Peter O'Brien (actor)

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Peter O'Brien
Born (1960-03-25) 25 March 1960 (age 65)
NationalityAustralian
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
Spouses
(m. 1990;div. 1994)
(m. 2003)
Children1

Peter O'Brien (born 25 March 1960) is an Australian actor, best known for his role as an original cast member in 1985 of Australian soap opera Neighbours as Shane Ramsay. He has also acted in numerous British and American productions.

Contents

Career

O'Brien played a regular role in short-lived soap opera Starting Out (1983), and then had guest roles in Carson's Law in 1983 and Prisoner in 1984 and appeared in The Henderson Kids . He was then cast as Shane Ramsay, a regular original character in soap opera Neighbours on the Seven Network in 1985. He became one of the serial's most popular cast members, continuing in the series until 1987. He then played a leading regular role in drama series The Flying Doctors from 1988 until 1991.

In 1994, O'Brien sent up his soap opera star past by taking a regular role in Psycho Ward 10, a soap opera parody in The All New Alexei Sayle Show .

O'Brien took on the role of surgical registrar Mr. Cyril 'Scissors' Smedley in the popular BBC series Cardiac Arrest through the second and third series between 1995 and 1996.

He later starred in television series Queer as Folk , White Collar Blue and Gossip Girl .

O'Brien has appeared in numerous miniseries, including The Day of the Roses and Through My Eyes (the story of Lindy Chamberlain). He has also guest starred on numerous television series, including Halifax f.p. . For his work, O'Brien has won Australian Film Institute and Logie Awards. He also appeared as Carl Morgan in Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord , and he appeared in the 1998 Australian/Brisbane comedy television series of Minty . In 2009 he played Sydney underworld figure and racing identity George Freeman in the series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities . [1] He later reprised his role as George Freeman in the follow-up in the Underbelly series The Golden Mile .

O'Brien was part of the cast of BBC television series Casualty as a new consultant called Stitch. [2] He also appeared in ITV police drama The Bill in which he played corrupt Detective Inspector Peter Cavanaugh. [3]

He appeared as Ed in The Waters of Mars , the second of the 2009 specials of Doctor Who . [4]

In 2022, it was announced O'Brien had reprised his role of Shane Ramsay in Neighbours following the news that the serial would be concluding later that year. [5] In November 2024, O'Brien returned to Neighbours for a guest stint, followed by another in March 2025 for the show's 40th anniversary. [6]

Awards

O'Brien has won several acting awards in his career. He won two Logie Awards - one in 1987 for the 'Most Popular Actor' (for his role in Neighbours ) and one in 2003 for the 'Most Outstanding Actor' (for his role in White Collar Blue ).

Personal life

O'Brien was in a relationship with his Neighbours co-star Elaine Smith for four years. [7] He married actress Joanna Riding on 24 December 1990, after meeting while they were both starring in a production of The Wizard of Oz in England. [7] Their separation was announced in December 1993. [7]

