Shane Connor

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Shane Connor
Born (1959-04-03) 3 April 1959 (age 65)
Semaphore, South Australia, Australia
Other namesShane Feeney-Connor
Education Victorian College of the Arts at University of Melbourne
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
Known for Neighbours as Joe Scully
Spouse(s)Karen Connor (m. 1987; div. 1992)
Nell Feeney (m. 1994; div. 1997)
Children3 (Thomas, Grace and Jessica)

Shane Connor (born 3 April 1959) also billed/credited as Shane Feeney-Connor, is an Australian actor, who has had extensive experience in stage, television and film productions, both locally and internationally in the United Kingdom and United States. He is probably best known for his role in TV serial Neighbours as patriarch Joe Scully.

Contents

Early life

Connor was born in Woodville, South Australia in April 1959 and graduated from University of Melbourne drama division the Victorian College of the Arts in the early 1980s. He worked steadily in film, theatre and television for many years.

Career

Connor's television credits include the Channel Seven series Fire , the Australian Broadcasting Corporation drama Heartland , the miniseries The Harp in the South and Poor Man's Orange and Halifax f.p. (1998). He appeared in the USA television network miniseries Moby Dick as Flask.

Connor also played guest roles in Australian soap operas: He played Kevin, husband of Cheryll (Lisa Aldenhoven), in the women's prison drama serial Prisoner . Then in 1986 he returned to the series in the recurring role of biker Bongo Connors, the brother of Glenda Linscott's character, Rita Connors. He later appeared in its re-imagined series Wentworth on Foxtel. [1] playing the partner of Leah Purcell's updated version of the very same character. Connor had a brief role as another biker, Angel, in another soap opera Sons and Daughters , in 1986.

Awards include the 1984 Penguin Award for Best Actor and the 1995 Green Room Award for Outstanding Fringe Performer. He also received a nomination for the 1998 AFI Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama (for Halifax f.p. ). [2]

Neighbours

In July 1999, Connor joined the cast of Neighbours and began filming the ongoing role Joe Scully of builder and family patriarch, with his first scene's going on air in October. [3] The show's producers invited him to audition for the role, and he decided to accept when he found out that he would be working with actress Janet Andrewartha, who plays Joe's on-screen wife Lyn Scully. [3] Connor had previously played a guest role in the series as character Phil Hoffman debuting on-screen on 26 March and appearing until 16 April 1991. [4] Joe Scully gave Connor the chance to play a character who was not a "bad guy, a confrontational type, a man on the verge". [3] Connor was initially contracted with Neighbours for three years, with 12-month renewal options. [3]

Connor was fired from the series in September 2003, several months after receiving a written warning from producers and overcoming an amphetamine habit. There had been ongoing hostility between him and Andrewartha; who had been the source of the vast majority of complaints about him. [5] He sued the show's producer, Grundy Television, for wrongful termination of his contract, seeking about $200,000. [5]

The court hearing heard that he had an amphetamine drug habit while performing on the show. Connor's older brother died in June 2001 and he had been badly affected by this, leading to the drug habit. Members of the cast and crew had complained about his behaviour at work. This included alleged aggressive behaviour and lateness that delayed production. After being confronted about his problem, he met with the cast in May 2003 and admitted the problem and apologised. [5] Connor won the case and was awarded by the Supreme Court of Victoria over $230,000 in libel damages. [6]

After Neighbours

Connor worked in the United Kingdom in pantomime. [6] He also appeared as a guest in reality TV show The Salon and Killing Time . [1]

Connor later guested in Nine Network's House Husbands . [1] He joined the cast of Wentworth in a recurring role in 2018, [1] , followed by a recurring role in 2022 miniseries The Twelve .

Personal life

Connor was married to first wife Karen Connor from 1987 to 1992.

He met his future wife, fellow Neighbours alum Nell Feeney, when he guested in tv series Phoenix , on which Feeney was starring. They were married in 1994 and Feeney gave birth to their twins Thomas and Grace in 1995. They were divorced in 1997.

Connor also has another daughter Jessica.

Filmography

Film

TitleYearRoleType
1984 Street Hero Yokel's MateFeature film
1984 Every Move She Makes TonyTV movie
1985 Rooted TV movie
1985 Emerging McNairTV movie
1986 Army Wives GrantTV movie
1988 Tender Hooks WayneFeature film
1988 Breaking Loose: Summer City II SampsonFilm
1989Action ReplayFilm
1995 Rainbow's End Detective Sergeant George O'BrienTV movie
2008Playing for CharlieJoe Ruddock
2013 Wolf Creek 2 Senior Sergeant Gary Bulmer Jnr.Feature film
2013ManSam FlanaganShort film
2016 The Manny DadTV movie
2021OMG DadShort film

