Deryck Guyler was born in 1914 at Liverpool, England, during the outbreak of World War I, as the only child of Elsie and Samuel Guyler. He grew up in Liverpool and attended Liverpool College for his senior education. After leaving school, Guyler worked in his family's jewelry business, Green & Guyler, before deciding to pursue a career in the Anglican ministry. However, he soon discovered that his true calling was acting and joined the Liverpool Repertory Company in 1935, which became his training ground for a successful career in theatre, radio, and television.
During World War II, Guyler was called up to join the RAF Police and served for a time before being invalided out and returning to his acting career. He was sent to entertain the troops with ENSA (Entertainment National Services Association) and met his future wife, Paddy, who was also working with ENSA as part of the singing harmony act, The Lennox Sisters. They married in 1941 and had two sons, Peter and Chris.
After the war, Guyler joined the popular radio show ITMA (It's That Man Again) and became known for his character Frisby Dyke, bringing the Liverpudlian accent to the radio for the first time. He then transitioned to television, initially doing voice-overs for commercials but eventually becoming a well-known face in many TV series, including Three Live Wires, Room at the Bottom, Best of Enemies, and Sykes, among others.
In 1982, Guyler moved to New Zealand to star in a series called "An Age Apart," which only aired in New Zealand. He then retired to Australia to be near his younger son Chris and his family, and lived in the suburb of Ashgrove until 1997. Due to his frailty and ailing legs, he had to move into a nursing home, where he was cared for by his wife Paddy and the nursing home staff until his death on October 7, 1999.
Guyler's funeral service was held at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Inala, and he was cremated at Mt. Gravatt Cemetery. His wife Paddy passed away on January 6, 2002, and their ashes are now buried side by side in the "Guyler" family garden seat estate in the Brisbane suburb of Holland Park.
