror">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/only-fools-horses-actor-patrick-13161881 |title=Only Fools and Horses actor Patrick Murray reveals he's fighting lung disease after he pulls out of charity top actor tribute|work=mirror.co.uk|date=30 August 2018}}</ref> The trip would have included him entertaining 70 fans while travelling from Leysdown-on-Sea in Kent to Margate.<ref name="mirror"/> Murray wanted to complete the trip at a later date.<ref name="mirror"/>
In January 2021, Murray revealed that he was diagnosed with lung cancer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 January 2023 |title=Only Fools and Horses star diagnosed with cancer for second time |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/patrick-murray-cancer-liver-tumour-b2261487.html |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Subsequent scans also found a tumour in his liver, for which he had surgery to remove half of his liver.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/patrick-murray-death-only-fools-and-horses-b2838021.html|title=Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray dies, aged 68|date=2 October 2025|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> 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.<ref name="ED">{{Cite web|url= https://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/news/only-fools-and-horses-patrick-murray-lung-cancer-update/|title=Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray gives update on cancer battle: 'I'm over the moon'|work=entertainmentdaily.co.uk|date=23 May 2022}}</ref> However, in April 2023, he revealed the lung cancer had returned and spread.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Only Fools And Horses star Patrick Murray reveals cancer has returned |url=https://news.sky.com/story/only-fools-and-horses-star-patrick-murray-reveals-cancer-has-returned-12865591 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref>
Murray died on 29 September 2025 from lung cancer in Rochester, Kent, at the age of 68.<ref name="pk" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/02/only-fools-and-horses-actor-patrick-murray-dies-aged-68|title=Only Fools and Horses actor Patrick Murray dies aged 68|date=2 October 2025|work=Guardian|accessdate=3 October 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stolworthy |first=Jacob |date=2 October 2025 |title=Patrick Murray death: Only Fools and Horses star dies, aged 68 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/patrick-murray-death-only-fools-and-horses-b2838021.html |access-date=2 October 2025 |newspaper=The Independent}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" |- style="text-align:center;" !| Year !| Title !| Role !| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |- |1976 |''The Moon Over the Alley'' |Ronnie Gusset |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-moon-over-the-alley/cast/2030025920/|title=The Moon Over the Alley - Full Cast & Crew|website=TV Guide|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |rowspan="1"|1978 |''The Class of Miss MacMichael'' |Boysie |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-class-of-miss-macmichael/cast/2000108831/|title=The Class of Miss MacMichael - Full Cast & Crew|website=TV Guide|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |rowspan="2"|1979 |''Scum'' |Dougan |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/scum/cast/2030039206/|title=Scum - Full Cast & Crew|website=TV Guide|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |''Quadrophenia'' |Des |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.quadrophenia.net/movie/|title=Quadrophenia (The movie)|website=Quadrophenia.net|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |rowspan="1"|1980 |''Breaking Glass'' |Injured boy |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/breaking-glass/cast/2000058948/|title=Breaking Glass - Full Cast & Crew|website=TV Guide|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |rowspan="1"|1983 |''Curse of the Pink Panther'' |Bellboy |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/57916|title=Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)|website=AFI Catalog|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1984 |''Haunters of the Deep'' |Jack |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/haunters-of-the-deep/cast/2000032121/|title=Haunters of the Deep - Full Cast & Crew|website=TV Guide|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |rowspan="1"|1989 |''The Firm'' |Nunk |<ref name="Graph" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/439285/credits.html|title=Firm, The (1989)|website=BFI Screenonline|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |rowspan="1"|2013 |''Vikingdom'' |Alcuin |<ref name="Vik" /> |- |rowspan="1"|2023 |''The Profession of Violence '' |Martin C |<ref name="SOP" /> |-
