Alan Fletcher | |
---|---|
Born | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | March 30, 1957
Occupation(s) | Actor singer |
Years active | 1981–present |
Known for | Neighbours – Karl Kennedy Lift Off – Harry Stinson |
Spouse | Jennifer Hansen (m. 1990) |
Children | 2 |
Website | http://www.alanfletcher.net |
Alan Fletcher (born 30 March 1957 [1] ) is an Australian actor of stage, television and film. He is also a singer and musician.
Fletcher is best known for his TV soap opera role in Neighbours , as Dr. Karl Kennedy.
Having appeared in the series since 1994, Fletcher is the third longest serving actor in an Australian television serial, after Home and Away actors Ray Meagher and Lynne McGranger.
Fletcher was born in Perth, Western Australia, and attended Wesley College in Perth. He appeared briefly in the US drama The Love Boat , in 1981, locally however his first major television role was in the police drama Cop Shop as Frank Rossi from 1982 until production ceased the following year and he appeared in various Australian feature films, TV movies, and miniseries including Fran and Mercy Mission . [2]
He briefly acted in Neighbours in 1987 as Greg Cooper, a run-down, dishonest boxer working in Jim Robinson's (Alan Dale) garage. [3] In 1994, Fletcher successfully auditioned for the role of Karl Kennedy in the soap, a role which he continues to play. [3]
His on-screen wife is Susan Kennedy is played by Jackie Woodburne, who coincidently previously played his sister in Cop Shop.
In 2005, Fletcher starred as Henry Higgins in a production of My Fair Lady at the Melbourne Comedy Theatre. He is also a prominent member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, a role which saw him become a vocal critic of the 2004 US-Australia Free Trade Agreement, including an appearance on the political talk-show Meet the Press.
In 2008, Fletcher starred as Frank McGee in the workshop performance season of Call Girl the Musical and as Captain Hook in the Pantomime Peter Pan at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen. [4]
In 2011, Fletcher spent time in Old Melbourne Gaol to raise money for the charity Whitelion. In order to break out, Fletcher and fellow Neighbours cast members Stefan Dennis, Jordy Lucas and Valentina Novakovic had to each raise $1,000. [5]
In May 2013, along with Saskia Hampele, he presented the award of Best Newcomer to Joseph Thompson at the British Soap Awards. [6] Fletcher appeared in a documentary special celebrating Neighbours' 30th anniversary titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite , which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015. [7] [8]
Fletcher is also the lead singer in a band called Waiting Room, alongside Tommy Rando, Chris Hawker and Jeff Consi. The group has toured the United Kingdom several times. With a handful of their own songs they incorporate a selection of cover versions into their set, including Smokie's "Living Next Door to Alice", replacing 'Alice' with "Susan", a reference to his on-screen wife (Jackie Woodburne). Their single, So Wrong, was released on iTunes on 26 November 2007, followed by their album, Live at the Elephant, on 17 December 2007.[ citation needed ]
On 30 November 2007, Fletcher performed a cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. [9]
In December 2008, Fletcher played a solo gig in Aberdeen, performing a mixture of covers and Waiting Room material. He followed this with a second gig in the city on 3 January 2009 at The Lemon Tree.[ citation needed ]
On 15 May 2009, Fletcher announced via his official website that he was to tour the UK with a new band, The X-Rays due to the economic situation of bringing Waiting Room with him. The tour took place in September and October 2009 and featured some original Waiting Room material. The X-Rays are UK-based musicians Johnny Lucas, Chris Hanby and Martin Stewart. Fletcher continues to perform each week in Melbourne with Waiting Room.[ citation needed ]
In September 2010, Fletcher announced on his official website that he will be touring the UK with Tommy Rando in November and December of that year. [10] On 28 November 2010, during his UK tour, Fletcher appeared on The Xtra Factor to discuss the potential winners of the show. [10]
In September 2012, Fletcher played a charity gig at the Shepherd's Bush branch of the pub chain Walkabout in aid of Blue September, a charity raising funds for cancer research. [11]
Fletcher was a contestant on the UK TV show Soapstar Superstar , in January 2007 finishing in sixth place. [12] He performed the following songs:
