Gary Sweet

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Gary Sweet
Gary Sweet at the 2012 AACTA Awards (6795442365).jpg
Sweet and his girlfriend Nadia Dyall in 2012
Born (1957-05-22) 22 May 1957 (age 66)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Spouse(s) Lenore Smith (m. 1981–83, divorced)
Jill Miller (m. 1987–??, divorced, 2 children)
Johanna Griggs (m. 1995–99, divorced, 2 children)
Nadia Dyall (m. ??–present; 2 children)
Children6, including Frank Sweet
Awards Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama: (1991, 1992 – Police Rescue )
Logie Award for Most Popular Actor: (1993Police Rescue)
Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor in a Series: (1993 – Police Rescue)
Inductee into the Australian Film Walk of Fame: (2011)

Gary Sweet (born 22 May 1957) [1] is an Australian film and television actor known for his roles in Alexandra's Project (as Steve), Police Rescue (as Sergeant "Mickey" McClintock), Cody (as Cody), Big Sky (as Chris Manning), Bodyline (as Donald Bradman), Stingers (as DI Luke Harris) and House Husbands (as Lewis Crabb).

Contents

Early life

Adopted by a young couple and named after his neighbour's son, Sweet grew up in Warradale, South Australia. He attended Brighton High School in Adelaide. He later obtained a teaching degree and took up drama while at Sturt Teachers' College. [2]

Career

Sweet's first role was in low-budget horror film Nightmares . In the early 1980s, he became recognisable through the ongoing role of Leslie "Magpie" Maddern in the TV series The Sullivans .

In 1984, Sweet had his first major role as Donald Bradman in the miniseries Bodyline , the story of the 1932–33 Test cricket series between England and Australia.

Early films included a lead role in the 1985 film An Indecent Obsession , as well as a role in 1987's The Lighthorsemen .

From 1990 to 1996, Sweet starred in a leading role in the TV drama series Police Rescue as Sgt. Steve "Mickey" McClintock. This role led him to win several major television awards, including an AFI Award for Best Lead Actor in a TV Drama [3] (in 1991 and 1992), the Variety Club Heart Award for TV Actor of the Year (1993), and a TV Week Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actor and Most Outstanding Actor (1994). [4] [5]

Sweet starred in Big Sky , and Dog's Head Bay . He took a continuing role in the police drama series Stingers until the show's conclusion in 2004. Other prominent television roles have included The Circuit , Rain Shadow and police drama Cops L.A.C. . In 2008, he narrated the documentary series Sudden Impact . From 2012 to 2017 Sweet had a leading role in the drama/comedy House Husbands .

Notable film roles have included The Tracker , Alexandra's Project and Gettin' Square . He appeared in the acclaimed independent drama film 2:37 , as well as in a modern-day imagining of Macbeth , alongside Sam Worthington.

Internationally, Sweet appeared in American studio film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as Lord Drinian. He also featured in the miniseries The Pacific .

Sweet was a contestant on Season 5 of Dancing with the Stars and made it to the final seven. His partner was dancer Eliza Campagna.

Sweet has also appeared in several stage productions, including The Club , and Tony McNamara's play The Recruit. He has appeared in the Frankie Valli-tribute musical Oh, What a Night, [5] and in Trevor Ashley's musical comedy Little Orphan trAshley with Rhonda Burchmore. [6]

Filmography

Film

YearFilmRoleNotes
1980 Nightmares Terry BesankoFilm
1985 An Indecent Obsession Michael WilsonFilm
1986 Body Business Brian DoyleTV movie
1987 The Lighthorsemen FrankFilm
1988 The Dreaming GeoffFilm
Fever Jeff MaslimFilm
Becca Matt BourkeTV movie
1990 What the Moon Saw Alan WilsonFilm
More Winners: Boy SoldiersSergeantTV movie
1992 Children of the Dragon LarryTV series
1993 Crimebroker Luke BlairTV movie
1994 Police Rescue: The MovieSgt. Steve "Mickey" McClintockTV movie
1996Two Bob MermaidWhite fatherShort film
1997Love in AmbushEddie NortonTV movie
2001Hard KnoxMonorail RonTV movie
The Big HouseJackoShort film
BodyjackersO'GradyFilm
2002 The Tracker The FanaticFilm
Tempe Tip NicoFilm
2003 Alexandra's Project SteveFilm
Gettin' Square Chicka MartinFilm
2005Dust StormTomShort film
2006 2:37 Mr DarcyFilm
Operating InstructionsPaulShort film
Macbeth DuncanFilm
2008 Bitter & Twisted Greg PralineFilm
The TumblerHurtle HamiltonFilm
2009 Subdivision Digger KellyFilm
2010 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Lord Drinian Film
LucidyaThe Game PresenterShort film
2011The Telegram ManJohn LewisShort film
Bush BasherShort film
2012 Fatal Honeymoon Detective Gary CampbellTV movie
Dangerous Remedy Superintendent John MatthewsTV movie
2013 Adoration SaulFilm
Nerve Ben LivingstoneFilm
Charlie's Country PublicanFilm
Trouble Down UnderBig Red the Kangaroo (voice)Animated film
2015 A Month of Sundays (aka A Sunday Too Far)SelfFilm
House of Bulger: The AFL Footy ShowTV movie
2017Making MurielSelfDocufilm
2018It’s ChristmasMick KingstonShort film
2019RitualRay DevlinShort film
Two Heads Creek HansFilm
Tour De Legacy – The Western FrontNarratorDocufilm
2020AyaanSergeant SimmonsShort film
Paper ChampionsTerryFilm
TBAA Savage ChristmasTBAFilming
TBAPatchedSharkIn post-production

