Tony Rickards is an Australian comedian and actor, who has worked in television, film, radio and theatre.
Early life and education Rickards studied commerce at the University of Melbourne, where he met comedian Steve Vizard. The pair began collaborating in the university comedy/revue scene, while they were members of the Melbourne Law Revue.
Career Rickards and Vizard began performing off campus, together with pianist Paul Grabowsky, comedian and writer Geoff Street and actor Michael O'Neill, as comedy group The Hardy Perennials. In 1978, the group began their revue The Kookaburra Longjohn Underwear Show at Melbourne's Foibles Theatre Restaurant in Carlton.
Shortly thereafter, Rickards began appearing in films in the 1980s, with a role in Squizzy Taylor (1982), before landing his first lead role alongside John Hargreaves in 1984 TV movie The Great Gold Swindle. In 1985, he acted in the films Robbery and Mud, Bloody Mud, before playing opposite Oliver Reed in 1986 film Castaway.
Notably, Rickards played Con Marasco in the radio series Punter to Punter for eight years, beginning in 1981. The show was developed off the back of a 1980 racing tips segment on a morning sports show. The racehorse Marasco was named after Rickards' character.
On television, Rickards featured in 1984 miniseries Waterfront, with Jack Thompson, Warren Mitchell and Greta Scacchi. He went on to appear in numerous drama series including A Country Practice, G.P., Good Guys, Bad Guys, Halifax f.p., Stingers and Blue Heelers, playing the recurring role of Compo Hayes in the latter. Rickards also made many appearances in television comedy series, including Lano & Woodley, Micallef, BackBerner and Kath & Kim. He featured heavily in the sketch series The Russell Gilbert Show.
Rickards film career continued into the 1990s, with a cameo appearance opposite comedian Jimeoin in 1999 comedy film The Craic. He went on to play Roy Orbison in 2006 U.S. TV movie, Nightmares & Dreamscapes. He has since had roles in Summer Coda (2010), The Cup (2011), TV movie The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (2012), Holding The Man (2015), Pawno (2015) and The Menkoff Method (2016).
Rickards' more recent television credits include further drama series including Wentworth, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Winners & Losers, Tangle and 2015 miniseries Childhood's End.
Additionally, Rickards performs for the stage. Recent theatre credits include Every Night, Every Night for Frank Theatre Company (2012) and Cock for Melbourne Theatre Company (2014). He has also performed in his own comedy stage shows in Melbourne at venues including The Flying Trapeze, Universal Theatre, Palais Theatre and The Last Laugh, including the 1985 show Tony Rickards Takes a Punt, at the latter.
Personal life Rickards and Steve Vizard are godfathers to each other’s children.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes Ref.1982 Squizzy Taylor Dutch The Clinic Chris 1985 Wills & Burke Patton Niel Lynne Tim Marsh 1994 Miss Taurus Short film This Marching Girl Thing Policeman Short film 1996 My Second Car Earle Short film 1997 Operation Dostoyevsky 1999 The Craic Bald Doctor 2010 Summer Coda Freddy 2011 The Cup Chief Steward 2013 The Wizard Gary Short film 2015 Holding The Man Mr O'Connell Pawno Harry 2016 The Menkoff Method Trevor 2017 West of Sunshine Race Caller 2018 In the Wake Bob Short film 2019 Ride Like a Girl Trainer The Whistleblower GPEC Executive
Television Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1979–1983 The Sullivans Various 4 episodes 1984 Waterfront Snowy Williams Miniseries, 3 episodes The Great Gold Swindle Peter Mickelberg TV movie Special Squad 1 episode 1985 Mud, Bloody Mud Curley TV movie Robbery Lt. Russ Stevenson (retired) TV movie 1986 Sword of Honour China Miniseries, 2 episodes A Single Life Sandy TV movie Castaway Jason 1988 Pieta Henry Norrie TV movie 1989 A Country Practice Dr Marshall Doyle 2 episodes 1990 Mission: Impossible Mel 1 episode The Flying Doctors Charlie Coombes 1 episode 1991 Chances Bob Burchett 1 episode 1992 Boys from the Bush Brian 1 episode G.P. Eddie