Raymond Francis MeagherOAM (born 4 July 1944) is an Australian actor, who has appeared in Australian film and television since the mid-1970s. He is notable as the longest continuing performer in an Australian television role, portraying Alf Stewart on Home and Away, having played the role since the first episode in 1988. Meagher won a Gold Logie Award for his role in Home and Away in 2010 and has currently played the role of Alf for over 36 years.
Early life
Meagher was born and raised on a sheep and cattle station in Queensland, before attending a boarding school on the Gold Coast from the age of nine. He became a keen sportsman at high school, Marist College Ashgrove in Brisbane, representing the school at a number of sports including rugby union, a sport which he ultimately played at state level.[1]
Meagher played at first five eighth for Queensland at senior level in the late 1960s, including playing against France.[2]
In 1984, Meagher was cast in the Nine Network miniseries A Fortunate Life, based on Albert Facey's book of the same name. He plays the role of evil cattle-rustler Bad Bob.[3] Marie Ussher of TV Week observed that Meagher was often cast as the "baddie" or tough, ruthless characters in his early career.[3] He also appeared in an episode of Five Mile Creek as Irish bushranger Lightning Ridge.[3] Meagher won a Penguin Award for his starring role in Mail Order Bride (1984) for the ABC. He filmed the 12-part series Five Times Dizzy in Sydney in 1986. Meagher played The Red Headed Person, who was billed as "a tough standover man."[5] Meagher liked playing "heavy" characters, who showed their lighter sides.[5] While filming Five Times Dizzy, Meagher also flew back and forth to Melbourne to film miniseries The Great Bookie Robbery in which he plays Bob Temple. During the same period, he also made an appearance in A Country Practice as alcoholic, pub owner Wally, followed by a role in television film The Blue Lightning for America's CBS network.[5]
Meagher joined the cast of soap opera Home and Away in 1987 and has appeared in the role of Alf Stewart continuously since the first episode aired in January 1988.[4] Meagher holds a Guinness World Record as the longest-serving actor in an Australian serial.[6] Meagher also appeared in the 1988 children's series The True Story of Spit MacPhee, along with John Bach and Elspeth Ballantyne.[7]
In September 2009, Meagher was the third-highest paid personality on Australian television, behind Eddie McGuire and Rove McManus.[8]
In 2007, Meagher took over the role of Bob the mechanic in Priscilla Queen of the Desert from Bill Hunter.[11] From 30 September 2010, he took over the role of Bob in the West End production of Priscilla until March 2011.[12] In June 2011, it was announced that Meagher would be returning to the West End production from October.[13] He then rejoined the show for its New Zealand tour in 2016.[14]