Television

TitleYearRoleType
1981 Cop Shop Gardener No. 1TV series, season 1, episode 339
1983; 1984 Carson's Law Clerk / Joe / Gil Bishop / Albert RudgeTV series, 6 episodes
1983; 1984; 1986 Prisoner Kevin Armstrong / Maintenance Squad Man / Brian 'Bongo' ConnorsTV series, 16 episodes
1987 The Harp in the South Charlie RotheTV miniseries, 3 episodes
1987 Poor Man's Orange Charlie RotheTV miniseries, 2 episodes
1987 Sons and Daughters Angel JonesTV series, 5 episodes
1987; 1991 The Flying Doctors Rick/Ross BecherTV series, 2 episodes
1984; 1989; 1991 A Country Practice Peter Neal / Barry Hamilton / Colin ScottTV series, 6 episodes
1991 Neighbours Phil Hoffman TV series, 5 episodes
1992 Phoenix MannyTV series, season 1, episode 7: "Old Rules, New Games"
1992 Police Rescue GeoffTV series, season 3, episode 13: "Heartbeat"
1994 Heartland Ben LovellTV miniseries, 3 episodes
1993–1994 Law of the Land Harry MilesTV series, 26 episodes
1994 Sky Trackers Sergeant BlakeTV series, 2 episodes
1995 Fire David 'Giraffe' SimpsonTV series, 13 episodes
1995 Snowy River: The McGregor Saga Tyler MorganTV series, 2 episodes
1996 The Bite ThompsonTV miniseries
1997 Good Guys, Bad Guys BiancoTV series, 2 episodes
1997 Halifax f.p. RayTV series, season 3, episode 3: "Afraid of the Dark"
1998 Raw FM DiggerTV series, season 1, episode 13: "One"
1998 Blue Heelers Danny HobsonTV series, 2 episodes
1998 Moby Dick Mr. FlaskTV miniseries, 2 episodes
1998 Wildside Terry YoungTV series, 2 episodes
1999 Stingers Terry CollisTV series, 2 episodes
1999–2004 Neighbours Joe Scully TV series, 392 episodes
2004 The Salon HimselfTV series
2005 Twisted Tales Ben KettleTV series, season 1, episode 10: "Cursed House"
2008 Mark Loves Sharon Roy WaryTV series, 2 episodes
2009 Dirt Game Max MeesTV miniseries, 6 episodes
2009–2010 Satisfaction KarlTV series, 6 episodes
2007; 2011 City Homicide Gareth Nunn / Philip CarterTV series, 2 episodes
2011 Killing Time Detective Sergeant Wayne StrawhornTV miniseries, 4 episodes
2015 House Husbands Farmer ToddTV series, 2 episodes
2018–2019 Wentworth Ray HouserTV series, 6 episodes
2022 The Twelve [7] Steve DokicTV series, 5 episodes

Theatre

TitleYearRoleType
1985The Doll TrilogyJohnny Dowd Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC, Sydney Opera House with STC
1988BackbeatDan / Terry / Stan Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company
1988 And The Big Men Fly Achilles Jones Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1989Kid StakesRooPlayhouse, Newcastle, with Hunter Valley Theatre Company
1989–90Byzantine FlowersEddie STC [8]
1990 This Old Man Comes Rolling Home George Russell Street Theatre with MTC
1991 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Featured Seymour Centre, Sydney
1992Coast MongrelsPaulorPlayhouse, Newcastle with Hunter Valley Theatre Company
1995Nil, Cat & BuriedCatCarlton Courthouse with La Mama, Melbourne
1995The Snake Pit La Mama, Melbourne [9]
1996 The Shifting Heart ClarryPlayhouse, Adelaide with STCSA [10]
1997Gary's HouseGary Playbox Theatre, Melbourne
1999Wonderful Ward Melbourne International Comedy Festival
2004Anyone for BreakfastGilbertUK tour
2012The New BlackRupert Arts Centre Melbourne
Fool for Love Eddie Canberra Theatre
The Harp in the South Various roles STC
The Custodians

[11] [12] [13]

Awards

YearWorkAwardCategoryResult
1984Shane Connor Penguin Award Best ActorWon
1987 Army Wives AFI Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Telefeature Nominated
1988 Poor Man's Orange AACTA Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries Nominated
1995Shane Connor Green Room Award Outstanding Fringe PerformerWon
1998 Halifax f.p. AFI Award Showtime Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama Nominated [2]
1998 Afraid of the Dark AFI Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama Nominated

[14]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Knox, David (16 June 2018). "Shane Connor cast in Wentworth". TV Tonight . Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Neighbours turn nasty, Connor shown door". The Sydney Morning Herald . 27 October 2003. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Enker, Debi (10 February 2000). "Rumblings in Erinsborough". The Age . Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  4. ↑ Fletcher, Mary (20 April 1992). "I'd rather be a stud than a kidnapper!". Woman's Own : 52–53.
  5. 1 2 3 "Sacked from Neighbours over drugs, star sues". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 October 2005. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Sacked Neighbours star gets $230,000". news.ninemsn.com.au. 1 December 2005. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  7. ↑ "The Twelve | TV Tonight". 19 June 2022.
  8. ↑ https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3116100679/findingaid#nla-obj-3411698841
  9. ↑ https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/nodes/view/338518?lsk=630b5344b3076cf6081918d56f0c7cd6
  10. ↑ https://murraybramwell.com/?p=2081
  11. ↑ http://imcompany.com.au/actors/shane-connor/
  12. ↑ https://actors.co.nz/talent/shane-connor/
  13. ↑ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/106485
  14. ↑ https://www.rmk.com.au/voices/voices/shane_connor/
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