Russell Kiefel

Russell John Kiefel (1951 – 20 November 2016) was an Australian stage, film and television actor. After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Kiefel started his screen acting career with a role in the 1977 feature film The Singer and the Dancer. He followed this with roles in Breaker Morant (1980), Twelfth Night (1986), Call Me Mr. Brown (1990) and television film The Leaving of Liverpool (1992). Kiefel appeared in several television dramas, including Home and Away, Fireflies and Stingers. He starred in an episode of Twisted Tales in 1998. Among his various guest appearances were episodes of Wildside, Blue Heelers and Something in the Air. In 2008, Kiefel played Lloyd Ross in Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal. He joined the cast of Neighbours in the recurring role of Russell Brennan in 2015.

Russell Kiefel
Born
Russell John Kiefel[1]

1951
Tully, Queensland, Australia
Died (aged 65)
Darwin, Australia
OccupationActor
Years active1977–2016
Spouse(s)Katrina Foster (until 2016)
Children2

Kiefel worked with various theatre companies throughout his stage career, appearing in numerous productions. His earliest roles were with the Old Tote Theatre Company. He appeared in both the Australian and American seasons of A Streetcar Named Desire and Travelling North. Kiefel was closely associated with Belvoir and appeared in several productions for them, including Run Rabbit Run and The Blind Giant is Dancing. He starred in the 2009 production of The Alchemist at the Sydney Opera House. Kiefel fell ill while appearing in And I'm the Queen of Sheba at the Browns Mart Theatre in Darwin, and he died on 20 November 2016.

Early life

Kiefel was born in Tully, Queensland in 1951, to Alf, an accountant, and Patsy, a homemaker.[2] He has two younger sisters. After moving to Brisbane, Kiefel attended Sandgate High School.[2] During his teenage years, he became interested in acting and was a member of the La Boite Theatre Company.[2] Kiefel moved to Sydney so he could attend the National Institute of Dramatic Art, and he graduated in 1974.[3][4]

Career

Theatre

Kiefel was a prolific stage actor and worked with various theatre companies throughout his career, including Sydney Theatre Company (STC), Bell Shakespeare, and Queensland Theatre Company.[3] His earliest roles were with the Old Tote Theatre Company in productions at the Sydney Opera House from 1977.[2] Throughout the 1980s, Kiefel worked with the State Theatre Company of South Australia.[2] He made 13 appearances for the STC. He appeared in Our Town, and the Australian and American seasons of A Streetcar Named Desire and Travelling North.[3] In November 1987, Kiefel played Valantin, alongside Barry Otto, in Egil Kipste's production of Kiss of the Spider Woman for the Nimrod Theatre Company.[5] Kiefel began working with the Queensland Theatre Company in 1988 in productions of Night and Day and The Recruiting Officer.[3] He was also associated with the Belvoir company and appeared in several productions for them, including Ray's Tempest, Stuff Happens, Hamlet, The Power of Yes, The Business and Run Rabbit Run.[3][6][7]

While appearing as Surly in the company's 1996 production of The Alchemist, Kiefel had to leave during one show after learning that his wife had gone into labour. His co-star Sam Wilcox took over his role for the second act.[8] Later stage roles saw Kiefel appear in Tom Holloway's And No More Shall We Part for the Griffin Theatre Company.[3] He starred in the 2009 production of The Alchemist at the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House. This time he played the role of Master Lovewit.[9] In 2016, Kiefel performed in The Blind Giant is Dancing for Belvoir. He had starred in the show three times previously, including the original production in 1983.[3] New play And I'm the Queen of Sheba was Kiefel's final stage performance.[10] It opened at the Browns Mart Theatre on 17 November. Kiefel played the role of Frank and had been involved in the production since April 2016.[3]