On 1 January 2003, [8] O'Brien married actress Miranda Otto, after the two had met while performing in A Doll's House . [9] They have one child, a daughter, who was born on 1 April 2005. [9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 The Mortal Coil HughShort film
1996 Hotel de Love Norman CareyFeature film
Michael Collins Pianist in restaurant (uncredited)Feature film
1999 Sally Marshall Is Not an Alien David LawsonFeature film
Sabrina Down Under Dr. Julian MartinTV movie
2002 The Pact Roy FolksdaleFeature film
2005 Hell Has Harbour Views Tim SullivanTV movie
2006 The Return Terry StahlFeature film
Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America AlanTV movie
2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine John HowlettFeature film
2012 Dangerous Remedy Dr. Barry SmithTV movie
Hanyut Kasper Almayer Feature film
2013 Love of My Life Surgeon / ThomasFeature film
2014 The Killing Field Inspector Lachlan McKenzieTV movie
2016 Maximum Ride JebFeature film
2018 What Still Remains The PrisonerFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
1983 Starting Out Craig HoltTV series
1984 Prisoner Tim CarterTV series, 1 episode
1985–87, 2022, 2024, 2025 Neighbours Shane Ramsay TV series, 304 episodes
1988–91 The Flying Doctors Captain Sam PattersonTV series
1991 The Trials of Oz James AndersonBBC dramatisation of the 1971 trial
1992 Cluedo Warren 'Axeman' HackettTV series, 1 episode
1993 Taggart Bill HamiltonTV series, 1 episode
1994 The All New Alexei Sayle Show Dr Scott JordanTV series, season 1 (segment: "Psycho Ward 10")
1995–96 Cardiac Arrest Mr. Cyril 'Scissors' SmedleyTV series, seasons 2-3
1997 The Day of the Roses Boris OsmanTV miniseries
Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord Carl MorganTV series
1998 Minty Ric da SilvaTV series
1999 Queer as Folk Cameron RobertsTV series
See How They Run Don Morton / CassidyTV series
2000The KnockGlen VaughanTV series, 4 episodes
2000–01 Water Rats Matthew GriersonTV series, 3 episodes
2001 Relic Hunter Allan DevautTV series, 1 episode
2002 Young Lions Daryll FlynnTV series, 1 episode
2002–03 White Collar Blue Detective Joe HillTV series
2003Code 11–14Detective McElroy
2004 Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story Ian Barker Q.C. TV miniseries
The Bill Detective Inspector Peter CavanaughTV series, 6 episodes
2005 Blue Heelers Dr. Peter NelsonTV series, 2 episodes
2006 Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King KeenanTV miniseries
2007 Gossip Girl PhotographerTV series, 1 episode
Casualty Theo 'Stitch' LambertTV series, 18 episodes
2008 City Homicide Warren EndicotTV series, 1 episode
2009 Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities George Freeman TV miniseries, 10 episodes
A World AwayJohn
Doctor Who Ed GoldTV series, 1 episode: "The Waters of Mars"
Rogue NationJohn Stephen Jr 009
All Saints Sam WhittakerTV series, 1 episode
30 Seconds Bill BrookerTV series
2010 Underbelly: The Golden Mile George Freeman TV miniseries, 3 episodes
Dance Academy SebastianTV series, 2 episodes
2012 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries René DuboisT V series, 1 episode [10]
2015 Winter Detective Inspector Lachlan McKenzieTV series
2018Lake AliceGreg Thomas
GLOW Rick HollanderTV series, 2 episodes
Tidelands Bill SentelleTV series, 7 episodes
The OA DukeTV series, 1 episode
2019BreakerFinch
2020 Wentworth Tony CockburnTV series, 1 episode [11]
2021 The Unusual Suspects NickTV miniseries
The Moth Effect TV series, 1 episode
Sola
2022Grey NomadsLuca RossiTV series, 6 episodes
Darby and Joan ChrisTV series, 1 episode
Riptide Sean WestonTV series, 4 episodes [12]
2024Ladies in BlackDon Holloway1 episode
Return to Paradise Artie O'FarrellTV series 1 episode [13]

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016 Battlefield 1 Frederick BishopVideo game

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003 A Doll's House Sydney Theatre Company

References

  1. "Peter O'Brien moves from Underbelly to Rogue Nation".
  2. "Neighbours veteran bags Casualty role". 7 February 2007.
  3. "O'Brien fits The Bill". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 February 2004.
  4. "Peter O'Brien lands Doctor Who special | TV Tonight". 10 July 2009.
  5. Warner, Sam (3 March 2022). "Neighbours to bring back Shane Ramsay ahead of final episodes". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK . Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  6. Croke, Lucy (3 November 2024). "Neighbours shock return: Peter O'Brien is back as Shane Ramsay". Now To Love. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Wingett, Fiona (18 December 1993). "Peter O'Brien's marriage split". TV Week . p. 10.
  8. "Miranda Otto marries in cathedral lock-out". The Sydney Morning Herald . Australian Associated Press. 2 January 2003. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  9. 1 2 Staff writers (5 August 2019). "Miranda Otto biography". Tribute . Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  10. "Episode Seven - Murder in Montparnasse - Episodes & Video - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - ABC TV". ABC Online . Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  11. "Australian Television: Wentworth: Series 8 cast".
  12. "Australian Television: Riptide: Cast".
  13. Knox, David (12 August 2024). "Airdate: Return to Paradise (Aussie Death in Paradise spin-off) | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 12 August 2024.