Eric Richard (born Eric Smith, 27 June 1940) is an English actor.His theatre work includes plays at the Royal Court Theatre and the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, as well as seasons with the Royal Exchange, Manchester, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Sheffield Crucible Theatre and Paines Plough. In 2001 he appeared as Ebeneezer Scrooge in a production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre, London.He is perhaps best known for his role as Desk Sergeant Bob Cryer in the long running ITV drama The Bill, which he portrayed for 20 years from the show's inception in 1984, although his television work has also included Victoria Wood As Seen on TV, Home Sweet Home, Made in Britain, Open All Hours, Games Without Frontiers, P'Tang Yang Kipperbang, Shoestring, and Holby City.In 2010 it was announced that Richard was to appear in the stage version of Lark Rise to Candleford which is currently on a nationwide tour.
His 2-month-old grandson, Charlie Smith, died when he was swept away from his father Richard's (his son's) arms by the giant tsunami wave disaster in Unwatuna, near Galle, Sri Lanka in December 2004.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Rainbowgale
2015
Short completed
Grandfather
Forever Tomorrow
2016
Tom
Casualty
2016
TV Series
Gerald Palmer
Stutterer
2015
Short
Greenwood's Dad
DeathbedX2
2015
Short
Anton Lasky
London Boulevard
2010
Villanous Pensioner in Cafe (uncredited)
Holby City
2006
TV Series
Mike Fairbrother
The Alan Clark Diaries
2004-2006
TV Series
Dave
The Bill
1984-2004
TV Series
Sgt. Bob Cryer
Sgt. Cryer
Bob Cryer
Dinotopia
2003
TV Series
Alex Drake
The Bill: Target
1996
Video
Sgt. Cryer
Bejewelled
1991
TV Movie
Dog Catcher
Little Dorrit
1987
Sir George Wills
Prick Up Your Ears
1987
Education Officer
The Storyteller
1987
TV Series
Farmer
Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV
1986
TV Series
Postman
Open All Hours
1985
TV Series
Cash Register Salesman
Summer Season
1985
TV Series
Hospital orderly
Number One
1985
TV Movie
Poker Player
Mitch
1984
TV Series
Stan Phillips
Singleton's Pluck
1984
Basil
Miracles Take Longer
1984
TV Series
Paula's client
Just Another Little Blues Song
1984
TV Movie
Charlie
The Hound of the Baskervilles
1983
TV Movie
Cabbie
Play for Today
1982-1983
TV Series
Frank / Stan
P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang.
1982
TV Movie
Road Worker
The Agatha Christie Hour
1982
TV Series
Stage Manager
Made in Britain
1982
TV Movie
Harry Parker
Venom
1981
Airline Clerk
Going Out
1981
TV Series
Caretaker
The Final Conflict
1981
Astronomer's Technician
Shoestring
1980
TV Series
Taff
Juliet Bravo
1980
TV Series
Det. Sgt, Fournel, Metropolitan Police
Shogun
1980
TV Mini-Series
Maetsukker
Shogun
1980
TV Movie
Maetsukker
BBC2 Playhouse
1975-1980
TV Series
Ray / Porter
Together
1980
TV Series
Dave Spencer
The Onedin Line
1978
TV Series
Ralph Morley
The Wednesday Play
1964
TV Series
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Digging for Britain
2011
Video documentary short
Himself
Breakfast
2010
TV Series
Himself - Actor
The Bill Made Me Famous
2008
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Watchdog
2006
TV Series documentary
Himself
Bob Martin
2000-2001
TV Series
Himself
An Audience with Des O'Connor
2001
TV Special
Himself - Audience Member (uncredited)
Blankety Blank
1999
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Total Cops
2003
TV Movie documentary
Sgt. Bob Cryer
Tim Roth: Made in Britain
2000
Short
Harry Parker
The Bill
2000
TV Series
Sgt. Cryer
Omnibus
1999
TV Series documentary
Education Officer
Arena
1982
TV Series documentary
Stan
Known for movies
The Bill (1984-2004) as Sgt. Bob Cryer / Sgt. Cryer / Bob Cryer
$17 Million
