Andrew Clarke (born 1954) is an Australian actor most known for his television work. Andrew Clarke was one of the most popular Australian actors in the 1980s and 1990s. He is also a two-time Logie winner.
Early life Clarke is a graduate of Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), where he studied acting. He also has a Bachelor of Education in Drama, which he studied at Adelaide's Flinders University.
Career Andrew Clarke began his career in theatre. His stage credits include Macbeth, The Winter's Tale, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Cherry Orchard, Long Day's Journey into Night, The Glass Menagerie, The Devil's Advocate, Waiting for Godot and Under Milk Wood.
He also performed in The Land of Smiles for the State Opera Company of South Australia and the musicals Norman Lindsay and his Push in Bohemia, Paint Your Wagon, Oliver! and Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys.
In 1982, Clarke had a short stint in cult soap opera Prisoner, in which he played the role of Judy Bryant's son-in-law Geoff Maynard. Following Prisoner, he appeared in the ongoing role of Terry Hansen in soap opera Sons and Daughters, between 1983 and 1984.
Clarke then landed the lead role of Martin Barrington in the 1985 miniseries Anzacs, starring opposite Paul Hogan, for which he won the 1986 Silver Logie for Best Actor.Anzacs review He also had major roles in 1985 miniseries A Thousand Skies, about Charles Kingsford Smith, in which he appeared as Charles Ulm, and the 1986 miniseries Sword of Honour, playing Tony Lawrence, the latter of which won him another Logie Award for Best Actor.
Clarke was in contention for the role of James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987). He was offered the contract, but says it "was just so abysmal I couldn’t accept it", and instead, Timothy Dalton was cast.
That same year, he appeared in the 1987 comedy film Les Patterson Saves the World, opposite Barry Humphries, and had a starring role as sleuth Simon Templar in The Saint in Manhattan. There was a one-hour pilot episode of the latter, that aired on CBS. It did not make the fall schedule; instead, CBS decided to show it and have viewers call in and vote to put it on the schedule. About 44,000 people called in, with more than 40,000 of them voting in favour of the show. These numbers did not sway CBS, especially since the show did not fare well against whatever was playing on the other two networks that night, and it declined to purchase any future episodes.
He played the lead role of Bill Wellesley in 1988 American TV film Outback Bound, opposite Donna Mills.
In 1992, Clarke starred in The Adventures of Skippy as the adult version of Sonny Hammond (the twelve year old boy in the original 1960s series), It was devised as a sequel to the original series, but was short-lived and ran for one season with 39 episodes.
Clarke then secured a high-profile role as patriarch Matt McGregor in the series Banjo Paterson's The Man From Snowy River (Snowy River: The McGregor Saga) whom he played for four seasons, from 1993 to 1996. He starred alongside Wendy Hughes and Guy Pearce. After the series finished, Clarke was out of work for a couple of years before landing the regular role of Sergeant Colin Decker in Network 10 legal series State Coroner, reuniting once again with his Snowy River co-star, Hughes.
He portrayed Laurence Olivier in Blonde, a fictional biographical 2001 TV movie about Marilyn Monroe. From 2001 to 2003, he played the regular role of Derek Unn on drama comedy series Always Greener. In late 2005 he completed a four month stint on long-running soap opera Neighbours, playing Alex Kinski.1986 - Andrew Clarke He also had a role in SeaChange, and starred as Gary Preston in "A Murder of Crows" – a 1999 episode of Halifax f.p..
Clarke portrayed Horatio Wills, father of cricketer and Australian rules football pioneer Tom Wills, in a documentary about the latter's life. It was first screened publicly in 2014 and had its television debut in 2016.
Personal life In the mid-1990s, Clarke was romantically involved with British actress Victoria Tennant, when they appeared together in Snowy River: The McGregor Saga – Tennant splitting with then-husband, American actor Steve Martin to be with Clarke.
Clarke played football at a high level, is a keen tennis player and long distance runner.
