John Orcsik (born 3 May 1945), credited also variously as Jon Orcsik, John Orschik, John Orscik and John Crosik, is an Australian television and film actor, screenwriter, director and producer, known for his television roles starting from the late 1960s, he is best known for his roles in Cop Shop TV series as Detective Mike Georgiou and Paradise Beach but also for the film version of the soap opera Number 96. He was married to actress Paula Duncan.
Early life Orcsik was born on 3 May 1945 in Austria to refugee parents is of Hungarian descent. He was raised and educated in Perth, Western Australia In his teens, he began training in amateur theatre, including playing Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman.
In his early years, he was also a bodybuilder and karate student, and owned and operated a horse riding school in Western Australia. His horse riding skills later coming in handy for television roles in Ben Hall and Tandarra.
Orcsik moved to Sydney to further his acting career.
Career After relocating to Sydney, Orcsik scored his first job within three weeks, after auditioning for the lead role in a play called The Knack, alongside Jacki Weaver. The production toured to Tasmania. In 1989, he auditioned and was accepted into the Melbourne Theatre Company, where he spent over two years as a contract actor. His agent then encouraged him to return to Sydney, to begin working in film and television.
Orcsik made his screen debut appearing in the rural drama soap opera Bellbird. In 1967, he played various guest roles in the Crawford Productions police dramas Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police.
He had a role in television series Number 96 in 1972, and subsequently reprised the role in the feature film version of the serial, in 1973. He later briefly reappeared in the same series, late in its run, playing a different character, this time credited as 'John Crosik'. He also appeared in 1974 film Petersen, and played a minor role in 1975 action film The Man from Hong Kong.
After roles in other Crawford Productions programs, Bluey (1976) and The Sullivans, and an appearance in Chopper Squad (1978), in 1978 Orcsik joined new Crawfords police series Cop Shop early in its run as Detective Mike Georgiou. He had been brought in to replace Tony Bonner but ended up becoming one of the main cast members. He continued in the role until the end of the series in December 1983.
After Cop Shop ended, Orcsik worked as a television scriptwriter, contributing several scripts to the series Prisoner. He also continued acting and throughout the 1980s. He played several roles in television movies and miniseries, including Harvest of Hate (1979), The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro (1989), Displaced Persons (1984), Dadah Is Death (aka A Long Way from Home, 1988) and Kokoda Crescent (1989). Other credits of the 1980s included television series Mission: Impossible (1988) and the film The Edge of Power (1987). With his swarthy Mediterranean appearance, Orcsik was cast as Middle Eastern characters in many of these productions.
He also had roles in such Australian television series such as Zoo Family (1985), Home and Away (1992), Paradise Beach (1993), Lift Off (1995), Pacific Drive (1996), and Medivac (1997). He directed the 1996 TV movie Academy.
Orcsik's later acting appearances include a cameo role as a doctor in miniseries The Day of the Roses (1998) and a recurring role in serial Neighbours (1999–2002), as well as parts in Stingers (2000), Blue Heelers (2002), MDA (2002), The Saddle Club (2003), Always Greener (2002; 2003), Scooter: Secret Agent (2005).
He also appeared in the 2011 TV movie Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away. In 2019, he played the gypsy leader, Alexandru Draghici in "Sorrow Song", a season 5 episode of The Doctor Blake Mysteries.
His most recent credits have been Superwog and New Gold Mountain, both in 2021.
After a request by industry professionals in Queensland, John started film and television acting studio The Australian Film & Television Academy (TAFTA) on the Gold Coast in 1994, coaching many actors including Kodi Smit-McPhee. He has since expanded to Melbourne and Sydney and continues to run classes online and in-person.
Personal life Orcsik first met Paula Duncan in 1973 on the set of Number 96, before going on to star together with her in Cop Shop from 1979, where they fell in love. They were married in June 1982, and their characters married on Cop Shop soon after.
When Duncan fell pregnant in real life, the producers wrote it into the script. Their daughter Jessica Orcsik was born on Valentine's Day 1984. Jessica has since followed in her parents' footsteps and is an actor and producer.