Television

YearFilmRoleNotes
1981–1983 The Sullivans Leslie "Magpie" MaddernTV series (Channel 9) – 377 episodes
1983 Starting Out Rod TurnerTV series (Channel 9)
1984 Carson's Law Paul TabenerTV series (Channel 10) – 1 episode
Bodyline Donald Bradman Miniseries (Channel 10) – 7 episodes
1986 Prime Time Craig LawrenceTV series (Channel 9)
1987 The Great Bookie Robbery Chico WhiteMiniseries – 3 episodes
1988 A Country Practice Bernie AllenTV series (Channel 7) – 2 episodes
1988–1990 The Flying Doctors Nick Sanderson / Vince MaguireTV series (Channel 9) – 3 episodes
1989–1992 Tanamera - Lion of Singapore TonyMiniseries (ITV) – 7 episodes
1990–1996 Police Rescue Sergeant Steve "Mickey" McClintockTV series (ABC) – 62 episodes
1990 Come In Spinner JackMiniseries (ABC) – 4 episodes
Skirts Tom WatersTV series (Channel 7) – 4 episodes
1991 All Together Now Roger Dixon BarrowTV series (Channel 9) – 1 episode
1992 Children of the Dragon LarryMiniseries (ABC) – 62 episodes
1994 The Battlers Snow GrimshawMiniseries (Channel 7)
1994–1995 Cody CodyTV series – 6 TV movies (Channel 7)
1997–1999 Big Sky Chris ManningTV series (Channel 10) – 53 episodes
1999 Wildside ClearyTV series (ABC) – 1 episode
Chuck Finn Captain CandlelightTV series (Channel 7) – 1 episode
Dog's Head Bay Alex SantoriniTV series (ABC) – 13 episodes
2000 Pizza Army CommanderTV series (SBS) – 1 episode
2000–2004 Stingers Inspector Luke Harris / Bobby TaitTV series (Channel 9) – 85 episodes
2001 Cold Feet Rod EllisonTV series (ITV) – S4 E8: Cold Feet
2001–2005 Blue Heelers Danny OKeefe / Sergeant Bob WilkieTV series (Channel 7) – 5 episodes
2006 Dancing with the Stars ContestantTV series (Channel 7) – S5 – 6 episodes. Placed 7th.
2007 Things To Try Before You Die Co-hostTV series (Channel 9) – 1 episode
Rain Shadow Larry RileyTV series (ABC) – 6 episodes
2007–2010 The Circuit Magistrate Peter LockhartTV sseries (SBS) – S2 – 12 episodes
2008 Sudden Impact NarratorDocumentary series (Channel 9)
2009 Rescue: Special Ops Shane GallagherTV series (Channel 9) – S1 – 5 episodes
2010 The Pacific Gunnery Sgt. Elmo "Gunny" Haney Miniseries (HBO) – 3 episodes
Cops L.A.C. Superintendent Jack FinchinTV series (Channel 9) – 13 episodes
Australian Druglords PresenterTV series – (Channel 9) – 10 episodes
2011 Small Time Gangster Barry DonaldTV series (SBS) – 8 episodes
2012 Problems Mr MothTV series (ABC) – 4 episodes
2013CommandoSelf (voice)Documentary miniseries – 4 episodes
2015 & 2017 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Norman BakerTV series (BBC) – S3 E7: Room Without a View, [7] S5 E7: A Good Drop & S5 E8: Hark the Angels Sing [8]
2012–2017 House Husbands Lewis CrabbeTV series (Channel 9) – 58 episodes
2016 Wolf Creek JasonTV series (Stan) – 1 episode
Janet King Roger EmbryTV series (ABC) – 3 episodes
2017 Wake in Fright Tim HynesMiniseries (Channel 10) – 2 episodes
2018 Harrow Bruce ReimersTV series (ABC) – 1 episode
Orange Is the New Brown Art Gallery Owner / Spoiler CopTV series (Channel 7) – 3 episodes
2020 Hungry Ghosts HughMiniseries (SBS) – 1 episode
Bloom Old DonnieTV series (Stan) – 4 episodes
Mint ConditionConwayWeb miniseries (SBS)
Mystery Road: Origins AlkemiTV series (ABC) – 6 episodes
2121Geoff MaxwellWeb miniseries – 1 episode
2021 Jack Irish Det Phil MaitlandTV series (ABC) – 4 episodes
Wentworth Dale LangdonTV series (SoHo (TV channel)/Fox Showcase) – 3 episodes
2022Access All Areas: Erebus MotorsportNarratorDocumentary miniseries – 8 episodes
2023 The Clearing WilkesMiniseries (Disney+) – 4 episodes

