Andrew Clarke (actor)

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Andrew Clarke
Born1954 (age 7071)
OccupationActor

Andrew Clarke (born 1954) is an Australian actor most known for his television work. Andrew Clarke was one of the most popular Australian actors in the 1980s and 1990s. He is also a two-time Logie winner.

Contents

Early life

Clarke is a graduate of Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), where he studied acting. He also has a Bachelor of Education in Drama, which he studied at Adelaide's Flinders University. [1]

Career

Andrew Clarke began his career in theatre. His stage credits include Macbeth , The Winter's Tale , Arsenic and Old Lace , The Cherry Orchard , Long Day's Journey into Night , The Glass Menagerie , The Devil's Advocate , Waiting for Godot and Under Milk Wood .

He also performed in The Land of Smiles for the State Opera Company of South Australia and the musicals Norman Lindsay and his Push in Bohemia, Paint Your Wagon , Oliver! and Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys. [1]

In 1982, Clarke had a short stint in cult soap opera Prisoner , in which he played the role of Judy Bryant's son-in-law Geoff Maynard. Following Prisoner, he appeared in the ongoing role of Terry Hansen in soap opera Sons and Daughters , between 1983 and 1984.

Clarke then landed the lead role of Martin Barrington in the 1985 miniseries Anzacs , starring opposite Paul Hogan, for which he won the 1986 Silver Logie for Best Actor. [2] [3] He also had major roles in 1985 miniseries A Thousand Skies , about Charles Kingsford Smith, in which he appeared as Charles Ulm, and the 1986 miniseries Sword of Honour , playing Tony Lawrence, the latter of which won him another Logie Award for Best Actor. [3]

Clarke was in contention for the role of James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987). He was offered the contract, but says it "was just so abysmal I couldn’t accept it", and instead, Timothy Dalton was cast. [4] [5]

That same year, he appeared in the 1987 comedy film Les Patterson Saves the World , opposite Barry Humphries, and had a starring role as sleuth Simon Templar in The Saint in Manhattan . There was a one-hour pilot episode of the latter, that aired on CBS. It did not make the fall schedule; instead, CBS decided to show it and have viewers call in and vote to put it on the schedule. About 44,000 people called in, with more than 40,000 of them voting in favour of the show. These numbers did not sway CBS, especially since the show did not fare well against whatever was playing on the other two networks that night, and it declined to purchase any future episodes. [6]

He played the lead role of Bill Wellesley in 1988 American TV film Outback Bound , opposite Donna Mills.

In 1992, Clarke starred in The Adventures of Skippy as the adult version of Sonny Hammond (the twelve year old boy in the original 1960s series), [7] [8] It was devised as a sequel to the original series, but was short-lived and ran for one season with 39 episodes.

Clarke then secured a high-profile role as patriarch Matt McGregor in the series Banjo Paterson's The Man From Snowy River (Snowy River: The McGregor Saga) whom he played for four seasons, from 1993 to 1996. He starred alongside Wendy Hughes and Guy Pearce. After the series finished, Clarke was out of work for a couple of years before landing the regular role of Sergeant Colin Decker in Network 10 legal series State Coroner , reuniting once again with his Snowy River co-star, Hughes. [5]

He portrayed Laurence Olivier in 2001 TV movie Blonde . In late 2005 he completed a four month stint on long-running soap opera Neighbours , playing Alex Kinski. [9] He also had roles in SeaChange and Always Greener , and starred as Gary Preston in "A Murder of Crows" – a 1999 episode of Halifax f.p. . [10]

Clarke portrayed Horatio Wills, father of cricketer and Australian rules football pioneer Tom Wills, in a documentary about the latter's life. [4] It was first screened publicly in 2014 and had its television debut in 2016.

Personal life

In the mid-1990s, Clarke was romantically involved with British actress Victoria Tennant, when they appeared together in Snowy River: The McGregor Saga – Tennant splitting with then-husband, American actor Steve Martin to be with Clarke. [11]