Hogg 1 episode Bony Smooch 1 episode 1993 The Making of Nothing Journo TV movie 1994–2003 Blue Heelers Compo Hayes / Reg Taggerty 8 episodes 1995 Halifax f.p. George Rayner 1 episode Correlli Officer McAlpine 2 episodes The Feds Bennie Fontaine Miniseries, 1 episode 1997 Good Guys, Bad Guys Det Sgt Forbes 1 episode 1998–2002 Stingers Constable Charlie Murray / Miles Vanderhoeven 3 episodes 1999 Thunderstone Royal Valenti 2 episodes The Adventures of Lano and Woodley Zachary Wilde 2 episodes The Micallef Program Eckerman 1 episode 2000 Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking Steve Finlay TV movie Russell Gilbert Live Various 14 episodes 2001 Russell Gilbert Was Here! Various 8 episodes 2002 Kath & Kim Brian 1 episode Bootleg Fishy Brian 3 episodes 2003 MDA Peter Pearce 1 episode 2004 Loot Richardson TV movie 2005 Wicked Science Wyatt, Summer 1 episode 2006 Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King Roy Orbison Miniseries, 1 episode 2007 Curtin Eddie Ward TV movie 2007; 2010 City Homicide Mike Davies / Ray Donovan 2 episodes 2007–2011 Neighbours Various 10 episodes 2009 The Saddle Club Ethan Goodbar 2 episodes Dirt Game Leo Ives Miniseries, 2 episodes Whatever Happened to That Guy? Lance Purves 3 episodes Rush Robert Hayden 1 episode 2009–2012 Tangle Billy Hall 13 episodes 2010 Sleuth 101 Keenan 1 episode Bed of Roses Legal 1 episode 2011 Killing Time Justice Peterson 1 episode 2012 The Mystery of a Hansom Cab John Knox TV movie 2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Sgt Baxter 1 episode Winners & Losers Father Brennan 2 episodes 2014 Wentworth Graham Dalby 2 episodes 2015 Childhood's End Jim Miniseries, 1 episode 2017 The Ex-PM Crazy Joe 3 episodes 2018 Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You Dr Levinson Miniseries, 1 episode Jack Irish Razor Ray 5 episodes The Inbestigators Mr Henderson 1 episode 2021 Superwog Lawyer 1 episode The Newsreader Dr Shaw 2 episodes Fires Rollo 1 episode 2022 Summer Love Neighbour 1 episode 2023 Safe Home Magistrate Johns 1 episode Five Bedrooms Cliff 1 episode 2024 Fake Mr Whitney 1 episode
Theatre
As performer Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1978 The Kookaburra Longjohn Underwear Show 1978–1979 The Mouth Show Dentist VIC/QLD tour with Handspan Theatre 1979 Zastrozzi Verezzi Pram Factory, Melbourne with Australian Performing Group 1980 Catch a Rising Star MC Melbourne Theatre Restaurant The Mouth Show Dentist VIC tour with Handspan Theatre 1980–1982 The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek Bunyip 1 Australian tour, Paris, Georgetown University, Washington DC, Amsterdam, St Martin-in-the Fields, London, Heriott Watt Theatre, Edinburgh 1982 Christmas is Beyond a Joke Le Joke, Melbourne 1985 Tony Rickards Takes a Punt and The Last Laugh 1987 More Trouble Solo show Universal Theatre, Melbourne 1994 Amadeus Rosenberg Melbourne Athenaeum with Griffin Entertainment Ltd 2012 Every Night, Every Night Barrett Frank Theatre Company 2014 Cock F (M’s father) Arts Centre Melbourne, Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane with MTC 2015 West Side Story Doc State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company 2016 Curtains Oscar Shapiro State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company
As writer/director Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1980–1982 The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek Scriptwriter Australian tour, Paris, Georgetown University, Washington DC, Amsterdam, St Martin-in-the Fields, London, Heriott Watt Theatre, Edinburgh 1981 Con and Vince Expo '81 Playwright Coral Capers Theatre Restaurant, Caloundra Dr Cloth and the Teresa O'Reilly Explosion Director Melbourne Comedy Cafe 1984 Sidney Spider's Muesli Bowl Writer Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne with Handspan Theatre 1988 Waves of Change Playwright Castlemaine Swimming Pool with Handspan Theatre
Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 1998 Operation Dostoyevsky Melbourne University Festival of Short Films Best Supporting Actor
References
External links
Tony Rickards at AusStage