Television and film

Kiefel began his screen acting career with a role in Gillian Armstrong's 1977 feature film The Singer and the Dancer.[3] He went on to appear in the 1980 film Breaker Morant,[10] Neil Armfield's 1986 film version of Twelfth Night, Call Me Mr. Brown, which was made in 1985 but not released until 1990,[11] telemovie The Leaving of Liverpool,[3] and comedy drama feature Children of the Revolution.[12] Other film roles included No Escape (1994),[13] Radiance (1998), Dogwatch (1999) and Fresh Air (1999).[14]

Kiefel made numerous recurring and guest appearances in television series, including Wildside, Water Rats, Blue Heelers, Stingers and Something in the Air.[2] He played Roy O'Neale in Home and Away from 1993 to 1994.[15] Following this, he guested in children's science-fiction drama Escape from Jupiter,[16] and joined the cast of Heartbreak High.[2] In 1998, he starred in an episode of the anthology and mystery drama series Twisted Tales, alongside Robert Taylor.[17] Kiefel was part of the ensemble cast of television film The Junction Boys, which centres on the life of American college football coach Bear Bryant.[18] After appearing in the ABC television film Fireflies in 2003, Kiefel was subsequently cast in the lead role of Sharpie in the television series of the same name.[19] In 2008, Kiefel appeared as political adviser Lloyd Ross in the television documentary Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal.[20] He was also part of the ensemble cast of the 2014 telemovie Schapelle.[21]

Artist Demian Carey Gibbins painted Kiefel in 2015, and reached the semi-finals of the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize with the piece he titled A Familiar Face.[2] From 29 July 2015, Kiefel played the role of Russell Brennan in the television soap opera Neighbours.[22] His character was introduced as the father of the established Brennan brothers, and his arrival started a domestic violence storyline for the family.[23] Kiefel had previously worked as a scriptwriter for the serial in the nineties.[23] Producers had plans to bring the character back following his initial arc, but they had to change the storyline due to Kiefel's death. They introduced his character's former wife Fay Brennan (played by Zoe Bertram) instead.[24] Kiefel's later television appearances were recurring and guest roles in Tricky Business, Childhood's End and Secret City.[3]

Personal life

Kiefel was married to actress Katrina Foster. The couple had two sons.[3]

Kiefel died on 20 November 2016.[10] He had fallen ill on 18 November, while appearing in a production of And I'm the Queen of Sheba at the Browns Mart Theatre in Darwin.[10] The theatre cancelled the rest of the season out of respect,[10] and later held a memorial for Kiefel on 18 December.[2] Kiefel's former co-stars and friends paid tribute to him on social media.[25] He is survived by his sisters, his wife and sons.[2]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1977 The Singer and the Dancer Pete
1980 Breaker Morant Christiaan Botha
1986 Twelfth Night Sea Captain
1990 Call Me Mr. Brown Ray Poynting
1991 The Girl Who Came Late Nell's Father
1994 No Escape Iceman
1996 Children of the Revolution Barry Rogers
1998 Radiance Father Doyle
1999 Fresh Air Preacher
1999 Dogwatch Palmer
2002 Queen of the Damned Fire Marshall
2014 Son of a Gun Mick

