Richard Briers

In Midsomer Murders

The Reverend Stephen Wentworth is the parish clergyman in a case shaped by the long memory of a village. Briers gives the apparently conventional churchman a quiet gravity that suits the episode's buried history.

Performer biography

Richard Briers became one of Britain's best-loved television actors through The Good Life and Ever Decreasing Circles. Alongside comedy he maintained an extensive stage career and became a notable interpreter of Shakespeare, including several films directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Briers trained at RADA and became known for comic performances that could turn unexpectedly poignant. He maintained a long collaboration with Kenneth Branagh in Shakespeare films, including Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing. His Midsomer appearance is a reminder that he was as effective in mystery and drama as in the sitcoms that made him a household name.