Patrick Murray obituary

"The actor Patrick Murray, who has died aged 68, found fame as Mickey Pearce, the trilby-wearing chancer who briefly goes into partnership with his old schoolfriend Rodney Trotter, in Only Fools and Horses, the TV sitcom created by John Sullivan. He was introduced early in the third series, in a 1983 episode titled Healthy Competition, in which Rodney's ambition to move on from being just a lookout for his older brother Derek (Del Boy) was instantly thwarted when Mickey ripped him off."

"The character had been mentioned several times after Only Fools and Horses began in 1981, including in the story of Mickey stealing Rodney's girlfriend, but did not initially appear on screen. When Sullivan wanted to expand the supporting cast, the producer, Ray Butt, recalled Murray's performance in a TV commercial for Pizza Hut, unsuccessfully chatting up two women, and suggested him for Mickey. The actor was auditioned on a Friday and began work on the series three days later."

Patrick Murray portrayed Mickey Pearce, a trilby-wearing chancer who briefly partners Rodney Trotter and first appears in the 1983 episode "Healthy Competition." The character had been referenced since 1981 but did not initially appear on screen. Murray was suggested for the role after producer Ray Butt saw him in a Pizza Hut commercial; he auditioned on a Friday and began work three days later. Mickey was conceived as a less savvy version of Del Boy, prone to untrustworthy, money-making schemes that often backfire, ridiculing Rodney about girlfriends while lying about his own conquests and drifting between jobs. One 1989 storyline had to be rapidly revamped after an accident.

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