Bill Hunter (actor)
William John Hunter (27 February 1940 – 21 May 2011)[3] was an Australian actor of film, stage and television, who was also prominent as a voice-over artist. He appeared in more than 60 films and won two AFI Awards. He was also a recipient of the Centenary Medal.
Bill Hunter | |
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Born | William John Hunter[1] 27 February 1940 |
Died | 21 May 2011 71) Kew, Victoria, Australia | (aged
Occupation |
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Years active | 1957–2011 |
Spouse(s) | Robbie Anderson (m. 1963–1973, divorced) Pat Bishop (m. 1976, divorced) Rhoda Roberts (m. 1993–1999, divorced)[2] |
Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Telefeature 1989 Police State Best Supporting Actor in a Film 1981 Gallipoli Best Actor in a Film 1978 Newsfront |
Early life
Hunter was born in Ballarat, Victoria, the son of William and Francie Hunter.[2] He had a brother, John, and a sister, Marie Ann.[2]
During his teens, Hunter was a champion swimmer, and briefly held a world record for the 100 yards freestyle until his record was broken by John Devitt in the very next heat ten minutes later.[4] Hunter qualified for the Australian swimming team for the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia before a bout of meningitis ended his Olympic hopes.[5]
Career
Hunter made his film debut as an extra in 1957 film The Shiralee. An introduction to Ava Gardner saw him gain a job as an extra and swimming double in the Hollywood film On the Beach, which was filming in Melbourne.[4] Hunter claimed that he was inspired to take up acting after watching one of the leads (variously claimed to be either Gregory Peck or Fred Astaire) do 27 takes of a scene, and thinking he could do better.[6][7] He took an intensive drama course in Melbourne and sailed aboard the RHMS Ellinis on New Year's Eve 1964 for England. There he won a two-year scholarship to the prestigious Northampton Repertory Company in England. In 1966, Hunter made his first television appearance, two episodes in The Ark, a serial within the third season of the BBC television drama series Doctor Who.[8][9]
Hunter returned to Australia in 1967 and began working in television drama and feature films. Hunter often played characters who were the strong, opinionated, archetypal gruff Australian whose exterior belies a softer heart and sensibilities vulnerable to pressure.[10]
Some of his most notable movie roles include Mad Dog Morgan (1976), Newsfront[11] (1978), Gallipoli (1981), The Dismissal, Scales of Justice[12] (1983), Strictly Ballroom[13] (1992), Muriel's Wedding[14] (1994), The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and Australia (2008). In 2007, he reprised the role of Bob in the Australian touring stage production of Priscilla.[15] He also provided the voice of the dentist in Finding Nemo (2003) and the voice of Bubo in Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010). He portrayed United Nations Secretary General Spencer Chartwell in the American science fiction series Space: Above and Beyond. His last film role was in The Cup (2011).
Of acting, Hunter said, "As long as the director told me where to stand and what to say, I was happy. Anyone who says there's any more to it than that, is full of bullshit. ... It's a job. It is a craft, but there's no art involved. What you need is common sense and a reasonably rough head. You put on the makeup and the wardrobe, and that is half the performance. That upsets the purists, but never mind, they don't work as much as I do."[16]
Personal life and death
Hunter's first marriage was to Robbie Anderson from 1963 to 1973, with whom he had a son, named James Hunter. His next marriage was to actress Pat Bishop, in 1976.[4] According to writer Bob Ellis, the marriage was short-lived after Hunter ran off with their marriage celebrant.[17] His third marriage was to artist and television presenter Rhoda Roberts, from 1993 until their divorce in 1999.[18]
Hunter was a supporter of the Australian Labor Party, appearing in the party's official 1996 Federal Election Campaign advertisement.[19]
On 15 May 2011, Hunter was admitted to Caritas Christi hospice in Kew after refusing to go to a hospital.[20] Surrounded by family and friends, he died of liver cancer[21] on 21 May 2011, aged 71.[22]
A memorial service for Hunter was held at Melbourne's Princess Theatre on 26 May 2011.[23] Close friend and co-star Mick Molloy paid tribute to Bill Hunter on stage at the 54th Logie Awards in April 2012.[24]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1966 | Doctor Who – The Ark | Guardian | Uncredited, two episodes: The Steel Sky, The Plague |
1970 | Ned Kelly | Officer | |
1974 | 27A | Cornish | |
1974 | Stone | Barman | |
1975 | The Man from Hong Kong (a.k.a. The Dragon Flies) | Peterson | |
1976 | Eliza Fraser | Youlden | |
1976 | Mad Dog Morgan | Sgt. Smith | |
1977 | Backroads | Jack | |
1978 | In Search of Anna | Peter | |
1978 | Newsfront | Len Maguire | AFI Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |
1978 | Weekend of Shadows | Bosun | |
1980 | Dead Man's Float | Eddie Bell | |
1980 | Hard Knocks | Brady | |
1981 | Gallipoli | Major Barton | AFI Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
1981 | ... Maybe This Time | Stephen | |
1982 | Heatwave | Robert Duncan | |
1982 | Far East | Walker | |
1983 | The Hit | Harry | |
1983 | The Return of Captain Invincible | Tupper / Coach | |
1984 | Street Hero | Detective Fitzpatrick | |
1985 | An Indecent Obsession | Colonel Chinstrap | |
