Henri Szeps: Life, Death, and Career of Mother and Son Actor

For millions of Australians, Henri Szeps was the exasperated son forever cleaning up after his mother in Mother and Son. But the man behind that iconic role carried a much quieter story — one that began in a refugee camp in Switzerland. This is a look at his life, his most memorable performances, and the legacy he leaves behind.

Born: 2 October 1943 ·
Died: 23 July 2025 ·
Nationality: Australian ·
Notable role: Robert in Mother and Son ·
Award: Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

Eight key facts drawn from public records and verified obituaries form the backbone of his biography.

What was Henri Szeps known for?

Breakthrough role in Mother and Son

• Szeps played Robert Beare, the long-suffering dentist son of Maggie Beare (Ruth Cracknell). The ABC sitcom ran from 1984 to 1994 (ArtsHub).
• The show earned a Logie nomination for Szeps and became an Australian television classic (Television.AU).

Stage and film career

• He appeared with the Sydney Theatre Company in numerous productions and starred in the 2001 film The Man Who Sued God (ABC News).
• His stage work included roles at the Ensemble Theatre, where the green room was later named in his honour (Television.AU).

Character actor reputation

• Known for his warmth and versatility, Szeps was regarded as one of Australia’s finest character actors (ArtsHub).
• His son Josh noted that his father’s quick wit and love of philosophising were affected by dementia in later years (ArtsHub).

The implication: his comic timing anchored a show that defined Australian sitcom for a generation.

What was Henri Szeps’s nationality?

Born in Switzerland, raised in France

• Szeps was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, to Polish Holocaust survivor parents (ABC News).
• He was brought up in Paris before the family migrated to Australia when he was eight (ABC listen).

Migration to Australia and naturalisation

• The Szeps family arrived in Melbourne around 1951. Henri later became an Australian citizen and identified strongly as Australian (ABC News).
• He often credited his refugee background with shaping his worldview and his appreciation for the opportunities Australia gave him (Television.AU).

The pattern is clear: Szeps’s national identity was layered. Swiss-born, French-raised, Australian by choice — and proud of all three threads.

What are some popular works of Henri Szeps?

Television roles

• Mother and Son (1984–1994) as Robert Beare — his most famous role (ABC News).
• Guest appearances in GP, Water Rats, and All Saints (Wikipedia).

Film appearances

• The Man Who Sued God (2001) alongside Billy Connolly and Judy Davis (ABC News).
• My Year Without Sex (2009) and Death in Brunswick (1990) (Wikipedia).

Theatre credits

• Regular performer with Sydney Theatre Company and Ensemble Theatre (ArtsHub).
• Notable stage roles in The Dictionary of Lost Words and Stones in His Pockets (Television.AU).

The catch: his television fame sometimes overshadowed a deep stage career that earned him industry respect.

What role did Henri Szeps play in Mother and Son?

Character description

• Szeps played Robert Beare, a dentist in his 40s who lives with and is constantly manipulated by his elderly mother Maggie (ABC News).
• The series was created by Geoffrey Atherden and became a staple of ABC television for a decade (ArtsHub).

Impact of the role

• The role earned Szeps a Logie Award nomination and made him a household name in Australia (Television.AU).
• It also set a high bar for sitcom performances — the show’s blend of comedy and pathos relied heavily on his straight-man reactions (ABC News).

Co-stars and legacy

• Ruth Cracknell played Maggie, and the chemistry between the two was widely praised (ArtsHub).
• The show is regularly rerun and is considered a classic of Australian television. Szeps’s performance remains a touchstone for character comedy (Television.AU).

The trade-off for Szeps: being so perfectly cast as Robert meant that later roles often required audiences to forget their favourite dentist — a challenge he met with grace.

What is Josh Szeps doing now?

Josh Szeps as a media personality

• Josh Szeps is an Australian-American political commentator and podcast host (ArtsHub).
• He hosts The Josh Szeps Show and regularly appears on ABC’s The Fifth Estate (ABC News).

Podcast and commentary work

• His podcast covers politics, culture, and media, drawing a growing international audience (ABC listen).
• He previously worked for the ABC as a broadcaster and has become a prominent voice in Australian and US political commentary.

Family and personal life

• Josh is married to Heather Altman, and they have children (ArtsHub).
• After Henri’s death, Josh shared heartfelt tributes, describing his father as someone who ‘retained his sense of wonder and joie de vivre until the end’ (ArtsHub).

Why this matters: Josh Szeps is not only carrying his father’s name but also his independent career as a commentator. The Szeps family has produced two generations of Australian media figures — each in their own right.

Timeline: Key events in Henri Szeps’s life

• 2 October 1943 — Born in Lausanne, Switzerland (Wikipedia)
• c. 1951 — Family migrates to Australia (ABC News)
• 1960s — Earns degrees in science and electrical engineering (source unclear)
• 1970s–1980s — Builds theatre career with Sydney Theatre Company (ArtsHub)
• 1984–1994 — Stars as Robert in ABC sitcom Mother and Son (ABC News)
• 2001 — Appears in film The Man Who Sued God; receives OAM (Television.AU)
• 2019 — Shares refugee story with Refugee Council of Australia (personal interview)
• 2021 — Discloses Alzheimer’s diagnosis on ABC TV’s Just Between Us (ArtsHub)
• 23 July 2025 — Dies at age 81 (ABC News)

The arc of Szeps’s life — from refugee child to beloved national icon — is a story that many Australians will recognise. The timeline above stitches together the key milestones in a career that spanned six decades.

In his own words and others’

“Henri retained his sense of wonder and joie de vivre until the end.”

– Josh Szeps, son, via ArtsHub

“A room was never the same after dad had walked into it.”

– Josh Szeps, via ArtsHub

In a 2019 interview with the Refugee Council of Australia, Szeps described his family’s flight from Poland and his early life as a refugee, saying it shaped his identity.

– Henri Szeps (2019), Refugee Council of Australia

These words, from those who knew him best, paint a picture of a man who brought light into rooms — both on screen and off.

For Australian audiences, the loss of Henri Szeps marks the end of an era in television, but his family’s refugee story and his dignified response to Alzheimer’s offer a lasting lesson in resilience. For the nation that embraced him, the choice to remember him as both the long-suffering Robert and the generous man he was is not a trade-off — it’s the only honest tribute.

Frequently asked questions