Even before he set foot on a set, Henri Szeps created a life and career that felt remarkably cinematic. His early years were shattered by foster care, illness, and language barriers after he was born in 1943 to Polish parents fleeing the atrocities of war in a Lausanne refugee camp. The burden of displacement, survival, and reinvention had already been borne by the time he arrived in Sydney at the age of eight. Resiliently shaped by those early experiences, he would later use them to give his portrayals an incredible depth and honesty.
Henri’s discovery of theatre during his Australian school years came almost by chance when he stepped onto the stage during a school play and realized that, in his own words, “I was finally being seen.” That instant turned into a spark. He studied acting on the weekends while pursuing degrees in science and electrical engineering at the University of Sydney, particularly adopting the Stanislavski technique under the tutelage of Hayes Gordon, the founder of Ensemble Theatre. An actor who had already experienced emotional extremes found that psychologically realistic training especially helpful.
Henri had a remarkably varied early career. For six consecutive months while still a student, he performed nightly in the Ensemble Theatre’s production of The Physicists, demonstrating his passion for his craft. He played the lead in The Boys in the Band, a play that was revolutionary and thought-provoking for its day in 1968. He met fellow actor Mary Ann Severne during this production, and the two would go on to become lifelong partners. They were married for more than 50 years, which is uncommon in the frequently short lives of entertainers.
Henri Szeps – Life, Career, Legacy
| Full Name | Henri Szeps OAM |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | October 2, 1943 |
| Date of Death | July 24, 2025 |
| Age at Death | 81 |
| Birthplace | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Profession | Actor, Playwright, Author |
| Education | University of Sydney (Science, Engineering) |
| Notable Works | Mother and Son, Travelling North, Cabaret |
| Spouse | Mary Ann Severne (m. 1969) |
| Children | Amos Szeps, Josh Szeps |
| Honors | Helpmann Award, OAM, Penguin Award |
| Reference | www.abc.net.au/news/henri-szeps-actor-dies |
Henri moved to England in the early 1970s after becoming dissatisfied with the state of the Australian acting scene and honing his craft with greats of the field. Henri was exposed to radically different audiences and artistic styles while working opposite David Warner in I, Claudius and traveling with Derek Jacobi on a theater tour that took him throughout the UK and the Mediterranean. His performances on British television gave his resume more diversity and increased his adaptability and credibility abroad.
After moving back to Australia in 1974, Henri quickly established himself as a mainstay on stage and television. From 1984 to 1994, his most famous character—Robert Beare in Mother and Son—had a profound impact on Australian society. Szeps’ portrayal of Robert, the egocentric and neurotic dentist juggling his elderly mother, was remarkably reminiscent of many real-life situations occurring in families all around the nation. His delicate vulnerability and comedic timing combined to create a show that was both incredibly relatable and incredibly funny.
His influence on theater was equally noteworthy. Henri was able to experiment with complex and demanding roles because of his long-standing partnership with playwright David Williamson. He portrayed Saul in Travelling North with such gravity that Williamson asked him to return for the movie adaptation. Together with Leo McKern and Graham Kennedy, that performance was incredibly effective at encapsulating the emotional and political undertones of life after retirement. Henri elevated the material in this role, among many others, just by naturally existing within it.
His unwavering humanity was what made his work so evident. Szeps consistently eschewed caricature, whether he was portraying a struggling scientist, an elderly scholar, or a Soviet soldier. He went for the emotional center instead, turning conversation into something lived rather than acted out. This trait carried over into his one-man shows, especially Why Kids and I’m Not a Dentist, which blended humor with introspection and philosophical musing.
Henri’s support of the arts also included the publication of All in Good Timing, a textbook that is currently taught in drama schools all over the nation. In addition to performing, he mentored, wrote, taught, and transformed experience into something that could be shared. His generosity became a defining characteristic of his life away from the spotlight. In addition to his acting career, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 for his wider contributions to culture and society.
Henri’s candor regarding his Alzheimer’s diagnosis over the past few years has allowed his audience to get to know him better than ever. He opened up about his experience with the illness in a 2021 interview with his son Josh. Instead, he persisted in sharing—with clarity, warmth, and a hint of that wry humor that had always made him appealing to audiences. Henri was surrounded by love, family, and the soft echoes of a career that had meant so much to so many, even as his illness worsened and he moved into a care facility in 2023.
Even though it was expected, his death in July 2025 had a profound impact on the entertainment sector. His ability to combine wit and vulnerability had been especially inventive, giving his characters a sense of completeness even in fleeting appearances. He raised the emotional bar for everyone around him and brought the rehearsal room to life, according to colleagues, who characterized him as kind, smart, and delightfully unpredictable.
His legacy is still honored today by organizations such as the Ensemble Theatre. The Henri Szeps Green Room is a permanent memorial to the man who used to sit there and prepare lines with a searching honesty that made his performances unforgettable, in addition to memorization. Given that Henri always arrived ready to give everything, it is appropriate that a room devoted to preparation bears his name.
His contributions continue to be remarkably resilient in the future. Because of the truth he infused into each scene, Mother and Son reruns continue to be popular. The next generation is still motivated by his teachings, writings, and recordings. And his voice continues to reverberate in national discourse through his children, especially broadcaster Josh Szeps.