1985 | Rebel | Browning | |
1986 | Death of a Soldier | Detective Sgt. Adams | |
1986 | Sky Pirates | O'Reilly | |
1988 | Rikky and Pete | Whitstead | |
1989 | Cassidy | Charles Parnell Cassidy | Television film |
1989 | Fever | Sgt. Jack Welles | |
1989 | Mull | Frank Mullens | |
1990 | Call Me Mr. Brown | McNeill | |
1991 | Deadly | Vernon Giles | |
1992 | The Last Days of Chez Nous | Beth's Father | |
1992 | The Leaving of Liverpool | Father O'Neill | Television miniseries |
1992 | Strictly Ballroom | Barry Fife | |
1993 | Broken Highway | Wilson | |
1993 | The Custodian | Managing Director | |
1993 | Shotgun Wedding | Police Commissioner Andrews | |
1993 | Stark | Ocker Tyron | Television miniseries |
1994 | The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert | Bob | |
1994 | Everynight ... Everynight | Berriman | |
1994 | Muriel's Wedding | Bill Heslop | |
1995 | Blue Murder | Angus McDonald | Television miniseries |
1996 | Cody: Fall from Grace | Sam Wolfe | Television film |
1996 | Race the Sun | Commissioner Hawkes | |
1996 | River Street | Vincent Pierce | |
1997 | Road to Nhill | Bob | |
1998 | 15 Amore | Brendan's Voice | Voice |
1998 | A Difficult Woman | Paul Scanlon | Television miniseries |
1998 | The Echo of Thunder | Cooper | Television film; uncredited role |
2000 | On the Beach | Prime Minister Seaton | Television film |
2002 | Crackerjack | Stan Coombs | |
2003 | Finding Nemo | Dentist | Voice |
2003 | Bad Eggs | Ted Pratt | |
2003 | Horseplay | Barry Coxhead | |
2003 | Kangaroo Jack | Blue | |
2004 | Tom White | Malcolm | |
2008 | The Square | Gil Hubbard | |
2008 | Australia | Skipper (Qantas Sloop) | |
2010 | The Pacific | James | Television miniseries |
2010 | The Wedding Party | Priest | |
2010 | Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole | Bubo | Voice |
2011 | Red Dog | Himself | |
2011 | The Cup | Bart Cummings | Final film appearance |
Awards and honours
Hunter won the 1978 AFI Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Newsfront, and the 1981 Best Supporting Actor award for Gallipoli.[25]
In 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to acting.[1]
A painting of Hunter by artist Jason Benjamin won the Packing Room Prize in conjunction with the 2005 Archibald Prize.[26]
References
- Hunter, William John Archived 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, It's an Honour, 1 January 2001.
- Blake, Jason: Aussie bloke of screen was larger than life Archived 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 May 2011.
- "Bill Hunter, Actor Who Typified Australia, Dies at 71". The New York Times. Associated Press. 22 May 2011.
- Atterton, Margot; Alan Veitch: The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz (1984).
- Bill Hunter gravely ill with inoperable cancer, Herald Sun, 19 May 2011.
- Bill Hunter faces the final curtain, Herald Sun, 19 May 2011.
- Bodey, Michael: Charismatic wild man of cinema, The Australian, 23 May 2011.
- Muriel's Wedding star Bill Hunter 'gravely ill' Archived 20 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, ninemsn, 18 May 2011.
- Production notes Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Ark DVD, BBC.
- Preiss, Benjamin (18 May 2011). "Acting legend Bill Hunter gravely ill". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- "National Film and Sound Archive: Newsfront on australianscreen online". Aso.gov.au. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- "National Film and Sound Archive: Scales of Justice on australianscreen online". Aso.gov.au. Archived from the original on 31 March 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- "National Film and Sound Archive: Strictly Ballroom on australianscreen online". Aso.gov.au. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- "National Film and Sound Archive: Muriel's Wedding on australianscreen online". Aso.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- "Bill Hunter to join Priscilla cast". Aussie Theatre. 16 April 2007.
- Bill Hunter, 71, voiced the dentist in Finding Nemo . blog.bcdb.com, 23 May 2011
- Ellis, Bob: "I don't do auditions, mate": remembering Bill Hunter Archived 27 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, ABC The Drum Unleashed, 23 May 2011.
- Queen of arts Archived 15 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, The Sun-Herald, 17 November 2003.
- Australian Labor Party Federal Election Campaign Ad- February 1996, retrieved 24 January 2020
- Actor Bill Hunter dies Archived 23 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, ABC News, 21 May 2011
- "Mourners farewell acting great Bill Hunter". Sydney Morning Herald. 26 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- "Australian acting legend Bill Hunter dies from cancer at 71", The Australian, 21 May 2011.
- Quinn, Karl: A man of the people, Hunter farewelled with heart Archived 7 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Bendigo Advertiser, 27 May 2011.
- "The 54th TV Week Logie Awards – Television.AU". televisionau.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- Feature Film Award Winners 1958–2010 Archived 19 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Australian Film Institute, 2010.
- "Bill gets a kiss from the packing room". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 April 2007. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Hunter. |
- Bill Hunter on IMDb
- "Bill Hunter's list of film and television credits". The Australian. Retrieved on 21 May 2011
- Bill Hunter on australianscreen
- Strictly Heslop – Bill Hunter Tribute Fanzine