Alex Papps (born 11 February 1969) is an Australian actor, television host, writer and singer.
Early life Papps was born in Melbourne in 1969, to Apollo Papps who, though identifying as Greek, was born in Cairo, Egypt and a mother of English and Jewish descent. Both his parents were teachers and later amateur theatre directors.Oram, James "Home and Away: Behind the Scenes" p.45, Angus and Robertson, 1989 He attended Belgrave Kindergarten, Upwey South Primary School, Tecoma Primary, and Upwey High School. He performed in a number of theatre productions prior to leaving school.
Papps went on to study drama and media at Box Hill College of TAFE in Melbourne. In 1995, he graduated as an actor from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). Later in his career, he graduated as a director from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in 2007.
Career In 1987, Papps guested in TV serial Neighbours as arsonist Greg Davis. He went on to secure his first major television role in children's series The Henderson Kids II, which aired on Network Ten. He attended an open audition for the show and after a couple of screen tests, he was cast as Vinnie Cerantino, the leader of the Brown Street Boys gang.
Papps became better known for his role in Home and Away as Frank Morgan. Frank was the first character to appear on the series, in its 1988 pilot, and the first foster kid taken in by Pippa and Tom. The following year, he won the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent.
From 1987 to 1989, Papps was also co-host of music program The Factory, alongside Andrew Daddo, airing on the ABC on Saturday mornings. He next joined the cast of medical drama The Flying Doctors, as the local mechanic, Nick Cardaci, from 1989 to 1990. After The Flying Doctors, Papps appeared in several theatre productions and studied acting in Perth for three years. He appeared in the feature film Head On and guested in an episode of Stingers. In 2000, he guest starred in an episode of Blue Heelers as Stephen Farrow, a man who believes his wife's grandmother was murdered by a local doctor.
After his agent made several attempts to secure him an audition for ABC children's show Play School, he began his tenure as a long-time presenter in 2005, alongside former Home and Away co-star Justine Clarke (who had played his girlfriend Roo Stewart, and with whom he also later appeared in the ABC drama series The Time of Our Lives).
In 2014, Papps released an album of children's songs, called Let's Put the Beat in Our Feet. which was nominated for an ARIA Award.
In 2017, Papps had a guest role on ABC series Seven Types of Ambiguity, playing the role of Robert Henshaw. The same year, actively on the audition trail, and committed to kick-starting a new phase of his acting career, Papps made a guest appearance on drama series Offspring. He played the role of Simon, who had a fling with single mother Billie Proudman (Kat Stewart), towards the end of her marriage.
The following year, Papps returned to Home and Away, alongside co-star Nicolle Dickson (who played his foster sister and later, wife) to celebrate the Home and Away 30th-anniversary commemoration.
Papps' other acting credits include Fisk, Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries, Seven Types of Ambiguity and Blue Heelers, Preacher, Australia On Trial, City Homicide, MDA, Stingers, Prisoner, State Coroner and The Saddle Club.
Papps' film credits include playing the role of Peter in Ana Kokkinos' 1998 LGBT romantic drama film Head On (alongside Alex Dimitriades) and Anthony in Five Moments of Infidelity in 2006.
On stage, Papps has performed for the Melbourne Theatre Company in theatre productions of This Old Man Comes Rolling Home, Mad Forest, and as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He also performed in several pantomimes in the UK in the early 1990s, including Snow White and Cinderella.
Papps is also a director and writer. His directing credits include Aladdin at Assembly Rooms, Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK), Broken for the Melbourne Fringe Festival (2002), Riders to the Sea (2007), The Mercy Seat for Red Stitch Actors Theatre (2008), Randy's Postcards from Purgatory (2009), Sober (2011), Randy's Anticrisis and The Last Temptation of Randy once again for the Melbourne Fringe Festival (2013).
He has written for Home and Away and Play School. He also worked as a dialogue coach on 2009 feature film Blessed and 2019 SBS miniseries The Hunting.
Papps has also taught at several acting institutions in Melbourne.
Controversy In 2013, an arts and craft segment on an episode of Play School went viral on social media, when Papps and co-host Rachael Coopes constructed a device that unintentionally resembled a homemade bong.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1998 Head On Peter Feature film 2006 Five Moments of Infidelity Anthony / Husband Feature film (segment 4)
Television Year Title Role Notes1985 Prisoner Boy 2 Season 7, episode 8Neighbours Ian Episode 1491987 Greg Davis Recurring The Henderson Kids Vinnie Cerantino Series regular 1988–1989, 1991–1992,2000, 2002 Home and Away Frank Morgan Series regular 1989–1990 The Flying Doctors Nick Cardaci Series regular 1997 State Coroner Dr. Hamish Campbell Season 1, episode 132000 Blue Heelers Stephen Farrow Season 7, episode 15 Stingers Derek Mason Season 3, episode 11 2001 The Saddle Club Ben Lawrence Season 1, episode 8 2002 MDA Dr. Hamish McGregor Season 1, episode 6 2003 Blue Heelers Jamie Kingston Season 10, episode 3 2006–present Play School Presenter 2008 City Homicide Supt. Campbell Harland Season 2, episode 10 2012 Australia on Trial William Hobbs Miniseries, episode 3 2013 The Time of Our Lives Tom Reid Season 1, episodes 7 & 102017 Seven Types of Ambiguity Robert Henshaw Season 1, episodes 5 & 6 Offspring Simon Season 7, episode 4 2018 Endless Summer: 30 Years of Home and Away Himself TV documentary special2019 Preacher Child Services Driver Season 4, episode 3 Part-Time Private Eyes Ian Season 1, episodes 1 & 2 2021 Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries Barry McBride Season 2, episode 4 2021–2022Fisk Petro Andarakis Seasons 1–2, 2 episodes 2022 La Brea Professor Season 2, episode 5
Theatre As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1990 This Old Man Comes Rolling Home Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1991 The Marriage of Fabio Singer Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Victoria State Opera Mad Forest Radu Antonescu Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1991–1992 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Muddles Sunderland Empire Theatre, UK 1993–1994 Cinderella Buttons Pavilion Theatre, Weymouth, UK, Sunderland Empire, Sands Centre, Carlisle 1996 Emma Griffith Ex-Servicemens Club with Riverina Theatre Company 2003 Stones in His Pockets Griffith Regional Theatre with Riverina Theatre Company 2004 Gaudi and the Turtle Gaudi Arts House Meat Market, Melbourne with Tortuga Theatre 2006 Sleepless Night Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Arts Centre Melbourne for Short+Sweet 2010 Becky Shaw Andrew Porter MTC with Echelon Productions Romeo and Juliet Romeo Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
As director Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2002 Broken Director Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne with Grail Theatre Company for Melbourne Fringe Festival 2007 Riders to the Sea / Woyzeck Director Space 28, Melbourne with VCA 2008 The Mercy Seat Director / Sound Designer Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Melbourne 2011 Sober Director Randy's Anticrisis Director 2013 The Last Temptation of Randy Director Lithuanian Club, Melbourne for Melbourne Fringe Festival Aladdin Director Assembly Rooms, Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK
Awards and nominations Year Work Award Category Result 1988 Home and Away Logie Awards Most Popular New Talent 2014 Let's Put the Beat in Our Feet ARIA Awards Best Children's Album
References
External links
Interview with Alex Papps