Nicholas Bufalo

Last updated

Nicholas Bufalo
Born1961/1962 (aged 63-64)
Melbourne, Australia
Occupation(s)Actor, director
Years active1984–present

Nicholas Bufalo (born 1961 or 1962) is an Australian actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Ben Green in A Country Practice and for directing a number of episodes for the soap opera Neighbours . He starred in the short-lived sitcom Bingles and the 1993 feature film Gino . He is also a founding member of The D-Generation . His directing work includes episodes of Home and Away , City Homicide , and Packed to the Rafters . In 2008, Bufalo received an Australian Directors' Guild Award nomination.

Contents

Early life

Before his acting career began, Bufalo lived with his retired parents, his elder brother and younger sister in Melbourne. [1] After leaving school, Bufalo gained a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Melbourne, [2] and planned to get his Diploma of Education. [1] He originally intended to become a teacher and had not considered an acting career, until he took a year long drama course and became a cast member and writer for a university revue group called Let's Talk Backwards. [2] [3]

Career

Bufalo's first major television role was veterinarian Dr. Ben Green in A Country Practice , which he played from 1985 until 1988. [4] Bufalo was introduced to the series alongside Annie Davies as Kelly Shanahan. Stephen Cook of TV Week reported that they beat out more than 500 other actors for the roles. Bufalo's character was intended as a replacement for fellow vet Vicky Bowen, played by Penny Cook. [2] Bufalo relocated from Melbourne to Sydney for filming. [1] During his time on A Country Practice, Bufalo also worked as a dialogue coach. [5] Bufalo left A Country Practice after contract negotiations with the production company broke down. Seven Network wanted him to stay on until the new nurse played by Brett Climo won audience approval, however, he left as originally planned by producers. [6]

Bufalo was a founding member of the sketch comedy show The D-Generation . [7] He signed a music publishing contract with MCA Records in mid-1986, with his debut recording being the theme from The D-Generation. Bufalo is the lead vocalist on the track, which he also wrote. When the series was due to be re-broadcast, Bufalo recorded a new song for the single's B-side. [8] From 1992 until 1993, he starred in the sitcom Bingles as "would-be Italian Stallion" mechanic Tony. [9] He also starred as the titular character in the 1993 feature film Gino opposite Zoe Carides. [10]

In addition to his screen roles, Bufalo also appeared in various theatre productions. He toured with Australian play Wogs Out of Work . [7] In 1991, he starred in Neil Simon's The Good Doctor , which is based on eight Anton Chekhov short stories. [11] The following year, he appeared in 3 Men Naked from the Waist Down alongside Rhys Muldoon and Marty Fields at the Universal Theatre in Melbourne. [12] He also appeared in Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile which was staged at the Belvoir street theatre. [13] Director Neil Armfield later asked Bufalo to become a rehearsal director for the production. [5]

In 1995, Bufalo directed Rio Would Be Nice, a play written and starring Cliff Ellen. [14] In 1996, after completing the Grundy's director training course, Bufalo was hired as a director on the soap opera Neighbours . [4] The serial's producer Peter Dodds commented "Nick's experience with actors made him the right choice. We wanted a trainee director who was performance-orientated rather than a technical director." [4] In 2002, Bufalo directed the seven-part comedy series Flipside . [15] He has gone on to direct a number of Australian television shows, including Home and Away , All Saints , McLeod's Daughters , City Homicide , Winners & Losers , and Packed to the Rafters . [16]

In 2008, Bufalo received a nomination for Best Direction in a TV Drama Series at the Australian Directors' Guild Awards for All Saints episode "Caught In A Trap". [17] In 2024, his series I Challenge You was a finalist for the AACTA Reg Grundy Award, which awards $50,000 for the best original idea for Australia's next unscripted television show. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Weaving</span> British actor (born 1960)

Hugo Wallace Weaving is a British-Australian actor. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA) and has been recognised as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia. Born in Colonial Nigeria to British parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Griffiths</span> Australian actress (born 1968)

Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian actress. Raised primarily in Melbourne, she began her acting career appearing on the Australian series Secrets before being cast in a supporting role in the comedy Muriel's Wedding (1994), which earned her an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 1997, she was the lead in Nadia Tass's drama Amy. She had a role opposite Julia Roberts in the American romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), followed by her portrayal of Hilary du Pré in Hilary and Jackie (1998), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigrid Thornton</span> Australian actress

Sigrid Madeline Thornton is an Australian film and television actress. Her television work includes Prisoner (1979–80), All the Rivers Run (1983), SeaChange (1998–2019) and Wentworth (2016–2018). She also starred in the American Western series Paradise (1988–91). Her film appearances include Snapshot (1979), The Man from Snowy River (1982), Street Hero (1984) and Face to Face (2011). She won the AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for the 2015 miniseries Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony LaPaglia</span> Australian actor (born 1959)

Anthony LaPaglia is an Australian actor. He has won three AACTA Awards, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Lantana (2001) and Balibo (2009), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Nitram (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Dimitriades</span> Australian actor (born 1973)

Alex Dimitriades is an Australian television, film and stage actor of Greek descent. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Nick Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film The Heartbreak Kid and as Nick Poulos in the 1994 television teen drama spin-off Heartbreak High. He won critical acclaim for his role as Ari, a troubled second generation Greek Australian in Head On (1998). He won the Film Critics Circle of Australia award for Best Actor for the role and was nominated nominated for the AFI Award for Best Actor. In 2012, he won the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor for his role in The Slap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bert Newton</span> Australian media personality (1938–2021)

Albert Watson Newton was an Australian media personality. He was a Logie Hall of Fame inductee, quadruple Gold Logie–winning entertainer, and radio, theatre, and television personality and compère.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Andrewartha</span> Australian actress (1951–2024)

Janet Andrewartha was an Australian television and theatre actress and director and singer. Andrewartha began her career as a high school music teacher before attending drama school. She graduated in 1979 and began securing television and theatre roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah Purcell</span> Indigenous Australian actress, film director and writer

Leah Maree Purcell is an Aboriginal Australian stage and film actress, playwright, film director, and novelist. She made her film debut in 1999, appearing in Paul Fenech's Somewhere in the Darkness, which led to roles in films, such as Lantana (2001), Somersault (2004), The Proposition (2005) and Jindabyne (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Karvan</span> Australian actress (born 1972)

Claudia Karvan is an Australian actress and producer. As a child actor, she first appeared in the film Molly (1983) and followed with an adolescent role in High Tide (1987). She portrayed a teacher in The Heartbreak Kid (1993) – the film was spun off into a TV series, Heartbreak High (1994–1999), with her character taken over by Sarah Lambert. Karvan's roles in television series include The Secret Life of Us (2001–2005), Love My Way (2004–2007), Newton's Law (2017) and Halifax: Retribution (2020). She won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama at the AFI Awards for her appearance in G.P. (1996). She won two similar AFI Awards for her role in Love My Way and in 2014 for her work in The Time of Our Lives (2013–2014). As a co-producer and co-writer on Love My Way, she won three further AFI Awards for Best Drama Series in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Karvan was inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame in 2007 in acknowledgment of her contributions to the Australian film and television industry. From 2010 to 2011, she starred in the drama series Spirited, which she co-created and was executive producer. She appeared as Judy Vickers in Puberty Blues. Karvan has co-produced House of Hancock and Doctor Doctor (2016–2021). In 2021 she co-created, co-produced and starred in the TV drama series, Bump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Worthington</span> Australian actor (born 1976)

Samuel Henry John Worthington is an Australian actor. He is known for playing Jake Sully in the Avatar franchise, Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation, and Perseus in Clash of the Titans and its sequel Wrath of the Titans.

Scott Ian Major is an Australian actor and TV and film director, known for his roles as Peter Rivers in the 1994 television teen drama series Heartbreak High and Lucas Fitzgerald in soap opera Neighbours. After leaving Neighbours in 2013, Major returned to direct over 200 episodes of the serial. He has since gone on to direct episodes of Playing for Keeps, and two miniseries Lie With Me and Riptide. Major reprised his role as Rivers in the 2022 reboot of Heartbreak High.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas M. Wright</span> Australian actor

Thomas Michael Wright is an Australian actor, writer, film director and producer. He is the co-founder (2006) and director of theatre company Black Lung and director of the feature films Acute Misfortune (2019) and The Stranger (2022). As an actor he came to attention in Jane Campion's series Top of the Lake, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the (US-Canadian) Critics' Choice Awards. The Stranger premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kat Stewart</span> Australian actress

Katherine Louise Stewart is an Australian actress who has made numerous appearances in television series, movies and on-stage.

Ewen Leslie is an Australian actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacki Weaver</span> Australian actress

Jacqueline Ruth Weaver is an Australian theatre, film, and television actress. Weaver emerged in the 1970s Australian New Wave through her work in Ozploitation films such as Stork (1971) for which she won AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Alvin Purple (1973), and Petersen (1974). She later starred in Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Caddie (1976) for which she won the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film, Squizzy Taylor (1982), and a number of television films, miniseries, and Australian productions of plays such as Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Kurzel</span> Australian film director

Justin Dallas Kurzel is an Australian film director. His films include Snowtown (2011), Macbeth (2015), Assassin's Creed (2016), True History of the Kelly Gang (2018), Nitram (2021) and The Order (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Blair (director)</span> Indigenous Australian actor

Wayne Blair is an Australian writer, actor, and director. He was on both sides of the camera in Redfern Now, and directed the feature film The Sapphires. He played a prominent role in the 2021–2024 drama series Total Control.

<i>Bingles</i> 1992 Australian TV series or program

Bingles is an Australian sitcom which screened on Network 10 from 5 December 1992 until 13 June 1993. It is set in a suburban smash repair workshop called Bingles owned by Ron Bignell.

Mark Leonard Winter is an Australian actor, known for performances in film, television and on stage.

Damian Hill was an Australian film and television actor and screenwriter, best known for the 2015 film Pawno.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ussher, Marie (7 June 1986). "A tale of two cities". TV Week . pp. 72–73.
  2. 1 2 3 Cook, Stephen (3 August 1985). "New chums". TV Week . p. 16.
  3. "Let's Talk Backwards". University of Melbourne . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Booth, Doug (21 January 1998). "Actor takes new role behind scenes" . Herald Sun . Retrieved 25 February 2024 via Gale.
  5. 1 2 Nader, Carol (17 August 1997). "Cue & A". The Age . Retrieved 28 February 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  6. Brown, David (5 September 1987). "Will Vicky return with Simon?". TV Week . p. 3.
  7. 1 2 Burchall, Greg (31 January 1992). "Path of compromise to rich and famous lands". The Age . Retrieved 27 February 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  8. "Nick rocks on". TV Week . 20 September 1986. p. 3.
  9. Gill, Raymond (3 December 1992). "A return to comedy of everyday life". The Age . Retrieved 27 February 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  10. Thomas, Brett (20 June 1993). "Zoe Carides... out of the shadows". The Age . Retrieved 27 February 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  11. Evans, Bob (13 March 1991). "Awareness of Chekhov checked". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 27 February 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  12. McGuinness, Karen (25 January 1992). "Revelations". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 27 February 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  13. Payne, Pamela (27 November 1994). "Picasso meets Einstein". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 28 February 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  14. "Front Up". The Age . 7 October 1995. Retrieved 28 February 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  15. "Let's give 'em Curry" . Herald Sun . 1 May 2002. Retrieved 25 December 2024 via Gale.
  16. "Quick Scenes" . The Mercury . 11 April 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2024 via Gale.
  17. "ADG announces Awards finalists". IF Magazine . 18 September 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  18. "Rachel Berger's 'Seriously Funny' wins AACTA Reg Grundy Award". IF Magazine . 24 January 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.

Nicholas Bufalo at IMDb