Bryan Southcombe (1937 - 2007)

Born 1937 in Nelson, New Zealand

Died 7 Mar 2007 at about age 70 in Auckland, New Zealand

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Biography

Bryan Southcombe is Notable.

Bryan Southcombe was a semi-legendary New Zealand entertainment media publicist and minor actor. He was the former husband of the famous English actress, Charlotte Rampling. Bryan knew and befriended some of the biggest stars and personalities of his era: Mick Jagger, Roman Polanski, Jack Nicholson, Helmut Newton, who all knew him. He was eulogised at his funeral in May 2007 as one of the great raconteurs.

Bryan was born in Nelson, New Zealand in 1937.

After working as an agent for a French airline, he moved to London around 1963-64, and formed an entertainment PR company with two other New Zealanders, Judith Heard and Matthew West. It was a success. Their clients included Judy Garland, Rock Hudson, Gary Glitter, and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – Southcombe’s firm introduced the Maharishi to the Beatles.

In 1972, Bryan and Charlotte married, and they first lived in in St Tropez as French locals, They then shared a London flat with a male model, Randall Laurence. Charlotte and Bryan had one child,

1. Barnaby Southcombe (now a successful television director) before divorcing in 1976.

"Randy“ Laurence reportedly joined an ashram in California, and by 2007 was last heard of as working as a radiographer in Hawaii.

Bryan Southcombe worked as his wife’s business manager, while she was the third highest paid actress in the world, behind Barbra Streisand and Liza Minnelli. In 1976, she announced she would take a year off filming. Southcombe told reporters: “We want four children and we don’t care who knows it.” But they separated that same year, after Charlotte met and fell for the famous modern music composer, Jean Michel Jarre.

The gossip pages then linked Bryan Southcombe to steel heiress Isabel Richli. As of 1975 Isabel (born 1953) had been formerly engaged to Dai Llewellyn.^[1] Isabel is the daughter of the French Professor of Medicine & Steel Magnate Paul Raymond Richli (1924-1962)^[2] and Angela Street (1922-2006). ^[3] Isabel is now the wife of Jerome Bergerot.^[4]

As a mover in the highest levels of entertainment media society, Bryan was a friend of Lord Bangor, who lent him a villa on the Riviera.

During the international jet-setting 1980s Bryan stayed on in St Tropez, where he was regarded as the unofficial mayor, and he regaled visitors with his tales of adventure. One classic told of his being the guest of President Bongo of Gabon, and then his hostage; it involved a pygmy who was Southcombe’s driver, but had to stand up to reach the pedals.

As an actor, his one film role was in the gory 1982 B-movie, The Man With Two Heads, alongside a cast of forgotten unknowns.

In 1991 Bryan returned home to Auckland, New Zealand to stay. There he tried a number of businesses and ventures, but with little further success.

Friends said Southcombe never really got over the break-up with Rampling.

More than a month after Bryan's death, his funeral was widely attended at St Matthew’s in downtown Auckland. Prominent fellow media people included Max Cryer, Kerre Woodham, Mikey Havoc, Karen Soich, Bill Ralston, Catherine Saunders, David Beatson. His son Barnaby Southcombe flew in from London, where he works as a TV director. Barnaby's prominent credits include Footballer’s Wives.

Bryan Southcombe was buried in Purewa cemetery. As his coffin was carried out of the church, the congregation of friends and luminaries rose to its feet and gave him a standing ovation.

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Llewellyn
2. ↑ http://www.geni.com/people/Paul-Richli/6000000011484718650
3. ↑ http://www.geni.com/people/Angela-Richli/6000000011484554960
4. ↑ http://www.geni.com/people/Jerome-Bergerot/6000000002603596227

• Wikipedia article on his ex-wife, Charlotte Rampling

• Life of Bryan By Steve Braunias, January 25, 2014