Actor and former Victorian Labor MP Terry Norris has died at the age of 92. 

Norris was born in Richmond to working class parents and had intentions of becoming a boilermaker when he caught the acting bug.

He learnt his craft at Melbourne's Tivoli Theatre before following in the footsteps of many of his contemporaries and moving to Britain.

Norris didn't have much luck breaking into TV and films in Britain, but he did meet the love of his life, fellow actor Julia Blake.

"I saw this person walk in, very tall, and I thought he probably looked slightly arrogant, a bit like Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice," Blake told the ABC's Talking heads in 2008.

"He just had presence about him."

Norris returned to Australia and put his talents to everything from radio and television to stand up comedy.

He was a familiar face in popular TV dramas like Bellbirds, Matlock Police and Homicide.

"I was originally considered rather English, then there was a sort of a transition and I was being cast as Australians," he told the ABC in 2008."

His performances in Cop Shop as Senior Sergeant Eric O'Reilly won him a Silver Logie for Best Supporting Actor in 1980.

Norris made an unlikely career change in 1982 and began a stint in Victorian state politics as the Labor member for Noble Park and then Dandenong.

In his maiden speech to parliament, he noted that his 30-year career as an actor was not an ideal preparation for life as a politician.

"All honourable members would agree that there is not much fiction, fantasy or make-believe in the daily work of a member of this place," he told parliament in May 1982.

"The real world out there is a tough, grinding and relentless one for many people."

Norris would spend 10 years in state parliament, recounting later to the ABC's Talking Heads that it was an eye-opening experience for him.

"You're confronted by issues which you're normally never confronted, so basically what I learnt about myself was what a very protected and privileged life I have lived," he said.

Norris returned to acting in the mid 1990s and starred alongside his wife in the 2000 film Innocence.

He had a recurring role in the Jack Irish series and continued acting into his 80s and 90s, with his final role coming in the 2022 film The King's Daughter.

The actor's son-in-law, film director Robert Connolly, who worked with him on the 2014 film Paper Planes, described Norris as an extraordinary actor and politician and a beautiful grandfather.

"I will miss Terry's many insights into the world and life, whether a deeply complex take on Australian politics, an optimistic Labor man who always loved watching their return to power, or a post-weekend debrief on his almost perfect footy tipping prowess," he said in a statement.

"In Paper Planes he delighted audiences and won over a new generation of fans. I loved working with him on that film."

Former Victorian health minister Martin Foley paid tribute to the popular actor, describing him as a gentleman and a great mentor.