Only Fools and Horses actor Patrick Murray has died, aged 68.
Murray starred in the BBC sitcom as Mickey Pearce, the wheeler dealer friend of Del Boy and Rodney Trotter.
News of Murray’s death was shared on an Only Fools fan site, with a statement reading: “It is with heartfelt sadness that we report the death of our friend Patrick Murray – Mickey Pearce to so many.
“He was a regular attendee of our conventions, and we will miss his humour and the joy he brought to many.”
The actor underwent surgery and chemotherapy to remove a cancerous lung tumour in 2021. Subsequent scans found another tumour in his liver that was unconnected to his lung cancer and also treatable.
In 2023, the actor revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer for a second time, telling his fans he had surgery to remove the tumour and half his liver.
“I kept this under my hat that they’d discovered another primary cancer last year,” he said, praising the medics at King’s College Hospital.
He received transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (Tace), a minimally invasive procedure performed in interventional radiology to restrict a tumour’s blood supply.
Murray made his Only Fools and Horses debut in 1983, starring in 20 episodes until 2003.
In tribute to the actor, an X/Twitter account for an Only Fools podcast wrote: “This never gets easier … rest in peace, Patrick Murray.
They remembered Murray as “a very talented and clever actor with impeccable timing”, stating: “He really brought ‘Mickey Pearce’ to life with a mischievous charm.”
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Away from Only Fools, Murray starred in films Scum, Quadrophenia, (both 1979) and The Firm (1989), but after the sitcom came to an end, he retired from acting and instead became a taxi driver.
He returned to acting in 2015 and 2019 after scoring roles in TV shows in Endeavour and Conditions, respectively.
Murray had been married to his wife Anong, whom he met while living in Thailand for a decade, since 2016. They had one daughter named Josie. He returned to the UK by himself to try and get a visa for his family, having had their application rejected by the Home Office – and spent a year having to Skype his daughter.
He described the situation as “heartbreaking” in a 2018 interview on Loose Women.
Other Only Fools stars who have died in recent years include John Challis and Roger Lloyd-Pack, who played Boycie and Trigger, respectively.