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1978 Chopper Squad Cliff Hanger
1992 The Leaving of Liverpool Brogan Television film
1993 Police Rescue Pellegrini Episode: "Lift Sixteen"
1993–1994 Home and Away Roy O'Neale Recurring role
1994 Escape from Jupiter Gilbert Episode: "Rescue"
1994–1995 Heartbreak High Norm Rivers
1997 Big Sky Detective #1 Episode: "The Principal"
1997 Blue Heelers Mal Truesdale 2 episodes
1998 Twisted Tales George Episode: "A Sure Thing"
1998 Wildside Don Kapper 3 episodes
1998 A Difficult Woman Prime Minister
1999 Big Sky Roberts Episode: "Secrets and Lies"
2000 Water Rats Lewis West 2 episodes
2000 Blue Heelers Keith Cashell Episode: "Unfinished Business"
2000 SeaChange Ian Cameron Episode: "Love in the Time of Coleridge"
2000–2004 Stingers Andrew Bligh
2001–2002 Something in the Air Tas 4 episodes
2002 The Junction Boys Doake Gearhart Television film
2004 Fireflies Sharpie
2006 All Saints Ian Cosgrove Episode: "Shadows of the Heart"
2006 headLand Lionel Travers 2 episodes
2006 McLeod's Daughters Eric Weatherdon Episode: "The Legend of Harry Ryan"
2007 Murder in the Outback Kesby Television film
2008 All Saints Lenny Episode: "Comfort Zone"
2008 Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal Lloyd Ross Television documentary
2009 Chandon Pictures Warwick 4 episodes
2009 A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne John Abernethy Television film
2010 Underbelly: The Golden Mile Mel Mal Episode: "The Crucible"
2010 Rake Warwick Torrens Episode: "R vs Langhorn"
2011 Spirited Engineer Episode: "I'll Close My Eyes"
2012 Tricky Business Hugh Goodman 5 episodes
2014 Schapelle Malcolm McCauley
2015 Neighbours Russell Brennan Recurring role
2015 Childhood's End Sheriff De Bont 2 episodes
2016 Secret City Olmstead 3 episodes
gollark: Nationalised healthcare possibly not good?
gollark: Nuclear power good, "renewables" often actually really stupid?
gollark: As opposed to sales taxes etc.
gollark: Um. Land value tax good?
gollark: Okay, hmm, contentious... gun ownership rights good?

References
  1. "Russell Kiefel Death Notice". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  2. Blake, Elissa (5 December 2016). "Russell Kiefel, film and stage actor with career spanning five decades". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  3. Watts, Richard (21 November 2016). "Vale Russell Kiefel". ArtsHub. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. "All alumni – Graduates from 1970–1979". National Institute of Dramatic Art. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  5. Cockington, James (13 November 1987). "Spicier 'kiss'". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 45. Retrieved 18 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Whetton, Simone (21 April 2011). "What's on this weekend?". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  7. Boland, Michaela (25 January 2004). "Review: 'Run Rabbit Run'". Variety. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  8. Burke, Kelly (23 September 1996). "Box office". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 14. Retrieved 8 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Blake, Jason (25 March 2009). "I think...therefore I scam". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  10. Howie, Tamara (21 November 2016). "Australian actor Russell Kiefel died while in Darwin for his role in And I'm the Queen of Sheba". Herald Sun. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  11. Kalina, Paul (May 1991). "Video releases". Cinema Papers. No. 83. p. 62 – via Issuu.
  12. Stratton, David (5 August 1996). "Children of the Revolution". Variety. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  13. Johnson, Malcolm (29 April 1994). "Raw future awaits in 'No Escape'". Hartford Courant. p. 13. Retrieved 9 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "RIP Russell Kiefel". Belvoir. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  15. "Home and Away – This months cast". Inside Soap. No. 24. August 1994. p. 59.
  16. "Escape from Jupiter (Episode 4)". Paley Center for Media. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  17. "Green Sunday Guide". The Age. 22 January 1998. p. 75. Retrieved 9 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. Gallo, Phil (12 December 2002). "The Junction Boys". Variety. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  19. Miller, Kylie (26 June 2003). "Networking". The Age. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  20. Anderson, Doug (6 November 2008). "A reflection on Chifley in straitened times". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  21. Knox, David (2 February 2014). "Airdate: Schapelle". TV Tonight. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  22. "Russell Brennan arrives in Erinsborough". Network Ten. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  23. Dainty, Sophie (29 June 2015). "Neighbours to introduce Russell Brennan for domestic violence plot". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  24. Kilkelly, Daniel (29 June 2017). "Neighbours star Matt Wilson reveals gossip on Aaron, David and the Brennans' mum in our big interview". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  25. Dainty, Sophie (21 November 2016). "Former Neighbours star Russell Kiefel passes away after falling ill during theatre performance". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
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