He was once a familiar face on TV screens across the country in his role as Cockney chancer Mickey Pearce in the classic British comedy Only Fools and Horses.But Patrick Murray's final years were a far cry from his life of fame and comedy as he spent them fighting cancer and chauffeuring people around Kent to make enough money to move his wife and daughter over from Thailand.It was today announced the legendary actor, 68, sadly lost his battle with lung cancer which returned and spread to his legs and pelvis just a year after he was given the all clear.In 2023, Patrick described the 'absolute agony' of his disease which made walking painful, but was feeling positive about radiology treatment and said his big goal was to beat it again so he could see his daughter 'flourish'.He met his wife Anong, 36, in Thailand in 2016 and married her the same year before their daughter Josie, now nine, was born a month later.In 2017, the actor decided to move his family back to the UK, but was stopped in his tracks when the Home Office rejected their visa applications because he didn't meet the minimum income rules for non-European spouses.Casting agents were no longer offering him roles, so in a desperate bid to up his income to get their visas signed off he became a taxi driver in Kent, chauffeuring people around in a Mercedes Benz.He said on Loose Women at the time: 'I wanted to get her a visa but it was hard so I had to come back here. Patrick met his wife Anong, 36, in Thailand in 2016 and married her the same year before their daughter Josie, now nine, was born a month later The star was best known for playing as Cockney chancer Mickey Pearce in the classic BBC comedy show'Being out of the industry for so long, the work dried up so I went back to driving an executive car, a Mercedes, to do it.'I only saw my baby on the phone for two years, I was a Skype dad.'Thankfully, Patrick was reunited with his family in Britain in 2018 after his Home Office struggle. The star was best known for playing Mickey Pearce in the classic BBC comedy series, starring alongside David Jason as Del Boy and Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Trotter. He previously battled lung cancer but was given the all-clear until the illness returned a year later and spread to his legs and pelvis.He starred as Mickey across 20 episodes of the iconic comedy series, from 1983 to 2023, joining Del Boy in a host of hilarious wheeler-dealer antics. He had previously shot to fame in gritty 70s crime drama Scum and The Who film Quadrophenia. Mickey often had fans in stitches thanks to his habit of exaggerating his success with business and women.He also frequently exploited 'plonker' Rodney, taking advantage of his youthfulness. In an appearance on ITV show Loose Women in 2018, the star revealed his application for a visa for his family had been refused by the Home Office as he did not earn enough money. Pictured: Patrick and his wife Anong Patrick, pictured centre, alongside David Jason as Del Boy, right, and Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Trotter, leftActor Patrick went on to star in a series of films including Curse Of The Pink Panther and The Firm.After struggling with alcohol, he attended an Alcoholics Anonymous programme, after which he quit showbusiness.After years in the cold, he made an acting comeback in 2019, starring in 13 episodes of Conditions as Frank Bridge which had a one-series run on Amazon Prime in 2019. In 2023 Patrick revealed a part of his liver had been removed after doctors discovered a malignant growth in 2022.He told followers: 'I am going home today. Minus half a liver and a tumour that the wonderful Prof Heaton removed last week. I kept this under my hat that they'd discovered another primary cancer last year.'Five months after his initial diagnosis, he told fans he was 'cured', writing: 'Thanks again for all your lovely messages. As you may know, I was diagnosed with lung cancer last July.'After an op in October to remove the tumour I had chemo to help prevent the cancer returning.'During this chemo, another tumour was discovered in my liver. Luckily for me this cancer was unconnected to the lung cancer and was also treatable. The actor is survived by his wife Anong, who he met in Thailand in 2016, and their daughter Josie (pictured, the family together)'I had a procedure called TACE to deal with this. Last Friday l saw my oncologist She told me the lung cancer was cured and that the tumour in my liver was shrinking.'He cautiously added: 'It's not over yet, but as you can imagine I am over the moon with this latest news.'Patrick's death comes after his Only Fools co-star John Challis, better known as Terrance Aubrey 'Boycie', died in 2021.John's wife Carol paid her own tribute to Patrick today, taking to X to say: 'My condolences to Pat's beloved wife Anong and their daughter Josie.'