Orcsik and Duncan were married for 19 years, before getting divorced, but are still close friends. They have since acted together in 1990s series Paradise Beach, followed by a television advertisement for 'Sleep Tight', a treatment for snoring and sleep apnea.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Type 1972 The Man Who Shot the Albatross TV movie 1974 Petersen Walter Feature film 1974 Number 96 Simon Carr Feature film 1975 The Man from Hong Kong Charles Feature film 1976 Secret Doors TV movie 1976 The Trespassers Cedric Feature film 1976 Murcheson Creek TV movie 1976 Do I Have to Kill My Child? Fang TV movie 1978 The Death Train Truck Driver TV movie 1979 Harvest of Hate Terrorist TV movie 1985 Displaced Persons Miklos TV movie 1988 A Long Way from Home Brian Spinnel TV movie 1989 The Edge of Power Alex Cahill Feature film 1989 The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro Samir Al-quantari TV movie 1989 Kokoda Crescent Vince Feature film 1992 Academy The Stalker TV movie 1998 Casino Reef TV movie 2007 The Condemned Belarus Warden 2009 Rex Jon/John TV movie 2011 Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away Ferdi Vigani TV movie 2015 Pawno Tony Robinson Feature film 2015 Crime and Punishment Sutherland Feature film 2017 The Legend of Ben Hall John Kelly Feature film 2018 The BBQ Hector Feature film
Television Year Title Role Type 1967 Bellbird TV series 1972 Number 96 Simon Carr TV series 1972 Behind the Legend TV series 1973 Boney Greg Pampino TV series 1972-74 Matlock Police 5 character roles TV series 1972-75 Division 4 5 character roles TV series 1974 Number 96 Simon Carr TV series 1974-76 Homicide 4 character roles TV series 1975 Ben Hall Johnny Gilbert TV miniseries 1976 Tandarra Pat Daly TV miniseries 1977 The Sullivans Father Mulcahy TV series 1977 Bluey Dino Rossi TV series, 1 episode 1978 Chopper Squad Dave Evans TV series 1984 Special Squad Ted Rafferty TV series 1978-84 Cop Shop Det. Mike Georgiou TV series 1985 Five Mile Creek Frank Moore TV series 1985 Zoo Family Ken Bennett TV series 1986 The Flying Doctors Bevan TV series 1987 A Country Practice Sam Venuti TV series 1989 Mission: Impossible Prince Arcadi TV series 1991 Boys from the Bush Angels TV series 1991 Acropolis Now Theo TV series 1991 Chances Rev. Dwayne Rogers TV series 1992 Home and Away Les Bagley TV series 1993 Paradise Beach Mr. Jerome TV series 1994 Time Trax Nick TV series 1993-95 G.P. 2 roles TV series 1996 Pacific Drive Wes Sandergard TV series 1997 Medivac Dr. Cliff Houghhan TV series 1998 Misery Guts Mr. Gambaso TV series 1998 The Day of the Roses Erica's Doctor TV miniseries 2000 Stingers Hughie Papadakis TV series 2002 Pizza Agent Sam TV series 2002 Blue Heelers Don Carson TV series 2002 MDA Bret Intosh TV series 2003 The Saddle Club Cawlin TV series 2003 Always Greener Mario Linguini TV series 2005 Scooter: Secret Agent Masters TV series 2006 Nightmares and Dreamscapes Stan the Cop TV series 2007 Kick Bokor TV miniseries 2007 City Homicide Lyndon Quayle TV series 2008 All Saints Warden TV series 2008 Rush Dr. Freeman TV series 2009 Satisfaction Eric TV series 2011 Killing Time Supreme Court Judge TV miniseries 2013 Australia on Trial Justice Dowling TV miniseries 2013 Better Man TV miniseries 2015 Pawno Tony Robinson 2015 Crime and Punishment Sutherland 1996-2012 Neighbours Various TV series 2017The Doctor Blake Mysteries Alexandru Draghici TV series 2021 Superwog 2 roles TV series 2021 New Gold Mountain Gregor TV miniseries In production Bunchie Alfredo Coglione TV series
Theatre
As actor Year Title Role Type Ref. Birds of a Feather Playhouse, Perth Hoddle's Remarkable Handcraft The Cherry Orchard 1966 Death of a Salesman Biff Loman Patch Theatre, Perth 1967 Oedipus the King A Messenger His Majesty's Theatre, Perth 1968 The Private Ear Ted Playhouse, Perth with National Theatre 1969 Melodrama Play PACT Youth Theatre, Sydney The Knack Theatre Royal, Hobart with National Theatre & Fine Arts Society 1970 Cat Among the Pigeons Emile / Man Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with MTC Philadelphia, Here I Come! Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC The Caucasian Chalk Circle First Ironshirt Day of Glory The Devils Bontemps Son of Man All's Well That Ends Well Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Octagon Theatre, Perth with MTC King Oedipus Old Tote Parade Theatre, Sydney 1971 The Government Inspector Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC King Lear The Recruiting Officer The Trial of the Catonsville Nine Galileo Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with MTC 1971–1972 The Man Who Shot the Albatross Lieutenant Minchin Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with MTC 1972 The Mad Dog Blues Paddington Village Theatre, Sydney 1974 Coralie Lansdowne Says No Paul Theatre 62, Adelaide, Nimrod, Sydney 1976 The Tatty Hollow Story Rube Stables Theatre, Sydney The Season at Sarsaparilla First Ambulance Man Sydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre, Sydney 1985–1986 On the Blind Side Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra 1987 The Sunshine Boys Tour 1988 Bedroom Farce Nick Twelfth Night Theatre, Brisbane, Glen St Theatre, Sydney & NSW regional tour 1990 Siren Rob Melbourne Athenaeum, QPAC, Brisbane, Canberra Theatre 1994 Caravan Sydney Opera House with Peter & Ellen Williams
As director Year Title Role Type Ref. 1969 The Burning of Joan Director PACT Youth Theatre, Sydney 1971 King Lear Fight Director Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1993 Hot Taps Director Riverside Theatres Parramatta with Parramatta Theatre Company 6 O’Clock High Director Blokes Like Him Director Solo Act Director Macbeth Director Tess of the d'Urbervilles Director Dark of the Moon Director The Removalists Director Dodge City Director Parramatta RSL Club Source:
References
Notes TAFTA -Filmography Cop Shop Marnie Hill: The actors' handbook: a guide to the Australian entertainment industry
External links