Andy Anderson (actor)

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Andy Anderson
Born
Neville Anderson

(1947-07-18) 18 July 1947 (age 78)
Naenae, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
OccupationsMusician, actor
Years activeEarly 1960s–present

Neville Anderson (born 18 July 1947) known professionally as Andy Anderson and also billed as Andy James, is a New Zealand musician and actor who primarily worked in Australia.

Contents

Early life

Anderson was born in Naenae, Lower Hutt. He attended Naenae College, where he started playing in pop and rock and roll bands. [1] At the age of 16, he relocated to Sydney to sing and drum in soul clubs for returned soldiers from Vietnam. [2] In his early years, he also worked for Parks and Reserves. [3]

Career

Music

Anderson performed in several well-known Australian rock bands of the 1960s, [2] in 1965 he joined the second lineup of famed Sydney garage punk group the Missing Links as lead vocalist, and he performed on the group's only album. After the demise of the Links, he moved to Melbourne and joined another radical punk-R&B outfit, Running Jumping Standing Still, which also included lead guitarist Doug Ford, who subsequently joined the Masters Apprentices. He sang with the avant-garde theatre group Red Mole for a time. [2]

Anderson was well known for his outrageous stage performances but his wild lifestyle at the time took a heavy toll and in late 1966 he was hospitalised after suffering a brain haemorrhage onstage at Melbourne's Thumpin' Tum discothèque. [4] After his recovery, Anderson formed two short-lived Melbourne bands, Andy James Asylum, followed by Mother Superior, before moving back to Sydney, where he joined the cast of the Australian production of Hair for a short time during 1970. This was followed by an 18-month stint with Sydney club band Southern Comfort, with co-vocalist Bobbi Marchini. [4]

Anderson returned to his music career in the 2000s, recording a solo album called If I'd Known I'd Live This Long... in 2003. [5] The same year, he participated in a reunion of Southern Comfort in Sydney.

In 2017, Anderson released his next album, Andersongs. [5] In 2019, at the age 71, he was writing and making music, based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. [3]

Film and television

After taking a hiatus from music, Anderson returned to working as a gardener, before turning his attention to acting. Upon sending out a photo and a written submission, Anderson attracted the attention of New Zealand's South Pacific Television. He joined the cast of Radio Waves in 1979, playing the part of a stoned DJ. [3]

He then returned to Australia and began performing regularly on Australian TV from the mid-1970s to appear in The Sullivans , playing the role of Jim Sullivan. [3] Regular roles in numerous television series followed, including Gloss as Matt Winter, Prisoner as Rick Manning, Fire as John Kennedy and a starring role in the talking-dog sitcom The Bob Morrison Show as Steve Morrison. [2]

He had a prominent featured role as detective Lochie Renford in the first season of the acclaimed ABC TV police series Phoenix (1992–1993). In 2012 he had a recurring featured role as Vince, the minder of drug lord Harry Montebello, in the ABC crime drama series The Straits .

His guest appearances on television have included The Flying Doctors , Halifax f.p. , A Country Practice , Xena: Warrior Princess , Hercules: The Legendary Journeys , Heartbreak High , Water Rats , All Saints , Blue Heelers , Neighbours , Stingers , [2] Packed to the Rafters , Sea Patrol , McLeod's Daughters and The Man from Snowy River . [3]

On film, Anderson is known for playing the role of John Livingston in the Hollywood film Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) and also starred in House of Wax (2005) and Tracker (2010). [2] He also had cameos in Swerve and Honk if You're Horny. [3]

Personal life

Anderson moved to Palmerston North in New Zealand with his wife Karen, prior to rebooting his music career. [3] He has a daughter, Christal. [3]

In 1966, during his early music career, Anderson was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, and spent two weeks in hospital. [3] [4] His alcoholism saw him suffer from a bout of Pancreatitis, landing him in intensive care. He eventually went to rehabilitation for alcoholism in Hanmer Springs. [3]