Podcast

YearFilmRoleNotes
2021The OrchardDJ SimesMiniseries (Audible)

Theatre

YearProductionRoleNotes
What the Butler Saw Sturt College of Advanced Education
The Wild Duck Sturt College of Advanced Education
1991 The Removalists Kenny Carter STCSA
1998 The Club Laurie MTC
2001Tony McNamara's The RecruitJosh MTC
2002 Frankie Valli’s Oh, What a NightPaul BurnsMajestic Theatre Company
2013 Trevor Ashley's Little Orphan trAshleyDaddy WarlowShowqueen Productions
2014Our DonNarrator Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
2014 La Cage aux Folles Edouard Dindon The Production Company
2017 Muriel's Wedding Bill Heslop STC

Music

Sweet dabbled in the Australian music scene with limited success in the early 1990s. Sweet released a cover of Billy Thorpe's "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" in 1994 through Polygram Records Australia. The single peaked at number 52 on the ARIA Charts, and spent seven weeks in the top 100. [9]

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearChart positions
AUS
[10]
"Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)"199452

Awards

Sweet's plaque at the Australian Film Walk of Fame, the Ritz Cinema, Randwick, Sydney Film Walk of Fame Ritz Cinema Sydney 022.JPG
Sweet's plaque at the Australian Film Walk of Fame, the Ritz Cinema, Randwick, Sydney

Sweet has won several awards in his acting career, including two Logie Awards – one in 1982 for The Sullivans (Most Popular New Talent) and one in 1994 for Police Rescue (Most Popular Actor).

In 2011, Sweet was initiated into the Australian Film Walk of Fame on 13 March, as part of the closing night celebrations of the Australian Film Festival. [11]

Awards

YearAwardTitleStatus
1982 TV Week Logie Award Most Popular New Talent ( The Sullivans )Won
1991 AFI Award Best Actor in a Lead Role in a TV Drama ( Police Rescue )Won
1992 AFI Award Best Actor in a Lead Role in a TV Drama ( Police Rescue )Won
1992 TV Week Logie Award Most Popular Actor ( Police Rescue )Nominated
1993Variety Club Heart AwardTV Actor of the YearWon
1994 TV Week Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor ( Police Rescue )Won
1996 TV Week Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor ( Police Rescue )Nominated
2003 TV Week Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor ( Stingers )Nominated
2004 TV Week Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor ( Stingers )Nominated
2011 Australian Film Festival Australian Film Walk of Fame InducteeInducted
2021 MEAA Ensemble AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Miniseries / TV movie ( Hungry Ghosts )Won
2021 MEAA Ensemble AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series ( Mystery Road: Origins )Won

Controversy

In 2004, Sweet become the public face of "The Performance Pack Initiative", an information campaign for men with impotence problems from Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline and Impotence Australia. [12] Bans against direct advertising prescription medicines meant that Sweet was unable to directly mention the drug, Levitra, but this code was broken when Sweet mentioned Levitra on an Adelaide radio programme. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Media Watch reported that Sweet was being investigated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for possible breach of advertising codes. [13] [14]

Personal life

Sweet is divorced from his third wife, television presenter and former Commonwealth Games swimmer, Johanna Griggs. They have two sons. Sweet has two children from his second marriage, to Jill Miller. [2] Following in his father's footsteps, Frank Sweet is also an actor. Sweet's first marriage was to actress Lenore Smith.

Gary Sweet is an ambassador and ex player for the Glenelg Tigers, an Australian rules football club who play in the South Australian National Football League. [15] He is also a supporter of the Manly Sea Eagles rugby league club who play in the National Rugby League.

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References

  1. "Born today...", Brisbane Times , 20 May 2008; "Gary Sweet, Australian actor (born 1957), Fairfax Photos; Albert Moran; Chris Keating (2009). The A to Z of Australian Radio and Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 357. ISBN   9780810870222.
  2. 1 2 watch/transcripts/s1071337.htm The Larrikin Grows Up, The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 June 2002]
  3. Australian Film Institute, Past Winners, Television 1986–2006 Archived 28 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. TV Week Logies official site Archived 9 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine , retrieved 15 March 2008
  5. 1 2 "Gary Sweet".
  6. "Adults-only panto too funny for Sweet to miss out" by Natalie Bochenski, Brisbane Times , 11 July 2013
  7. "The Doctor Blake Mysteries: episode guide series 3, Australian Television Information Archive
  8. The Doctor Blake Mysteries – BBC broadcast series 5: "A Good Drop", episode 7; "Hark the Angels Sing", episode 8
  9. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 24 Apr 1994". ARIA . Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  10. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 273.
  11. "Australian Film Festival Kicks Off". FilmInk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  12. Press Release, GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer Pharmaceuticals, 28 July 2004
  13. Sweet's Potent Drug, Media Watch, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, March 2004
  14. Choice Consumer Advocates
  15. Glenelg Football Club Ambassadors Archived 2 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine