Rick Donald

Last updated

Rick Donald
Born
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Occupations
  • Actor
  • writer
  • director
Years active2007–present
Known for
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2016)​
Children1

Rick Donald is an Australian actor, writer and director. He attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and made his first television appearance in Sea Patrol . This was followed by recurring or guest roles in Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo , Crownies , Home and Away and Underbelly: Razor . Donald played Constable Daniel Parks in The Doctor Blake Mysteries and Mr. Tuck in House Husbands , before relocating to the United States where he starred in the 2014 sitcom Friends with Better Lives .

Contents

When Friends with Better Lives was cancelled after one season, Donald returned to Australia where he joined the casts of A Place to Call Home as Lloyd Ellis-Parker and 800 Words as Jeff "Woody" Woodson, which earned him a Logie Award nomination. In 2019, Donald played prison officer Sean Brody in Wentworth and appeared in the New Zealand comedy series Educators. From 2020, Donald had a recurring role in Home and Away as Kieran Baldivis.

Donald is also a writer and director. He wrote and directed short film The ATM, which was entered into the 2016 Tropfest, where it placed third in the competition. Donald won the Best Male Actor award for his performance in the film. He also wrote songs for his Friends With Better Lives character. In 2021, Donald's comedy series Australia's Sexiest Tradie , which he created, wrote and directed, began airing on 7mate.

Early and personal life

Donald was born in Townsville and he grew up in the suburb of Cranbrook. [1] He is one of four children. His father was a newspaper editor and his mother a ballroom dancer. Donald said his mother named him Rick after an actor on a television show. [2] Donald attended Kirwan State High School, [3] where his mother encouraged him to take drama classes. [2] He later studied performance at James Cook University, [3] and attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) for three years. [1]

Donald has been married to fellow actor Catherine Mack-Hancock since 2016. [4] A photograph of them embracing in their wedding attire in Yosemite National Park as the sun went down went viral shortly after. [5] The couple have a daughter. [6]

Career

Donald's first television acting role was a guest appearance in a 2007 episode of Sea Patrol , opposite lead actress Lisa McCune. [1] [2] He told Sarah Nealon of The TV Guide that he did not sleep the night before filming and spent the day worrying about the camera and whether he was speaking too loud for the microphone. [2] In February 2010, Donald starred in a 30-second advertisement for Libra menstrual pads that went viral. Fans of the ad created Facebook pages about Donald's character and made parody videos on YouTube. [1] The following year, Donald appeared in the television miniseries Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo , legal drama Crownies , [3] and true-crime television film Blood Brothers, based on the Gilham family murders. [7] He also had guest roles in soap opera Home and Away as "bad boy" Dean O'Mara, [4] and Underbelly: Razor as Barney Dalton. [8]

Donald appeared alongside David Wenham and Louise Lombard in the UKTV telemovie Dripping in Chocolate in April 2012. [9] The following year, Donald joined the second season of House Husbands as school teacher Mr. Tuck. [10] He also played Constable Daniel Parks in the first season of The Doctor Blake Mysteries . [11] Donald admitted that he was "devastated" about leaving Doctor Blake to move to the United States, as it marked his first major lead role. [11] While filming House Husbands, Donald filmed an audition for American sitcom Friends With Better Lives on his mobile phone. He secured the part of Lowell, an Australian hippy and fiancé of Brooklyn Decker's character Jules. [11] Donald also contributed to the show by writing Lowell's songs. [11] Friends With Better Lives was cancelled after one season. Donald said that while he was disappointed not to be able to hang out with the cast anymore, he had been missing Australia and was happy to return. [11]

Donald began appearing in A Place to Call Home as artist Lloyd Ellis-Parker from the third season, broadcast in 2015. He returned for the fourth season the following year. [2] [12] From 2015 to 2018, Donald played carpenter "Woody" in television drama 800 Words , which was filmed in New Zealand. [13] Donald had not been to the country before he was cast. [13] Donald's character proved popular with viewers during season one and his role was expanded in season two, with Woody receiving a love interest and his own storylines. [14] For his work on 800 Words, Donald received a nomination for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor at the 2017 Logie Awards. [3] [15] Donald's short film The ATM took the third place prize at the 2016 Tropfest. [16] He also won the Best Male Actor accolade for his role in the film. [17] Donald appeared in the ABC comedy series Back In Very Small Business in 2018. [18]

In 2019, Donald was cast in Wentworth as prison officer Sean Brody. He was offered the role by series producer Pino Amenta, who he worked with on 800 Words. Donald called it "the best role I’ve been able to play yet", as Sean is a more serious character, which meant Donald was able to stretch his acting skills. [19] That same year, his co-star on 800 Words, Jesse Griffin asked him to join the cast of New Zealand comedy series Educators, which is set in a secondary school. Donald plays angry PE teacher Vinnie Thompson and found the role to be "cathartic", as he would never act like Vinnie does in real life. [20] Donald appeared as a police officer in Halifax: Retribution , a 2020 sequel to the 1990s Halifax f.p. crime series starring Rebecca Gibney. [20]

Donald also re-joined the recurring cast of Home and Away as Kieran Baldivis in late 2020. [4] Kieran is Martha Stewart's (Belinda Giblin) estranged and "deeply troubled" son. [4] Donald said he was "instantly keen" when producers told him about the character's story, which includes mental health and addiction issues. [4] Donald was also excited to join the show's Stewart family and work with Ray Meagher and Georgie Parker. [4] As he lives in Palm Beach, where the show is filmed, Donald liked that he was able to walk to work, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] In addition to his role on Home and Away, Donald also appears in the 7mate comedy series Australia's Sexiest Tradie , which he created, wrote and directed. [21] Donald stars as Frankie, a plumber who enters a radio contest to find Australia's sexiest tradie in a bid to impress his father. [21]

In 2024, Donald appeared in 7plus streaming series Roast Night which he also wrote and directed. [22] He was also cast in the Stan drama Population 11 , [23] and feature film Kangaroo. [24] On 19 August 2024, Donald was named as part of the extended cast for the Australian adaptation of The Office. [25]

Filmography

Film performances
YearTitleRoleNotes
2009LegendCliffyShort film
2010 Before the Rain Cliff Reed
2011CommercialismsActorShort film
2013MatesJimmyShort film; also writer
2016The ATMFrankieShort film; also director, writer and producer
TBAKangarooTrap
Television performances
YearTitleRoleNotes
2007 Sea Patrol Glen "Hawkie" HawkesEpisode: "What Lies Beneath"
2011 Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo Murray
2011Blood BrothersChris GilhamTelevision film
2011 Home and Away Dean O'Mara Recurring
2011 Underbelly: Razor Barney Dalton
2011 Crownies Scott Summers
2012The WoodliesFireheadVoice
2012Dripping in ChocolateCarl Dukes
2012 Tricky Business Drew BullardEpisode: "Opportunity Knocks"
2013 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Constable Daniel Parks
2013 House Husbands Mr. Tuck
2014 Friends with Better Lives Lowell Peddit
2015–2016 A Place to Call Home Lloyd Ellis-ParkerRecurring
2015–2018 800 Words Jeff "Woody" WoodsonMain cast
2017 The Doctor Blake Mysteries: Family Portrait Danny ParksTelemovie
2018 Back In Very Small Business Cody Branson
2019 Wentworth Sean BrodyRecurring; Season 7
2019–2022 Educators Vinnie ThompsonMain cast
2020 Halifax: Retribution Nick TannerMain cast
2020–2021 Home and Away Kieran Baldivis Recurring: Seasons 33–34
2021 Australia's Sexiest Tradie Frankie WoodAlso creator, writer and director
2022 My Life Is Murder ZacharyGuest
2024Roast NightGlen TurnerAlso writer and director
2024 Population 11 Leon CroydmanMain cast
2024 The Office DannyGuest
Source: [26]

Related Research Articles

Fat Pizza is an Australian comedy television series created by Paul Fenech.

John Wood is an Australian television Gold Logie Award-winning actor and scriptwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeanna Walsman</span> Australian actress

Leeanna Walsman is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Zam Wesell in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), and for her roles in the 2000 film Looking for Alibrandi and the television series Wentworth. She was nominated for both AACTA and Logie awards for her role in Emmy Award-winning series Safe Harbour.