|}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" |- style="text-align:center;" !| Year !| Title !| Role !| Notes !| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |- |1973|| ''Centre Play'' || Colin || Series 1 Episode 1: "Places Where They Sing" || <ref name="RU">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/160480/|title=Патрик Мюррэй|trans-title=Patrick Murray|language=ru|website=Kinopoisk|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1973|| ''New Scotland Yard'' || Jimmy Lampard || Series 32 Episode 6: "Property, Dogs & Women" || <ref name="Inside" /> |- |1973|| ''The Terracotta Horse'' || David Jackson || 6 episodes || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/af660325c46748a19587e47e4030c1f0|title=Terracotta Horse: 1: The Seal of Solomon|website=BBC Genome Project|date=12 November 1973 |access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1977 |''Scum'' || Dougan || Television play ||<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/439310/credits.html|title=Scum (1977)|website=BFI Screenonline|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1977, 1980 || ''ITV Playhouse'' || Bobby / Telephone man || Two episodes: S9 E9 & S12 E12 || <ref name="NS">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/25512287.fools-horses-legend-patrick-murray-dies-aged-68/|title=Only Fools and Horses legend Patrick Murray dies aged 68|last=Court|first=Molly|date=2 October 2025|website=News Shopper|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1978|| ''Premiere'' || Mul || || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?filt=d2c4dfe534ba54959921ab5e7c62eedf|title=Premiere 2: Hanging Around|website=BBC Genome Project|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1979|| ''Turning Year Tales'' || College || "Big Jim and the Figaro Club" || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bc062bd745a84788ad3486e872aad50a|title=Turning Year Tales|website=BBC Genome Project|date=24 June 1979 |access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1980|| ''Keep It in the Family'' || Blackie|| S2.E3 "Games People Play"||<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinemagia.ro/filme/keep-it-in-the-family-keep-it-in-the-family-02x03-1752959/distributie/|title=Distribuţie Games People Play (1980)|trans-title=Games People Play Distribution (1980)|language=ro|website=Cinemagia|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1983–1996, 2001–2003 || ''Only Fools and Horses'' || Mickey Pearce || 20 episodes || <ref name="brit" /> |- |1983|| ''Down in the Valley'' || Valley person || Television film || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/patrick-murrays-life-wife-career-36004018|title=Patrick Murray's life from wife to career swap as only fools star dies|last=Palmer|first=Katie|date=2 October 2025|website=Daily Mirror|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1983|| ''Bergerac'' || Barman || S3.E2 "A Hole in the Bucket" || <ref name="NS" /> |- |1985|| ''Florence Nightingale'' || Young Soldier || Television film || <ref name="RU" /> |- |1986|| ''Dempsey and Makepeace'' || Launderette Manager || Episode: "Out of Darkness" || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalworld.com/culture/television/mickey-pearce-only-fools-and-horses-star-patrick-murray-dies-lung-cancer-5343376|title=Only fools and Horses Star Patrick Murray - Mickey Pearce - dies|last=Morton|first=Tom|date=2 October 2025|website=NationalWorld.com|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1987|| ''Pulaski'' || Reporter || S1 E2 "The Price of Fame" || <ref name="RU" /> |- |1988|| ''Crossbow'' || Garth's Son || S2 E2 "Birthright" || <ref name="RU" /> |- |1988|| ''The Return of Shelley'' || William || S7 || <ref name="RU" /> |- |1990–1996|| ''The Upper Hand'' || Joey || || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-upper-hand/cast/1030239739/|title=The Upper Hand - Full Cast & Crew|website=TV Guide|access-date=9 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1993|| ''Lovejoy'' || Dave the Dealer || Episode: "They Call Me Midas" || <ref name="Yahoo">{{Cite web|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/fools-horses-star-patrick-murray-battling-lung-disease-121435629.html|title='Only Fools and Horses' star Patrick Murray battling lung disease|last=Arnold|first=Ben|date=2 October 2025|website=Yahoo! News|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> |- |1994, 1997 || ''The Bill'' || Barry Eaton / Harvey Cook || "Big Eagle Day" S10 E51; "Hunt" S13 E99 || <ref name="Yahoo" /> |- |2015|| ''Endeavour'' || || || <ref name="NME" /> |- |2019|| ''Conditions'' || Frank Bridges || 13 episodes || <ref name="Hayward-2025" /><ref name="Graph" /> |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0615203}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Patrick}} Category:1956 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Actors from the Royal Borough of Greenwich Category:Deaths from lung cancer in England Category:English male film actors Category:English male television actors Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English people of Spanish descent Category:People from Greenwich