Peter O'Brien (born 25 March 1960) is an Australian actor, best known for his role as an original cast member in 1985 of Australian soap opera Neighbours as Shane Ramsay. He has also acted in numerous British and American productions.

Career O'Brien played a regular role in short-lived soap opera Starting Out (1983), and then had guest roles in Carson's Law in 1983 and Prisoner in 1984 and appeared in The Henderson Kids. He was then cast as Shane Ramsay, a regular original character in soap opera Neighbours on the Seven Network in 1985. He became one of the serial's most popular cast members, continuing in the series until he quit in 1987. After leaving Neighbours, O'Brien joined the main cast of drama serial The Flying Doctors as Captain Sam Patterson from July 1987 until 1991.

In 1994, O'Brien sent up his soap opera star past by taking a regular role in Psycho Ward 10, a soap opera parody in The All New Alexei Sayle Show.

O'Brien took on the role of surgical registrar Mr. Cyril 'Scissors' Smedley in the popular BBC series Cardiac Arrest through the second and third series between 1995 and 1996.

He later starred in television series Queer as Folk, White Collar Blue and Gossip Girl.

O'Brien has appeared in numerous miniseries, including The Day of the Roses and Through My Eyes (the story of Lindy Chamberlain). He has also guest starred on numerous television series, including Halifax f.p.. For his work, O'Brien has won Australian Film Institute and Logie Awards. He also appeared as Carl Morgan in Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord, and he appeared in the 1998 Australian/Brisbane comedy television series of Minty. In 2009 he played Sydney underworld figure and racing identity George Freeman in the series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities. He later reprised his role as George Freeman in the follow-up in the Underbelly series The Golden Mile.

In early 2007, O'Brien joined the cast of BBC medical drama Casualty as consultant Theo "Stitch" Lambert. He also appeared in the ITV police drama The Bill in which he played corrupt Detective Inspector Peter Cavanaugh.

He appeared as Ed in The Waters of Mars, the second of the 2009 specials of Doctor Who.

In 2022, it was announced O'Brien had reprised his role of Shane Ramsay in Neighbours, following the news that the serial would be concluding later that year. In November 2024, O'Brien returned to Neighbours for a guest stint, followed by another in March 2025 for the show's 40th anniversary.

Awards O'Brien has won several acting awards in his career. He won two Logie Awards - one in 1987 for the 'Most Popular Actor' (for his role in Neighbours) and one in 2003 for the 'Most Outstanding Actor' (for his role in White Collar Blue).

Personal life O'Brien was in a relationship with his Neighbours co-star Elaine Smith for four years. He married actress Joanna Riding on 24 December 1990, after meeting while they were both starring in a production of The Wizard of Oz in England. Their separation was announced in December 1993.

On 1 January 2003, O'Brien married actress Miranda Otto, after the two had met while performing in A Doll's House. They have one child, a daughter, who was born on 1 April 2005.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1983 The Mortal Coil Hugh Short film 1996 Hotel de Love Norman Carey Feature film Michael Collins Pianist in restaurant (uncredited) Feature film 1999 Sally Marshall Is Not an Alien David Lawson Feature film Sabrina Down Under Dr. Julian Martin TV movie 2002 The Pact Roy Folksdale Feature film 2005 Hell Has Harbour Views Tim Sullivan TV movie 2006 The Return Terry Stahl Feature film Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America Alan TV movie 2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine John Howlett Feature film 2012 Dangerous Remedy Dr. Barry Smith TV movie Hanyut Kasper Almayer Feature film 2013 Love of My Life Surgeon / Thomas Feature film 2014 The Killing Field Inspector Lachlan McKenzie TV movie 2016 Maximum Ride Jeb Feature film 2018 What Still Remains The Prisoner Feature film

Television Year Title Role NotesRef 1983 Starting Out Craig Holt TV series 1984 Special Squad Billy TV series, 1 episode: "War" 1984 Prisoner Tim Carter TV series, 1 episode 1985–87, 2022, 2024, 2025 Neighbours Shane Ramsay TV series, 304 episodes 1988–91 The Flying Doctors Captain Sam Patterson TV series 1991 The Trials of Oz James Anderson BBC dramatisation of the 1971 trial 1992 Cluedo Warren 'Axeman' Hackett TV series, 1 episode 1993 Taggart Bill Hamilton TV series, 1 episode 1994 The All New Alexei Sayle Show Dr Scott Jordan TV series, season 1 (segment: "Psycho Ward 10") 1995–96 Cardiac Arrest Mr. Cyril 'Scissors' Smedley TV series, seasons 2-3 1997 The Day of the Roses Boris Osman TV miniseries Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord Carl Morgan TV series 1998 Minty Ric da Silva TV series 1999 Queer as Folk Cameron Roberts TV series See How They Run Don Morton / Cassidy TV series 2000 The Knock Glen Vaughan TV series, 4 episodes 2000–01 Water Rats Matthew Grierson TV series, 3 episodes 2001 Relic Hunter Allan Devaut TV series, 1 episode 2002 Young Lions Daryll Flynn TV series, 1 episode 2002–03 White Collar Blue Detective Joe Hill TV series 2003 Code 11–14 Detective McElroy 2004 Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story Ian Barker Q.C. TV miniseries The Bill Detective Inspector Peter Cavanaugh TV series, 6 episodes 2005 Blue Heelers Dr. Peter Nelson TV series, 2 episodes 2006 Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King Keenan TV miniseries 2007 Gossip Girl Photographer TV series, 1 episode Casualty Theo 'Stitch' Lambert TV series, 18 episodes 2008 City Homicide Warren Endicot TV series, 1 episode 2009 Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities George Freeman TV miniseries, 10 episodes A World Away John Doctor Who Ed Gold TV series, 1 episode: "The Waters of Mars" Rogue Nation John Stephen Jr 009 All Saints Sam Whittaker TV series, 1 episode 30 Seconds Bill Brooker TV series 2010 Underbelly: The Golden Mile George Freeman TV miniseries, 3 episodes Dance Academy Sebastian TV series, 2 episodes 2012 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries René Dubois T V series, 1 episode 2015 Winter Detective Inspector Lachlan McKenzie TV series 2018 Lake Alice Greg Thomas GLOW Rick Hollander TV series, 2 episodes Tidelands Bill Sentelle TV series, 7 episodes The OA Duke TV series, 1 episode 2019 Breaker Finch 2020 Wentworth Tony Cockburn TV series, 1 episode 2021 The Unusual Suspects Nick TV miniseries The Moth Effect TV series, 1 episode Sola 2022 Grey Nomads Luca Rossi TV series, 6 episodes Darby and Joan Chris TV series, 1 episode Riptide Sean Weston TV series, 4 episodes 2024Ladies in BlackDon Holloway1 episodeReturn to ParadiseArtie O'FarrellTV series 1 episode

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2016 Battlefield 1 Frederick Bishop Video game

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes 2003 A Doll's House Sydney Theatre Company

References

External links

"The Day of the Roses" – includes cast biographies