Clarke played football at a high level, is a keen tennis player and long distance runner. [4]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1981 Cop Shop Max Saunders / Mervyn Young12 episodes
The Sullivans Detective King4 episodes
The Homicide SquadDetective Ambrose AlexanderTV movie
1982 Prisoner Geoff Maynard5 episodes
Sara Dane Arrogant OfficerMiniseries, 1 episode
Taurus Rising Mike Brent
1983 A Country Practice Des Ward2 episodes
1983–1984 Sons and Daughters Terry Hansen99 episodes
1985 Anzacs Martin BarringtonMiniseries, 5 episodes
A Thousand Skies Charles Ulm Miniseries, 3 episodes
1986 The Fast Lane Bill1 episode
Sword of Honour Tony LawrenceMiniseries, 4 episodes
1987 The Saint in Manhattan Simon Templar TV pilot
The Last of the Mohicans VoiceAnimated TV movie
1988 Outback Bound Bill WellesleyTV movie
1989 Rafferty's Rules Peter Rudd1 episode
E Street Dr Ben Stewart1 episode
1989, 1990 Mission: Impossible Carter / Captain O'Neill2 episodes
1990 Flair Philip HarmonMiniseries, 2 episodes
1991 The Private War of Lucinda Smith Lieutenant AndrewsMiniseries
For the Love of MikeGeoffrey Masters1 episode
1991–1992 The Girl from Tomorrow Mr James RooneyMiniseries, 24 episodes
1992 The Adventures of Skippy Sonny Hammond 39 episodes
1994–1996 Banjo Paterson's The Man From Snowy River (aka Snowy River: The McGregor Saga)Matt McGregor4 seasons, 65 episodes
1995 Frontline Ed Forbes, the Executive Producer1 episode
1998 State Coroner Colin Docker14 episodes
1999 Halifax f.p. Gary Preston1 episode
2000 SeaChange Dave Drury1 episode
2001 Crash Zone Keenan Reid1 episode
Blonde Laurence Olivier Miniseries
2001–2003 Always Greener Derek Unn38 episodes
2002 Blue Heelers Digby Riggs1 episode
2004 Fergus McPhail Ben Cameron2 episodes
2005 Neighbours Alex Kinski 11 episodes
2011 Killing Time Geoff Flatman1 episode
Wild Boys Trooper 22 episodes
2014 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Brendan Ross1 episode
2015 Glitch Don Sharp1 episode
2016Tom WillsHoratio WillsTV movie

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1987 Les Patterson Saves the World Neville ThongeFeature film
2000Her IliadFrankShort film
2001 Dalkeith Judge ProctorFeature film
20126 PlotsGary HartFeature film

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
Paint Your Wagon [1]
Oliver! [1]
Macbeth
The Winter's Tale
The Cherry Orchard
Long Day's Journey into Night
The Glass Menagerie
Waiting for Godot
1969And now it's time for boys and girls everywhere to wash their faces and hands, brush their teeth, kiss mother and dad, and OFF TO BED! Union Hall, Adelaide
1970 The Devil's Advocate Arts Theatre, Adelaide with Adelaide Repertory Theatre
1972 Much Ado About Nothing Friar FrancisNew Fortune Theatre, Perth with Undergraduate Dramatic Society
1976Well HungSheridan Theatre, Adelaide with Adelaide Theatre Group
Old King Cole Playhouse, Adelaide
1977Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for BoysSheridan Theatre, Adelaide with The Stage Company
1980Norman Lindsay and his Push in BohemiaSmall Price Theatre, Adelaide with The Stage Company
Under Milk Wood SA tour, Theatre 62, Adelaide with The Stage Company
The Land of Smiles General Goetz / Hum Yen Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with State Opera Company of South Australia [1] [12]
1985 The Coronation of Poppea Nero Anthill Theatre, Melbourne
1991 Arsenic and Old Lace Sydney Opera House, Laycock St Theatre, Gosford with Peter and Ellen Williams

[13]

Awards

YearWorkAwardCategoryResult
1986 Anzacs Logie Awards Most Popular Actor in a MiniseriesWon [3]
1987 Sword of Honour Logie Awards Popular Actor in a MiniseriesWon [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "State Coroner: profiles". Australian Television Information Archive.
  2. Anzacs review
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Logie Awards 1986–1989". Australian Television Information Archive.
  4. 1 2 3 "Andrew Clarke – Horatio Wills". www.tomwills.com.au.
  5. 1 2 "If you knew Hughesy". TV Week . 5 September 1998.
  6. "Andrew Clarke". www.saint.org.
  7. "The Adventures of Skippy". Australian Television Information Archive.
  8. "About the Show". www.theadventuresofskippy.com.au.
  9. 1986 - Andrew Clarke Archived 1 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Halifax F.P. A Murder of Crows". National Film and Sound Archive .
  11. "Smarty pants". The Sydney Morning Herald .
  12. "The Land of Smiles". State Opera of South Australia .
  13. "Andrew Clarke theatre credits". AusStage .