Australian actor and activist (1941–2022)
Tony Barry
Born (1941-08-28 ) 28 August 1941Died 21 December 2022(2022-12-21) (aged 81) Occupation Actor Years active 1977–2018 Children 1
Tony Barry (28 August 1941 – 21 December 2022) was an Australian actor and activist best known for his television and film roles.
Personal life
Barry was born in Ipswich, Queensland , on 28 August 1941.[ 1] [ 2] He had one son.[ 2] Barry was an environmental and indigenous rights activist and considered himself "an honorary Kiwi ".[ 1] [ 2] Barry is the only Australian who was featured on a New Zealand postage stamp.[ 3] He took part in political rallies and was a volunteer for rehabilitation programs for indigenous rights groups.[ 1] [ 2] He visited high schools where he would promote environmentalism.[ 1]
Health
Barry was diagnosed with melanoma in the early 2000s.[ 1] In 2014, between seasons of the television drama series The Time of Our Lives , Barry had his left leg amputated above the knee due to the illness. The loss of his leg was written into the storyline.[ 4] Due to this illness, he died on 21 December 2022, at age 81, in Murwillumbah , New South Wales.[ 5] [ 6]
Career
Barry performed in nearly 60 feature films and over 45 television series, across a five-decade career, in both Australia and New Zealand.[ 1] [ 2] The longevity of Barry's acting career was recognised when he received the 2014 Film Critics Circle of Australia award for his "extraordinary contribution to the Australian film industry".[ 1]
After acting in the television series The Box from 1975 to 1976, Barry began his film career in 1977 with The Mango Tree .[ 1] [ 7] Roles followed in a range of acclaimed Australian and New Zealand films, including Newsfront , Goodbye Pork Pie , The Odd Angry Shot , We of the Never Never , Australia and Home for Christmas , for which he won Best Actor in the 2010 New Zealand Film and TV Awards.[ 1] [ 3] [ 5]
In 2023 Barry's last television appearance was in season one of ABC drama Bay of Fires . [ 8]
Filmography
Film
Television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1968
Skippy
TV series
1972
Behind the Legend
TV series
1971-72
Pukemanu
Dan Harrigan
TV series, 6 episodes
1973
Certain Women
TV series
1974
Buck House
Joe Donovan
TV series, 1 episode
1975
Armchair Cinema
Mack
TV series, 1 episode
1975–76
The Box
Doug Jackson
TV series, 2 episodes
1976
Blerta
Morgan
TV series, 4 episodes
1976
Luke's Kingdom
Man at Inn
TV series, 3 episodes
1976
Power Without Glory
Maurice
TV series, 1 episode
1981
I Can Jump Puddles
Alan's father
TV series
1982
A Country Practice
Bernie Peterson
TV series, 2 episodes
1983
Scales of Justice
"Nipper" Jackson
TV miniseries
1983
The Dismissal
Press Secretary
TV miniseries
1983
Cyclone Tracy
Mick Brennan
TV miniseries
1989
Shadow of the Cobra
TV miniseries
1995
Rose Against the Odds
Jack Rennie
TV miniseries
1996
Crocadoo
Rufus B. Hardacare
TV series
Halifax f.p.
TV series
2003
All The Way
TV series
1996-06
All Saints
Ross / Frank
TV series, 4 episodes
2009
The Diplomat
The Libertine
TV movie
2009
Dirt Game
Alec Nolan
TV series, 3 episodes
2011
Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo
Sir Frank Packer
TV series, 2 episodes
2011
Wild Boys
George Jenkins
TV series, 2 episodes
2012
Rake
Father McGuire
TV series, 2 episodes
2013-14
The Time of Our Lives [ 13]
Ray Tivoli
TV series, 16 episodes
2014
Lessons from the Grave
Ghost
TV series, 1 episode
2018-20
Harrow
Jack Twine
TV series, 6 episodes
2019
Total Control
Phillip Anderson
TV series, 2 episodes
2020
The End [ 14]
Willie
TV series, 4 episodes
2023
Bay of Fires
Joseph
TV series, 4 episodes
Live theatre
Year
Title
Role
Notes
2004
A Local Man
Former Prime Minister Ben Chifley
One-person drama on Chifley's last night[ 15] [ 16]
References
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Losing a leg became part of the script for Australian actor Tony Barry, remembered as a 'hero' by colleagues" . ABC News . 23 December 2022.
^ a b c d e f Echo, The (27 December 2022). "Vale Tony Barry, actor and activist" . The Echo .
^ a b c d Rahman, Abid (22 December 2022). "Tony Barry, Veteran Australian Film and TV Actor, Dies at 81" . The Hollywood Reporter .
^ "Star's real-life health crisis impacts storylines of family drama The Time of Our Lives" . news.com.au . 17 June 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015 .
^ a b Jack, Amberleigh (22 December 2022). "Goodbye Pork Pie actor Tony Barry has died" . Stuff . Retrieved 28 December 2022 .
^ a b c Screen, NZ On. "Tony Barry | NZ On Screen" . www.nzonscreen.com .
^ a b c d e Holmes, Martin. "Tony Barry Dies: Veteran Australian Film & TV Actor Was 81" . TV Insider .
^ Knox, David (16 July 2023). "Tony Barry's final, emotional role in Bay of Fires | TV Tonight" . tvtonight.com.au . Retrieved 13 June 2024 .
^ "Goodbye Pork Pie co-star dies at 81" . The New Zealand Herald .
^ "Absent Without Leave" .
^ Roberts, Jamie (22 December 2022). "Tributes pour in as Australia star Tony Barry dies after longtime health issues" . mirror .
^ Byrnes, Paul (8 July 2006). "Solo" . The Sydney Morning Herald .
^ "The Time of our Lives | TV Tonight" . 10 June 2013.
^ "The End | TV Tonight" . February 2021.
^ Keenan, Catherine. "Unearthing our history " The Age , 6 November 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2015
^ "Ben Chifley on stage in his home town ". Charles Sturt University News, 21 July 2004. Retrieved 27 January 2015
External links