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

Martin Colin Sacks is an Australian actor who is chiefly known for his 12-year role on Blue Heelers from 1993 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Phelps</span> Australian actor

Peter Phelps is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He is notable for his role as Trevor Cole in Baywatch. Phelps is also known for his roles in the internationally successful Australian series Sons and Daughters and Stingers and has appeared in feature films including Blackwater Trail with Judd Nelson. He is the brother of Professor Kerryn Phelps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Day</span> Australian actor

Matthew Day is an Australian actor and filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Lawson</span> Australian actor

Ben Lawson is an Australian actor. From 2006 until 2008, he played Frazer Yeats in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. The role earned him a Logie Award nomination. Lawson has since appeared in several American television series, including The Deep End, Covert Affairs, and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. In 2011, he starred opposite Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in the film No Strings Attached. From 2017 to 2018, he starred as Damien Rennett on the ABC political drama Designated Survivor. He also played baseball coach Rick Wlodimierzin in the second season of 13 Reasons Why, and Larry Hemsworth on The Good Place. Lawson portrays Lachlan Murdoch in the 2019 film Bombshell, alongside his brother Josh Lawson who played James Murdoch. Since 2021, he stars in the Netflix series Firefly Lane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ditch Davey</span> Australian actor

Kristian "Ditch" Davey is an Australian actor known for his role as Evan Jones in the Seven Network's Blue Heelers from 2001 to 2006, and for playing the lead role of Julius Caesar in Netflix Season 2: Master of Rome Roman Empire in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Lewis</span> Australian actor

Lincoln Clay Lewis is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles in the movie Tomorrow, When the War Began and in the television series Home and Away and Slide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gyton Grantley</span> Australian actor and comedian (born 1980)

Gyton James Grantley is an Australian actor and comedian, best known for his portrayal of convicted murderer and drug trafficker Carl Williams in the hit Australian television show Underbelly, for which he was nominated for both Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and Most Popular Actor for the 2009 TV Week Logie Awards and the 2008 AFI award. Grantley won the 2009 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Johnson (actor)</span> Australian actor (b.1979)

Ryan Johnson is an Australian actor.

Steve Le Marquand is an Australian-born actor, known both locally and internationally for his film and stage work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Carlton</span> Australian actor and writer

Rob Carlton is a Logie Award winning Australian actor and writer. He is best known for writing and starring in the comedy series Chandon Pictures. He also had starring roles in the comedy satire The Hollowmen and Netflix's television adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe. His father was Jim Carlton, Australian businessman, politician, and humanitarian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Neill</span> New Zealand actor (born 1947)

Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill is a New Zealand actor and vintner. Neill's career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he is regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Mack-Hancock</span> Australian actress and director (born 1983)

Catherine Mack-Hancock is an Australian actress and director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Peacocke</span> Australian actor (born 1981)

Stephen Peacocke is an Australian actor, who appeared in theatre productions and portrayed minor roles in television dramas and films, including Suburban Mayhem and All Saints. Peacocke rose to prominence for his portrayal as Darryl Braxton on the television soap opera Home and Away, (2011–2016). For his role, he won the Logie Award for Most Popular Actor on two occasions and is regarded as one of the show's most popular characters.

<i>House Husbands</i> Television series

House Husbands is an Australian television comedy drama. The show debuted on the Nine Network on 2 September 2012. Set in Melbourne, House Husbands stars Firass Dirani, Gyton Grantley, Rhys Muldoon and Gary Sweet as four fathers who stay at home to raise their children. The program also focuses on their interconnected families and friends. In 2013, House Husbands won Most Popular Drama Series at the 2013 Logie Awards. In February 2018, Nine confirmed the series would not be returning for a sixth season and was officially cancelled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Johnstone-Burt</span> Australian actor

Hugo Kingsley Johnstone-Burt is a Scottish-Australian actor. He grew up in Sydney and decided to become an actor after attending his first drama class. Johnstone-Burt graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2009. He appeared in small roles in Australian dramas Rake, Sea Patrol and Underbelly: The Golden Mile, before he was cast as Fish Lamb in Cloudstreet. The role earned him two ASTRA Award nominations. Johnstone-Burt went on to star in Carelesss Love and he took on the role of Constable Hugh Collins in ABC1's Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. In 2012, Johnstone-Burt appeared in Tricky Business and filmed a guest role in Home and Away. He has also appeared in the musical drama film Goddess (2013) and the disaster film San Andreas (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remy Hii</span> Malaysian-Australian actor

Remy Hii is a Malaysian-Australian actor born in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Hii attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art for three years, and appeared in various theatre productions, before being cast in his first television role. Hii starred as Van Tuong Nguyen in the four-part miniseries Better Man and was cast as Hudson Walsh in the soap opera Neighbours in 2013. He is also known as Prince Jingim from the Netflix original series Marco Polo. From 2018 to 2019, Hii played Simon Van Reyk in the Australian television crime drama Harrow. Hii has also appeared in the series Sisters, the romantic comedy film Crazy Rich Asians, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Far From Home.