In 2013, Fletcher released a Christmas single, If You Want A Happy Christmas, on which he collaborated with The Pacific Belles.[ citation needed ]
In 2018, Fletcher combined his interests in travel and photography in a reality television program Photo Number 6. Fletcher explores the world with actor and director, Stig Wemyss, as they seek travel experiences that go beyond the tourist guidebook and delve into the heart and soul of the places. They look for photographic images that encapsulate emotion, geography and human connections. [13]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Off the Metre | Daniel Folkmover | Short film |
2013 | By a Loved One | Clown | Short film |
1993 | Flight from Hell | Franky | TV movie |
1993 | Gross Misconduct | Henry Landers | Feature film |
1993 | Mercy Mission | Frank | TV movie |
1990 | Beyond My Reach | Alex Gower | Feature film |
1990 | What the Moon Saw | Mr Esposito | Feature film |
1990 | Return Home | Barry | Feature film |
1986 | Cool Change | Rob Mitchell | Feature film |
1985 | Fran | Jeff | Feature film |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1994- | Neighbours | Karl Kennedy | TV series, 4370+ episodes |
2018-19 | Deano's Footy Show | Karl Kennedy | TV series, 2 episodes |
2018 | Photo Number 6 | Himself | Reality TV series |
2017 | Neighbours Vs Time Travel | Karl Kennedy | TV series, 4 episodes |
2015-17 | Shakespeare Republic | Jaques / Various | TV series, 3 episodes |
2016 | Neighbours Summer Stories | Karl Kennedy | TV series, 2 episodes |
2015 | Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite | Himself | TV documentary special |
2014 | Neighbours Vs Zombies | Karl Kennedy | TV series, 3 episodes |
2013 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Karl Kennedy | TV series, 1 episode |
2010 | The Xtra Factor | Himself | TV series, 1 episode |
2009 | Remembering Nigel | Self | |
2007 | Soapstar Superstar | Contestant | TV series |
1996 | Mercury | Snow Dockerty | TV series, 1 episode |
1994 | G.P. | Rick Cameron | TV series, 1 episode |
1993 | Snowy | Harry Jarvis | TV series, 1 episode |
1993 | Time Trax | Mr Davenport | TV series, 1 episode |
1992 | Bony | Prior | TV series, 1 episode |
1990-92 | Embassy | Michael Clayton | TV series, 38 episodes |
1992 | Lift Off | Harry Stinson | TV series, 1 episode |
1991 | The Flying Doctors | Austin Bennett | TV series, 1 episode |
1990 | Fast Forward | Guest | TV series, 2 episodes |
1990 | All the Rivers Run | McLean | TV series, 2 episodes |
1987 | Neighbours | Greg Cooper | TV series |
1986 | Sword of Honor | Franky Vittiro | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
1985 | A Thousand Skies | John Stannage | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
1985 | The Fast Lane | Collins | TV series, 1 episode |
1982-84 | Cop Shop | Frank Rossi | TV series, 151 episodes |
1981 | The Love Boat | Martin Blake | TV series, 2 episodes |
Fletcher is married to Jennifer Hansen, a former newsreader for the Ten Network and they have two children. [14]
Fletcher supports Essendon Football Club and Liverpool Football Club. [15]
Fletcher is an ambassador for Blue September, a charity that raises awareness of all cancers that can affect men. In 2011, Fletcher helped launch the charity in Britain. [16]
In 2022, following media reports about his health due to his sudden hair loss, Fletcher revealed that he had been diagnosed with alopecia areata. This condition was worked into the plot of Neighbours , where it was said that dodgy hair products caused Karl's hair to fall out. [17]
Fletcher's grandfather was a well respected organ builder in Liverpool with Rushworth's (Australian Organist Review Dec 1995).
Jacqueline Anne Woodburne is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress, who is notable for her roles in TV soap operas.
Stefan Dennis is an Australian actor and singer best known for playing the role of cold-hearted and ruthless businessman Paul Robinson in the soap opera Neighbours from its first episode on March 18, 1985. He departed Neighbours in 1992 before returning for a short stint in 1993. He then returned in late 2004 and played the character up until the show's temporary final episode which aired on July 28, 2022 before returning to the role in 2023. During his time away from Neighbours he was a cast member of Scottish soap opera River City produced and set in Glasgow, Scotland. He is also known for his 1989 single "Don't It Make You Feel Good", which reached Number 16 in the Irish and UK Singles Chart.
Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw her video for her debut single. Goodrem, who had just signed a record deal, almost turned down the role of Nina as she felt the character did not suit her style of music. The role was rewritten for her and she joined the cast. A year later, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and had to leave the show for treatment. Once her health improved, she made a return to Neighbours in 2004 to tie up Nina's storylines. In 2005, Neighbours celebrated its 20th anniversary with an episode that featured many ex-cast members, in which Goodrem reprised her role as Nina once more. She returned again in March 2015 for the show's 30th anniversary, and for the show's final episode on 28 July 2022.
Karl Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Alan Fletcher. The actor previously appeared in the soap in 1987 as mechanic Greg Cooper. He made his first screen appearance as Karl during the episode broadcast on 20 September 1994. Karl and his family were created by Neighbours storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Karl was given the job of local GP to provide him with immediate links to other characters. Debuting shortly before his wife, Susan Kennedy, he is the longest running continuously appearing character in the series' history.
Isabelle "Izzy" Hoyland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 1 September 2003. Izzy was introduced as Max Hoyland's younger sister. The character departed in 2006, following Bassingthwaighte's decision to focus on her music career. However, in March 2007, Bassingthwaighte made a brief return to film a few episodes set in London. The character was well received by critics and viewers and Bassingthwaighte earned three Logie Award nominations for her role. In October 2017, Bassingthwaighte reprised the role for a guest appearance and she returned on 12 February 2018 until 20 March 2018. She reprised the role again on 21 July 2022 for the serial's then final episodes.
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap Sons and Daughters. Although successful in Melbourne, Neighbours underperformed in the Sydney market and was cancelled by Seven four months after it began airing. It was immediately commissioned by rival Network Ten for a second production season, which began screening on 20 January 1986. Neighbours became the longest-running drama series in Australian television history. In 2005, it was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.
Katya Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Dichen Lachman. She made her first on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 December 2005. Lachman originally auditioned for the role of Elle Robinson. But producers asked her to play Katya instead. Katya is characterised as a "bitchy nasty person" with a "dark past". She arrives in Erinsborough to visit her terminally-ill father Alex before he died. She reunites with her younger siblings Rachel and Zeke Kinski. Katya feuds with Susan Kennedy and Karl Kennedy over custody of her siblings. Lachman believed that her flawed character disliked Susan to justify her own failings as a sister.
Susan Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jackie Woodburne. The character and her family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Susan made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 3 October 1994, along with her eldest son and daughter. The storyliners made Susan a teacher at Erinsborough High to give her immediate links with other characters. Since her introduction, Susan's personality and appearance have been through several changes.
Zeke Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Matthew Werkmeister. He made his first on-screen appearance on 22 August 2005. Zeke is the son of Alex Kinski and the younger brother of Katya and Rachel. His storylines have included the death of his father, being trapped in the warehouse collapse, developing an anxiety disorder, joining Pirate Net and forming many romantic relationships. In October 2010, it was announced that Werkmeister and his character were to leave Neighbours. Zeke made his final appearance on 11 March 2011. In February 2014, it was announced that Werkmeister would be returning to Neighbours for a brief guest stint and Zeke returned on 7 April 2014.
Ned Parker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Daniel O'Connor. He made his first appearance on screen on 9 August 2005, arriving to see his brother, Stuart. He departed on 31 July 2008.
Waiting Room is an Australian band consisting of lead vocalist and actor Alan Fletcher, guitarist Chris Hawker, singer-songwriter Tommy Rando and drummer Jeff Consi. The band play at a public house called The Elephant and Wheelbarrow in Victoria, Australia. for Neighbours Night to meet fans. The band often tour the UK, where Fletcher is well-known because of his role in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
"The Erinsborough Tornado" is a storyline from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, which began on 29 August 2014 when a large storm hit the fictional suburb of Erinsborough and later developed into a tornado. The storyline was one of the dramatic events of Neighbours in 2014 and saw many characters' fates left in question, including long standing characters Paul Robinson and Lou Carpenter. The storyline was conceived following the success of 2013's wedding explosion and was shot in June 2014. Several wind and rain machines were used to create the storm and tornado effects. A promotional trailer for the storyline was released on 15 August 2014.
