Shane Withington

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Shane Withington
Born (1958-08-22) 22 August 1958 (age 66)
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
OccupationActor
Years active1978–present
Known for A Country Practice (TV series) as Brenden Jones
Home and Away (TV series) as John Palmer
Spouse Anne Tenney

Shane Withington (born 22 August 1958) is an Australian actor, notable for roles in theatre, television, and film.

Contents

Career

Withington is best known for roles in TV serials, with two famous character portrayals. These include his role as Brenden Jones, a farmer, nurse, and subsequently the Deputy Matron of the fictional Wandin Valley in the television series A Country Practice from 1982 until 1986. [1]

Withington first appeared in TV serial Home and Away as a guest character called Colin, before being given the permanent role of cranky but warm-hearted surf lifesaver and patrol officer John Palmer in 2009, initially as a 3-month stand-alone stint; he'd been in the role for ten years by 2019. [2]

He has also featured in Willing and Abel , as Abel Moore, and the sitcom The Family Business .

He had a guest star appearance in the film Strange Bedfellows [3] in 2004.

In 2008, he was in the BBC drama Out of the Blue , playing the detective in charge of investigating a murder.

Withington co-starred in the play The Boys Next Door in 1992.

Personal life

Withington was born in Toowoomba, Queensland to a cowgirl mother, who was the daughter of a drover and an English father who worked in food processing and was a nightclub singer and champion first grade soccer player in Queensland.

After being expelled from school, Withington worked as a horsesman and jackaroo, before auditioning an acting scholarship with the Elizabethan Quest Scholarship at 16. He toured with the Twelfth Night Theatre. [4]

Withington lives in the Pittwater area of Sydney's Northern Beaches and led a community campaign to preserve the Currawong Workers' Holiday Camp. [5]

Withington is married to actress Anne Tenney, who played his character's wife Molly Jones on A Country Practice. [6]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
2023ButterFarmerShort
2018The ConfessionFather ShaneShort
2004Strange BedfellowsFather Xavier Delaney
1991Roy's RaidersBazza
1988Black TulipVoice role

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2024 Last Days of the Space Age Spider2 episodes
2017 & 2019Drop Dead WeirdWilmot Fogie / Mr O'Shea2 episodes
2010 52nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards HimselfUncredited
2008 Out of the Blue D.S. Simon Wilson43 episodes
2007 Gumnutz: A Juicy Tale TV movie
Voice role
Rain Shadow Harry GreeneMini-series
6 episodes
2009–present Home and Away John Palmer Main Cast, 2100+ episodes
20082009 Milly, Molly NarratorTwo Seasons
20062010Dive Olly Dive!Various characters56 episodes
2005 Blinky Bill's White Christmas Sly (Chopper's assistant) and Johnny RabbitTV movie
Voice role
All Saints Bob 'Smithy' SmithSeason 8, episode 29
1999 Dog's Head Bay Bob Grant13 episodes
1998 Wildside Alan GreySeason 1, episode 13
1997ReprisalCharlieTV movie
Water Rats Det. Insp. Gordon Withers2 episodes
1989 The Family Business Terry Jackson13 episodes
19871988 The Flying Doctors Mike Lancaster9 episodes
1987 Willing and Abel Abel Moore26 episodes
1984Queen of the RoadFred 'Speedy' NortonTV movie
19811986 A Country Practice Brendan Jones367 episodes
1978 Chopper Squad William 'Mac' McKennaSeason 2, episode 3
Glenview High Edward LanderSeason 1, episode 13

References

  1. "Unions slash $15m off historic estate's price". SMH. 4 February 2007.
  2. Jackie Brygel (20 May 2019). "Home and Away Shane Withington: My devastating heartbreak". New Idea.
  3. "Shane Withington" rmk.com
  4. "Talking Prisoner Presents Home and Away Interview with Shane Withington". YouTube . 2 May 2023.
  5. Silmalis, Linda (3 July 2011). "They ruined my labor of love". Daily Telegraph (Sydney) . Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  6. "50 most memorable TV moments". TV Week. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008.