Mother and Son star Henri Szeps dies after battle with Alzheimer’s disease, aged 81

Acclaimed Australian actor Henri Szeps, who starred in the hit comedy Mother and Son, has died at the age of 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.

Originally published as Mother and Son star Henri Szeps dies after battle with Alzheimer’s disease, aged 81