<i>Doctor Doctor</i> (Australian TV series) Australian television drama series

Doctor Doctor is an Australian television drama created by Tony McNamara, Ian Collie and Alan Harris, which premiered on the Nine Network on 14 September 2016, lasting five seasons, concluding on 23 June 2021. The cast includes Rodger Corser, Nicole da Silva, Ryan Johnson, Tina Bursill, Hayley McElhinney and Steve Bisley, and follows the story of Hugh Knight, a rising heart surgeon who is gifted, charming and infallible. He is a hedonist who, due to his sheer talent, believes he can live outside the rules. His "work hard, play harder" philosophy eventually comes to 'bite' him. The series was originally produced by Essential Media & Entertainment and Easy Tiger Productions in association with Screen NSW. Andy Ryan and Jo Rooney served as executive producers.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lynch, Barbara (26 March 2010). "Stuck on a career in acting". Townsville Bulletin . Retrieved 30 May 2021– via PressReader.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Nealon, Sarah (12 October 2017). "The perfect caveman: 800 Words lovable larrikin wants to be more like his character". The TV Guide . Retrieved 14 August 2021– via PressReader.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Boldery, Roanne (7 April 2017). "Townsville boy nominated for a silver Logie". Townsville Bulletin . Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brygel, Jackie (23 November 2020). "Rick Donald: 'Why I came back to the Bay'". New Idea . Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  5. ↑ Weber, Brendan; Fisher, Alexandria (7 September 2016). "'Modern Day Love Story': Mystery Couple in Yosemite Wedding Photo Reacts to Viral Image". NBC Chicago . Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Vnuk, Helen (23 November 2020). "Exclusive: Rick Donald spills on his new role on Home and Away and his love for Georgie Parker". TV Week . Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Knox, David (28 April 2011). "Airdate: Blood Brothers". TV Tonight . Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Doyle, Erin (6 April 2021). "Double act! All the Home and Away stars who've appeared on Underbelly". New Idea . Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Newsome, Brad (5 April 2012). "Easter viewing". dailylife.com.au . Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  10. ↑ Knox, David (23 April 2013). "Boys to men". TV Tonight . Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Kalina, Paul (18 September 2014). "Friends With Better Lives' Rick Donald is happy to come home". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "A Place To Call Home: Season Four goes into production". Foxtel. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  13. 1 2 Yeap, Sue (3 November 2015). "Words in action". The West Australian . Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Dunk, Tiffany (13 September 2016). "Rick Donald's Woody in 800 Words is the hottest actor in the Channel Seven drama say cast". The West Australian . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  15. ↑ Byrnes, Holly (26 March 2017). "Jessica Marais gets only female Gold Logie nomination, so is our night of nights too sexist?". news.com.au . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  16. ↑ Blatchford, Emily (15 July 2016). "'Shiny' Wins Tropfest 2016, Festival Proves Popularity With More Than 100,000 In Attendance". HuffPost Australia . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  17. ↑ Kozaki, Danuta (14 February 2016). "Tropfest 2016: US duo Spencer Susser and Daniel Cloud-Campos win short film festival with Shiny". ABC News . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  18. ↑ Knox, David (4 December 2017). "Cameras roll on Back in Very Small Business". TV Tonight . Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  19. ↑ Downie, Stephen (14 June 2019). "Wentworth's Rick Donald: 'My best role ever'". Who . Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  20. 1 2 Harvey, Kerry (1 October 2020). "Rick Donald has fun playing angry teacher in Educators". Stuff.co.nz . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  21. 1 2 Knox, David (21 July 2021). "Oops. Australia's Sexist Tradie?". TV Tonight . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  22. ↑ "Watch Roast Night Online: Free Streaming & Catch Up TV in Australia". 7plus . Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  23. ↑ Keast, Jackie (30 January 2024). "Ben Feldman leads Stan and Lionsgate's 'Population 11'". IF Magazine . Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  24. ↑ Slatter, Sean (15 May 2024). "Ryan Corr, Lily Whiteley hop to it in the NT as Kate Woods' 'Kangaroo' begins production". IF Magazine . Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  25. ↑ Knox, David (19 August 2024). "Airdate: The Office (Australia)". TV Tonight . Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  26. ↑ "Rick Donald". Independent Management Company. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.