‘Classic Australian story’: Acting great Henri Szeps dies at 81

The beloved Australian actor, director and playwright will be remembered fondly by the millions who watched his work on the small screen, big screen and theatre stage.

Henri Szeps, right, seen with Mother and Son star Garry McDonald, was watched by millions in theatres and on TV over a career that spanned decades. Picture: Supplied.

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Australian acting legend Henri Szeps has passed away at the age of 81.

The Swiss-born son of Holocaust survivors was adored by millions for his roles in a range of classic Australian TV shows and movies including The ABC’s Mother and Son, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, and A Country Practice among others.

Speaking to The Australian, Szeps’s son and broadcaster Josh Szeps said: “He was a fiercely committed artist and an advocate for storytelling, for debating, for thinking.

“He believed in human potential, in devouring life. He never took anything for granted.

“You think about where he came from – a refugee kid with a funny name whose migrant parents ran a grocery store in Surry Hills – and how much joy he ended up spreading through hard work and craftsmanship. He’s a classic Australian story.”

Szeps also had a distinguished career in theatre as an actor, playwright and director, having been trained at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre in the 1960s.

It was while training there that he met wife Mary Anne Severne, with the pair remaining life partners until his death this week.

Henri Szeps was also an accomplished playwright and director. Picture: Supplied.

The Ensemble would also go on to play a significant role in the final chapter of his career, with Szeps selling out a variety of one-man shows that he worked on at the theatre.

Despite an offer to join the Royal Shakespeare Company in London, Szeps declined citing a desire to focus on his young family.

He would go on to play a number of roles on stage including Gandalf from The Hobbit, Sigmund Freud in Freud’s Last Session, and Harold in The Boys in The Band.

He also wrote and directed I Am Not A Dentist, which proved very successful in Australia’s theatre circuit in the 90s.

To most Australians, Szeps will be remembered fondly for his performance in Mother and Son, where he played Robert Beare, a dentist and brother of series lead Arthur Beare, played by Garry McDonald.

Szeps’s beloved Ensemble theatre played an important role in various different stages of his career and personal life. Picture: supplied.

Szeps also made a notable impact on the big screen, including through his role as Prime Minister Harold Holt in Vietnam alongside a then 20-year-old Nicole Kidman.

Alongside an Order of Australia, Szeps was also awarded the Helpmann Award for best male actor in a supporting role in a musical following his performance in Cabaret alongside Tina Arena.

The cause of his death currently remains unknown, although Szeps had been battling Alzheimer’s since 2021.

In addition to wife Mary, Szeps also leaves behind sons Amos and Josh, as well as four grandchildren.