Henri Szeps

Henri Szeps OAM (/hɛnri zɛps/) (born October 2, 1943^[1]), also spelled Henry Szeps, is a Swiss-born Australian character actor of theatre and television. He has also featured in films and worked in voice roles, and has worked in productions in the United Kingdom.

Henri Szeps was born in 1943 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to Polish parents. Prior to the German invasion of Poland during World War II, his parents fled to France in 1938. His father left the family to join the French Resistance. In 1943, his mother and three-year-old sister made their way to a refugee camp in Lausanne, where Henri was born. At 11⁄2 months he was fostered to a Swiss couple in Blumenstein. His mother reclaimed him when he was three years old, and returned to the Swiss couple when he was 41⁄2. He was reclaimed by his mother to Paris, and due to her illness, at the age of six was placed at the Rothschild Orphanage. He came to Sydney, Australia, at the age of eight in 1951 or 1952 with his mother and sister.^[2][3]

Szeps studied acting at the Ensemble Theatre during weekends, under the direction of Hayes Gordon, while gaining science and electrical engineering degrees at Sydney University. In 1963, while studying for a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and physics during the day, he appeared every night at the Ensemble Theatre, in a play called The Physicists, which ran for six months.

Szeps is best known for his role as selfish dentist Robert Beare in the classic Australian television comedy series Mother and Son (1984–1994), with Garry McDonald, Ruth Cracknell and Judy Morris. Another prominent role was in Palace of Dreams for which he received a Penguin Award. He played the doctor in the world première of David Williamson's play, Travelling North, and was asked to reprise the performance in the 1987 film with Leo McKern and Graham Kennedy.

He appeared in the 1981 TV movie A Step in the Right Direction.

Szeps won the Penguin Award for best actor for his role in ABC's 10 part series Palace of Dreams.

He has performed in five one-man shows produced by the Ensemble Theatre, the last three self-penned: The Double Bass (1990), Sky (1992) (written for him by John Misto), I'm Not a Dentist (1997), Why Kids (2003) and Wish I'd Said That (2010).

He has written a book on acting, All in Good Timing (1996), which is used by drama schools.^{[citation needed]}

• Henri Szeps at IMDb
• Official website
• "Henri Szeps". AusStage.