Selected filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNote
1984TrespassesAlbie StoneFeature film
1988New York's FinestMr FullrightDirect-to-video film
1989Il MagistratoTonyFilm
Gordon BennettShort film
Zilch! LawyerFeature film
1993 Ruby in Paradise Nursey FamilyFeature film
2000SoledadParlormanShort film
2002 Black and White Norman GeisemanFeature film
Garage Days KevinFeature film
2004 Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid John LivingstonFeature film
2005 House of Wax SheriffFeature film
2006 Opal Dream NicholsFeature film
2010 Tracker BryceFeature film
2011 Swerve Ambulance OfficerFeature film
ClickedBrianShort film
2012Honk If You're HornyTerryShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNote
1978Radio WavesPaul Headley36 episodes
1980–1983 The Sullivans Jim SullivanRegular role
1983–1993 A Country Practice Sean Thomas / Malcolm Roberts / Colin Townsend5 episodes
1984 Prisoner Rick Manning38 episodes
1985 Robbery Under Arms GeorgeTV movie
RocheTony8 episodes
1986 The Great Bookie Robbery Tony LottMiniseries, 3 episodes
1987The Haunting of Barney PalmerJohn PalmerTV movie
1987–1990 Gloss Matt WinterRegular role
1989The Shadow TraderDon Santos2 episodes
The MagistrateTony6 episodes
1989; 1990 The Flying Doctors Jim Sexton / Peter2 episodes
1990; 1992 The New Adventures of Black Beauty Ship's Captain Pollock
Raider of the South SeasBill TaylorTV movie
1990–1996 G.P. Gerald Butler / Peter Curtis / Warren Taylor3 episodes
1991 The Boy from Andromeda Tosh6 episodes
Gold: The World's PlayHenry GarrickTV movie
Gold: The Merchants of VenusHenry GarrickTV movie
Gold: Frenchie's GoldHenry GarrickTV movie
Gold: A Fistful of GoldHenry GarrickTV movie
1991–1992GoldHenry Garrick16 episodes
1992 Phoenix Lochie Renford / Ray Vann13 episodes
Marlin Bay Steve Gannaway
1993 Seven Deadly Sins ColinMiniseries, 1 episode
1994 Singapore Sling HooperTV movie
The Bob Morrison Show Steve Morrison26 episodes
Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (aka The Man from Snowy River)Harry Roebuck1 episode
CoverstoryMike Jessop
1995 High Tide Brad Blair1 episode
Xena: Warrior Princess Hesiod 1 episode
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Zandar1 episode
1995–1996 Fire John 'Repo' Kennedy6 episodes
1997 Police Rescue Errol Crichton1 episode
Heartbreak High Barry Peterson7 episodes
Wildside Ted Murdoch1 episode
The Devil GameJohn DevlinTV movie
1999GreenstoneLamont
Duggan Fraser2 episodes
2000 Blue Heelers John Gemes1 episode
Halifax f.p. Ex-detectiveSeason 5, episode 1: "A Person of Interest"
2001–2004 Stingers Frank Landis / Ed Cleaver4 episodes
Neighbours Mick Scully7 episodes
2004 Salem's Lot Charlie RhodesMiniseries
2005 Home and Away Kevin Baker2 episodes
2007 All Saints Lewid Dowd2 episodes
2012 The Straits Vince10 episodes
2013 Packed to the Rafters Jim Barton4 episodes
2014 Janet King Anthony Schaeffer1 episode
2016 Dirty Laundry Live Trevor Olyphant

Awards

YearWorkAwardCategoryResult
1982 The Sullivans Logie Awards Silver Logie for Best Supporting Actor in a SeriesWon [2]
2000 Halifax f.p.- A Person of Interest Australian Film Institute Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Telefeature or MiniseriesWon [2]
2012Honk If You're HornySorta Unofficial New Zealand Film Awards (The Moas)Best Actor – Short FilmWon [2]
2013 Show Me Shorts Film Festival (NZ)Best ActorWon [2]
Best Actors Film Festival (US)Best Actor – ShortWon [2]

References

  1. Schmidt, Andrew. "Andy Anderson". AudioCulture . Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Andy Anderson". NZ On Screen . Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hopwood, Malcolm (4 January 2019). "Andy Anderson's rocky road to satisfaction". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Andy Anderson". AudioCulture . Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Andy Anderson". www.halfacow.com.au. Retrieved 14 December 2025.