George Bernard Spartels (born 25 April 1954) is an Australian actor, presenter, director, playwright and children's musician of Greek descent on his father's ancestry, and English and Irish on his mother's. He remains best known for his role on the television soap opera Neighbours.[1]
George Spartels | |
|---|---|
| Born | George Bernard Spartels 25 April 1954 Australia |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1971-present |
| Known for | Neighbours (TV series) as Benito Alessi |
Career
editSpartels has guest starred in many Australian television series from the 1970s to the present, most notably, Prisoner and Bellbird and in Neighbours playing family patriarch Benito Alessi. He has also appeared in a number of episodes of medical drama series All Saints and serial Packed to the Rafters as Carbo's father.
Other roles included Cop Shop, Punishment and The Bluestone Boys, as well as Blackfinger in the movie Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome in 1985, alongside Mel Gibson and Tina Turner.
Spartels was also a children's television presenter, having had a long tenure on ABC's Play School, over a period of 14 years between 1985 and 1999.[2][3][4][5]
In 2014, Spartels toured Canada, LA and Australia in "The Last Confession" with David Suchet.[6]
Depiction in Art
editSpartels' photoportrait, by Ivan Gaal, is in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery.[7]
Personal life
editSpartels was previously married to Sue Spartels, followed by actress Elizabeth Alexander; married, in April 2013, to Mary Spartels and resided in Sydney, Australia. Divorced from Mary in 2017, he returned to Melbourne and commutes.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Blue Fin | Con | Feature film |
| 1985 | Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome | Blackfinger | Feature film |
| 1988 | Computer Ghosts | Pi Wratich | TV movie |
| 1989 | Action Replay | TV movie | |
| 1992 | Seeing Red | Mark | Feature film |
| 1999 | Kick | Jack Grant | Feature film |
| 2023 | The Adventures of Wolfdogg and Redridinghood | Narrator | Short film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-75 | Matlock Police | Danny Porter, Willie Bennett, Walters, Frank Clark, Bob | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1972-75 | Division 4 | Harry, Terry Hughes, Gino Napoli, Youth1 | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1971-76 | Homicide | John Smith, Russell Knight, Simon Littlewood, Nick Pappas, Peter Fletcher, Anton Palades, Mechanic | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 1974 | This Love Affair | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1976 | Solo One | Harry Thomas | TV series, 1 episode |
| Bellbird | TV series | ||
| 1976 | The Bluestone Boys | TV series | |
| 1976-77 | Bluey | Steve Berry, Wilson | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1977 | Bobby Dazzler | George | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1977 | Hotel Story | TV series | |
| 1978 | Father, Dear Father in Australia | George | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978-89 | Cop Shop | Claudio Gustino, Chris Murray, Fergus | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1979 | Chopper Squad | Man in hang glider | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979-80 | Prisoner | Herbie | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1981 | Punishment | David ‘Robbo’ Roberts | TV series |
| 1984 | Sweet and Sour | Nick Poulopolous | TV series, 18 episodes |
| 1985-99 | Play School | Presenter | TV series |
| 1986 | The Great Bookie Robbery | Jaffa Davis | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1990 | Rafferty's Rules | Stefan Bosnjack | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1991 | All Together Now | Georgie Leonard | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992-93 | Neighbours | Benito Alessi | TV series, 47 episodes |
| 1997 | Fallen Angels | Dan Playhard | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2002-06 | All Saints | The Professor, Craig Watts, Peter Talbot | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2009 | City Homicide | Frank Scarsdale | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2009-12 | Packed to the Rafters | Theo Karandonis, Carbo's father | TV series, 4 episodes |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Godspell | Playbox Theatre | |
| 1981-82 | Chicago | Amos Hart | Sydney Opera House's Drama Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Theatre Royal, Comedy Theatre, Festival Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Festival |
| 1989 | Greek Tragedy | Company B, Belvoir Street Theatre |
Awards
edit| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | George from Play School | Best Children's Album | Nominated |
| 1998 | Let's Go Out | Nominated | |
| 2001 | George Meets The Orchestra | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Michelle Arrow, Jeannine Baker and Clare Monagle; Michelle Arrow, Jeannine Baker and Clare Monagle. "Monash University EPress". books.publishing.monash.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "Play School: the early years". ABC Radio National. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "Don't tell the children". The Age. 20 May 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "Play School is 'rife with double entendres'". NewsComAu. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "Through the windows". The Monthly. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "'The Last Confession': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "George Spartels, early 1970's". National Portrait Gallery collection. Retrieved 18 July 2019.