Jerome Ehlers (20 December 1958 – 9 August 2014) was an Australian actor and writer.

Early life Ehlers was born in Perth, Western Australia to Francis Charles Ehlers and his wife Berenice Margaret Franklyn Ehlers. He went to school in Perth and then lived in Floreat, Curtin, Western Australia, from 1977. He was a resident of St. Thomas More College in Perth, during the mid-1970s. He graduated from University of Western Australia in 1987. He then graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) alongside his future wife, actress Emily Simpson in 1987.

Career Ehlers made his acting debut as Captain Watkin Tench in 1987 miniseries Frontier, alongside Max Cullen, Ruth Cracknell, and Robert Coleby.

Early television credits include the miniseries True Believers (1988), Body Surfer (1989), Darlings of the Gods (1989) and Bangkok Hilton (1989) – the latter alongside Nicole Kidman in her breakout role.

He made further television appearances in Shadows of the Heart (1990), A Country Practice (1992), New Zealand series Marlin Bay (1992), Time Trax (1993), Fire (1996), Flipper (1995-1996), Heartbreak High (1996), Water Rats (1998), Stingers (1999) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1999-2002).

Various roles followed in the 2000s with Tales of the South Seas (2000), British drama series Ballykissangel (2001), fantasy series BeastMaster (2001), Jeopardy (2002), miniseries Through My Eyes (2004), long-running medical drama All Saints (2006), Monarch Cove (2006), US miniseries The Starter Wife (2007), Packed to the Rafters (2008-2009), East of Everything (2009) and Sea Patrol (2010). He played the role of Rhys Kowalski in 2011 legal series Crownies for 22 episodes. He made his later appearances in House Husbands (2012-2013) and Rake (2014).

Ehlers also appeared in numerous films including western film Quigley Down Under (1990) alongside Tom Selleck, Weekend with Kate (1990), erotic thriller Fatal Bond (1991), US thriller Irresistible Force (1993) and cult crime drama Two Hands (1999) alongside Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown and Rose Byrne.

Further film credits include adventure drama The Old Man Who Read Love Stories (2001), horror film Cubbyhouse (2001), bushranger drama Ned Kelly (2003) alongside Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom, war film The Great Raid (2005) opposite James Franco and Benjamin Bratt, and US action film The Marine (2006). He also appears in many made-for-television films. Ehlers' final film before his death was Drive Hard (2014).

Death Ehlers died in Sydney on 9 August 2014, at age 55, ten months after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1990Quigley Down Under Coogan Feature film 1990Weekend with Kate Jon Thorne Feature film 1991Deadly Sergeant Tony Bourke Feature film 1993Fatal Bond Joe Martinez Feature film 1995Swinger Macmillan Short film 1999Two Hands Busker Feature film 1999Change of Heart Harvey Tate 2000After the Rain Michael Silvagni Feature film2001The Old Man Who Read Love Stories Gringo Feature film2001Cubbyhouse Harrison / Harlow Feature film2003Ned Kelly Sherritt Trooper Feature film 2005 Colonel H. White Feature film 2006 Detective Van Buren Feature film 2012My Mind's Own Melody Doctor Short film 2014Drive Hard Bank Chairman Feature film (final film role)

Television Year Title Role Notes1988True BelieversTV miniseries1989BodysurferMooney Mooney YouthTV miniseries1989Darlings of the GodsPeter FinchTV movie1989Bangkok HiltonArkie RaganTV miniseries1990Shadows of the HeartFather Michael HanlonTV movie1992Grant WilliamsTV series, episodes: "Nothing But the Truth: Part 1""Nothing But the Truth: Part 2"1993The Feds: ObsessionCal WoodsTV movie1993Time TraxNigel FelshamTV series, episode: "The Price of Honor"1993Irresistible ForceKurtTV movie1993The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children?Ray MastermanTV movie1994Marlin BayChristian BeckettTV series1995SaharaCapt. HallidayTV movie1995Glad RagsGraeme MarsdenTV series, 13 episodes1995FlipperPoacherTV series, episode: "With Brothers Like This"1996FireVultureTV series, episode: "Vendetta II"1996Heartbreak HighMax HarrisonTV series, episode: "4.23"1997FrontierCaptain Watkin TenchTV miniseries1997Kangaroo PalaceSimon SeymourTV movie1998Water RatsPeter KleinTV series, episode: "Switchback"1998Chameleon'Maddy' MadisonTV movie1999Chameleon II: Death MatchEricksonTV movie1999Witch HuntDetective Jack MaitlandTV movie1999StingersFrank ManscuroTV series, episode: "House Rules"1999–2001The Lost World Tribune, François Locke / OlmecTV series, 5 episodes2000Tales of the South SeasVillainTV series, episode: "Lessons for a Warrior"2000Virtual NightmareTV movie2001BallykissangelBarryTV series, episode: "Getting Better All the Time"2001BeastMasterDaganTV series, episode: "Game of Death"2001Child Star: The Shirley Temple StoryJohn FordTV movie2001The Wilde GirlsTobyTV movie2002JeopardyJoe (diamond thief)TV series, 3 episodes2002Seconds to SpareEmmett LarkinTV movie2002CounterstrikeCaptain Kevin BlakeTV movie2004Through My EyesOdontologist Ken BrownTV movie2006Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in AmericaChad SinclairTV movie2006All SaintsRichard ReinheartTV series, episode: "Drawing the Line"2006Monarch CoveSam LeeTV series, episode: "1.6"2007DirectorTV miniseries2008–2009Packed to the RaftersTony WestawayTV series, 3 episodes2010Sea PatrolPeterTV series, episode: "Paradise Lost"2011CrowniesRhys KowalskiTV series, 22 episodes2012House HusbandsDavidTV series, episode: "1.9"2014RakeMaitre d' TV series

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