Ray Brooks, the actor known for roles in Coronation Street and EastEnders, as well as voicing the iconic children's character Mr Benn, has died at the age of 86. His family confirmed that he passed away on Saturday after a short illness, surrounded by loved ones.
Brooks's sons, Will and Tom, paid tribute, noting that while their father thought he was best known for Mr Benn, people frequently asked him to say the catchphrase 'as if by magic!'. The classic 1970s BBC cartoon, which ran only 13 episodes from 1971 to 1972, was repeated twice a year for 21 years.
In the soap world, Brooks played Norman Philips on Coronation Street in the 1960s and later joined EastEnders as Joe Macer, a character remembered for murdering his wife Pauline Fowler. He also appeared in other notable TV series including Cathy Come Home, Big Deal, Danger Man, and The Avengers.
His film credits included Carry On Abroad (1972) and the 1966 Doctor Who movie Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. On stage, he performed in Alan Ayckbourn's Absent Friends and Tom Stoppard's On The Razzle. Brooks also voiced thousands of adverts for brands such as Guinness, Whiskas, and Marmite.
The family revealed that Brooks had lived with dementia in recent years. He is survived by his sons Will and Tom; his daughter Emma died in 2003. His three true loves were family, Fulham Football Club, and Brighton, where he was born.