Filmography
Television Year Title Role Type 1981 Cop Shop Max Saunders / Mervyn Young 12 episodes The Sullivans Detective King 4 episodes The Homicide Squad Detective Ambrose Alexander TV movie1982 Prisoner Geoff Maynard 5 episodes Sara Dane Arrogant Officer Miniseries, 1 episode Taurus Rising Mike Brent 1983 A Country Practice Des Ward 2 episodes 1983–1984 Sons and Daughters Terry Hansen 99 episodes 1985 Anzacs Martin Barrington Miniseries, 5 episodes A Thousand Skies Charles Ulm Miniseries, 3 episodes 1986 The Fast Lane Bill 1 episode Sword of Honour Tony Lawrence Miniseries, 4 episodes 1987 The Saint in Manhattan Simon Templar TV pilot The Last of the Mohicans Voice Animated TV movie 1988 Outback Bound Bill Wellesley TV movie1989 Rafferty's Rules Peter Rudd 1 episode E Street Dr Ben Stewart 1 episode 1989, 1990 Mission: Impossible Carter / Captain O'Neill 2 episodes 1990 Flair Philip Harmon Miniseries, 2 episodes 1991 The Private War of Lucinda Smith Lieutenant Andrews Miniseries For the Love of Mike Geoffrey Masters 1 episode 1991–1992 The Girl from Tomorrow Mr James Rooney Miniseries, 24 episodes 1992 The Adventures of Skippy Sonny Hammond 39 episodes 1994–1996 Banjo Paterson's The Man From Snowy River (aka Snowy River: The McGregor Saga) Matt McGregor 4 seasons, 65 episodes 1995 Frontline Ed Forbes, the Executive Producer 1 episode 1998 State Coroner Colin Docker 14 episodes 1999 Halifax f.p. Gary Preston 1 episode 2000 SeaChange Dave Drury 1 episode 2001 Crash Zone Keenan Reid 1 episode Blonde Laurence Olivier Miniseries 2001–2003 Always Greener Derek Unn 38 episodes 2002 Blue Heelers Digby Riggs 1 episode 2004 Fergus McPhail Ben Cameron 2 episodes 2005 Neighbours Alex Kinski 11 episodes 2011 Killing Time Geoff Flatman 1 episode Wild Boys Trooper 2 2 episodes 2014 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Brendan Ross 1 episode 2015 Glitch Don Sharp 1 episode 2016 Tom Wills Horatio Wills TV movie
Film Year Title Role Type 1987 Les Patterson Saves the World Neville Thonge Feature film 2000 Her Iliad Frank Short film 2001 Dalkeith Judge Proctor Feature film 2012 6 Plots Gary Hart Feature film
Theatre Year Title Role Notes Paint Your Wagon Oliver! Macbeth The Winter's Tale The Cherry Orchard Long Day's Journey into Night The Glass Menagerie Waiting for Godot 1969 And now it's time for boys and girls everywhere to wash their faces and hands, brush their teeth, kiss mother and dad, and OFF TO BED! Union Hall, Adelaide 1970 The Devil's Advocate Arts Theatre, Adelaide with Adelaide Repertory Theatre 1972 Much Ado About Nothing Friar Francis New Fortune Theatre, Perth with Undergraduate Dramatic Society1976 Well Hung Sheridan Theatre, Adelaide with Adelaide Theatre Group Old King Cole Playhouse, Adelaide 1977 Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys Sheridan Theatre, Adelaide with The Stage Company1980 Norman Lindsay and his Push in Bohemia Small Price Theatre, Adelaide with The Stage Company Under Milk Wood SA tour, Theatre 62, Adelaide with The Stage Company The Land of Smiles General Goetz / Hum Yen Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with State Opera Company of South Australia 1985 The Coronation of Poppea Nero Anthill Theatre, Melbourne 1991 Arsenic and Old Lace Sydney Opera House, Laycock St Theatre, Gosford with Peter and Ellen Williams
Awards Year Work Award Category Result 1986 Anzacs Logie Awards Most Popular Actor in a Miniseries 1987 Sword of Honour Logie Awards Popular Actor in a Miniseries
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