Neighbours is a long-running Australian television soap opera created by television executive Reg Watson. It was first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985 and currently airs on digital channel 10 Peach. Since its inception, several spin-offs have been produced, including books, music, DVDs and internet webisodes. Several annuals and books by pulp fiction writer Carl Ruhen were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Barry Crocker's version of the theme tune was the first music release from the show, which also has included a Christmas album and the show's love theme. Two potential television spin-offs have reached the pilot stage, while five DVD box sets of Neighbours episodes from the beginning have been released. In 2013, Neighbours launched their first webisode series Steph in Prison. Several other webisode series' has since been released, with the most recent series SheilaTV becoming available from December 2018. Other merchandise includes official video and board games, stationary and clothing.
The Kennedy family are a fictional family from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. They have been a large part of the show since 1994, when the five-strong family moved into Ramsay Street. Both Karl Kennedy and his wife Susan celebrated 20 years on the show in 2014, and are stalwarts of the fictional Erinsborough community, with Karl serving as the area's doctor and Susan as principal of Erinsborough High. They have earned multiple award nominations for their roles. The Kennedy family has expanded to introduce several others since its conception, although plays a relatively minor role as of 2014, with Karl and Susan as the only members of their family still residing in Ramsay Street.
Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite is a 2015 Australian television documentary, which celebrates 30 years of the soap opera Neighbours. It first aired on Network Ten and Eleven on 16 March 2015, two days before the show celebrated its 30th anniversary. Hosted by actors Stefan Dennis and Tim Phillipps, the documentary features current and former cast members reminiscing about their time on the show and their favourite memories. The results of a poll to find viewers' top five favourite Neighbours moments are also revealed. The documentary received mostly positive reviews from critics, but underperformed in the Australian ratings.
The "Erinsborough High Fire" is a storyline from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours that ran on 20 and 21 October 2015, airing over episodes 7237 and 7238. These episodes were broadcast on 4 and 5 November 2015 in the United Kingdom. The storyline sees the fictional Erinsborough High School engulf in a deliberately-lit fire, which leads to a long arson mystery. Involving half the cast, the storyline was Neighbours' big stunt event of the year and came about when Paul Robinson sells the school to Eden Hills Grammar for it to be closed, causing the staff and the students to protest in a school sleep-out. Many characters' have their storylines climaxed whilst being trapped in the fire, including the love triangle between Brad Willis, Lauren Turner and Terese Willis when Brad chooses to save Lauren over Terese. Expecting mother Amber Turner and Susan Kennedy are trapped in a classroom during the fire when Amber goes into labour and the two are forced to decide whether to "fight or flight" in "genuinely frightening" scenes.
"Neighbours: The Finale" comprises the 8901st, 8902nd and 8903rd episodes of the Australian television soap opera Neighbours. It premiered on 28 July 2022 on both Network 10 and 10 Peach in Australia, and on 29 July on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom. It was conceived as the end of the serial, after it was cancelled due to the loss of its UK broadcaster and failure to find an alternative buyer, and production ceased after it was filmed. The episodes were written by Shane Isheev and executive producer Jason Herbison, and directed by Scott Major. Production on Neighbours ended on 10 June. Production and cast had known the show was facing cancellation since 2021 and ideas for a suitable finale were already being planned at that point. In response to the news of the show's potential cancellation becoming public in early 2022, an online petition amassed more than 67,000 signatures to save the show. The petition did not change Channel 5's decision, who maintained that Neighbours remained popular and ending the show was solely a "business decision". Production were then tasked with bringing the show to an end within a few months. Herbison had already envisioned an ideal way to end the series, and Isheev and other writers supported his plans. Herbison did not wish to end the show with excessive finality, such as in the destruction of the primary location of Ramsay Street, and opted for a celebratory theme that acknowledged the show's history.
The Neighbours 30th Anniversary was a series of celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of Australian television soap opera Neighbours. The celebrations span over two weeks, beginning on 4 March 2015 in Australia, while starting on 18 March in the United Kingdom. The anniversary features many storylines, but points around Paul Robinson's Erinsborough festival and the wedding of Daniel Robinson and Amber Turner. The serial's executive producer, Jason Herbison, began planning the 30th anniversary over a year in advance. Over ten former cast members from all eras of the show were invited back to "honour the past and present". Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan were also invited, but they both downturned the offer. The celebrations marked Ian Smith and Anne Charleston's returns to Neighbours as Harold and Madge Bishop respectively. Madge was last seen during her death in 2001 and returns as a ghost in Harold's mind, which Herbison was initially worried would not be accepted by Charleston nor Smith, however both approved of it. The storyline was also popular amongst viewers.