Ray Brooks in 1965. M. Stroud/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Ray Brooks, known for narrating Mr Benn and his roles in The Knack ... and How to Get It, Big Deal and Taxi!, died on Saturday. He was 86. His family told the BBC that Brooks died after a short illness. They also shared that he had been living with dementia for the last few years. Born on April 20, 1939, in the U.K., Brooks got his start in film and television in the early '60s, appearing in the 1960 miniseries Julius Caesar and The Secret Kingdom. He then landed his role as Terry Mills in Taxi!, which ran from 1963-64. He starred opposite Sidney James, who takes Brooks' character under his wing and helps him become a taxi driver in London, becoming friends in the process. Around that same time, he also starred on the British soap opera Coronation Street as Norman Phillips. Related Stories TV Janet Nelson Berger, Casting Director on Prestige TV Programs, Dies at 87 News James Lovell, Apollo 13 Moon Mission Leader, Dies at 97 In 1965, Brooks played experienced womanizer Tolen in the film The Knack ... and How to Get It, alongside Rita Tushingham, Donal Donnelly and Michael Crawford. His sons, Will and Tom, told the BBC that their father thought his most well-known role was in Mr Benn, "with people continually asking him to say the catchphrase 'as if by magic!'" Brooks voiced the titular character from 1971-72. His sons added, "Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years." Brooks also had a recurring role on the TV drama Big Deal, playing Robby Box from 1984-86, and the series Running Wild as Max Wild from 1987-89. Later in the mid-2000s, he starred in a second British soap opera, EastEnders, playing Joe Macer. Brooks' other acting credits included Two Thousand Acres of Sky, Growing Pain, The Pickwick Papers, Death of an Expert Witness, King Rollo, Two People, Jackanory, Rooms, Pathfinders, Black and Blue, A Thinking Man as Hero, Oranges and Lemons, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, ITV Saturday Night Theatre, Doomwatch, Z Cars, Boy Meets Girl, The Avengers, Cathy Come Home, Public Eye, Emergency-Ward 10, The Sullavan Brothers and Walter and Connie, among others. He is survived by his two sons and his wife, Sadie Elcombe. His daughter, Emma, died in 2003. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Emmys 2025 In 'The Remarkable Life of Iberlin,' a Disabled Gamer Finds Accessibility and Influence He Couldn't in the Real World Live Feed 'One Piece' Grabs Early Season 3 Renewal at Netflix Writers Guild of America Park Chan-wook and 'The Sympathizer' Co-Creator Don McKellar Expelled From Writers Guild Somebody Somewhere 'Somebody Somewhere' Co-Writer Bridget Everett On Telling a Story of Friendship in the Series Finale The Bear 'The Bear' Is Really a Work Warning for All of Us stand-up comedy Dave Chappelle Shouts Out David Letterman During Screening of His Unreleased Doc Emmys 2025 In 'The Remarkable Life of Iberlin,' a Disabled Gamer Finds Accessibility and Influence He Couldn't in the Real World Live Feed 'One Piece' Grabs Early Season 3 Renewal at Netflix Writers Guild of America Park Chan-wook and 'The Sympathizer' Co-Creator Don McKellar Expelled From Writers Guild Somebody Somewhere 'Somebody Somewhere' Co-Writer Bridget Everett On Telling a Story of Friendship in the Series Finale The Bear 'The Bear' Is Really a Work Warning for All of Us stand-up comedy Dave Chappelle Shouts Out David Letterman During Screening of His Unreleased Doc