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| Ken Shorter | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kenneth Shorter 1945 (1945) |
| Died | (aged 79) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1966–2018 |
Kenneth Shorter (1945 – November 2024) was an Australian actor.
Shorter's career spanned theatre, television and film but he was best known for starring opposite Mick Jagger in film adaptation of Ned Kelly and the title character in the low-budget cult biker film Stone, which has been cited as an inspiration for Mad Max, as well as being featured in American fantasy film Dragonslayer.
Life and career
Shorter was born in 1945, and worked as a police officer and truck driver before becoming an actor.
He then worked in theatre and was briefly a presenter on Play School in the 1960s and appeared in such shows as Skippy the Bush Kangaroo before moving to films where he was best known for playing the title role in the low budget biker film Stone (1974).
In 1967, he commenced playing the character of Frankie McCoy on the Seven Network series You Can't See 'Round Corners. He later reprised the role for the 1969 theatrical film adaption.
It was announced in 1969 that Shorter had been cast as Aaron Sherritt in the film Ned Kelly.
In the early 1970s, Shorter was a member of Sydney's Old Tote Theatre Company and appeared in several of the company's productions including Lasseter, The Man of Mode, The Government Inspector and The Legend of King O'Malley.
Shorter played a fictional New South Wales rugby league player called Frank Scully in The Forward Back which was written by Robert Caswell and was one of four Sunday night television plays broadcast by ABC TV in 1974.
In England he appeared in shows such as The Bill and Casualty amongst others.
After a health decline, Shorter retired from acting in 2018. He died in November 2024, aged 79.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | You Can't See 'round Corners | Frankie McCoy | Feature film |
| 1969 | The Torrents | TV movie | |
| 1970 | Ned Kelly | Aaron Sheritt | Feature film |
| 1972 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | TV movie | |
| 1974 | Moving On | Alan | Feature film |
| 1974 | Stone | Stone | Feature film |
| 1974 | The Forward Pack | Frank Scully | TV movie |
| 1975 | Sunday Too Far Away | Frankie Davis | Feature film |
| 1979 | Leave Him to Heaven | Eddie | TV movie |
| 1980 | Maybe This Time | Alan | Feature film |
| 1981 | Dragonslayer | Henchman | Film |
| 1981 | 4D Special Agents | Eddie | |
| 1982 | Scrubbers | Rex | Feature film |
| 1983 | The Ploughman's Lunch | Squash Coach | Feature film |
| 1998 | Praise | Male Nurse | Feature film |
| 2000 | Dragonheart: A New Beginning | King | Direct to video film |
| 2018 | Sink | Vic |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Adventures of the Seaspray | Second Youth | TV series |
| 1967 | You Can't See 'Round Corners | Frankie McCoy | TV series |
| 1968 | Bellbird | Duncan Ross | TV series |
| 1969 | Riptide | Ross | TV series |
| 1969 | Skippy the Bush Kangaroo | Tim | TV series |
| 1969 | Division 4 | Dave Gibbs | TV series |
| 1960s | Play School | Presenter | TV series |
| 1968–1970 | Homicide | Rod Smith / Danny Baker | TV series |
| 1971 | Matlock Police | Martin Daly | TV series |
| 1973 | Boney | Vic Vicery | TV series |
| 1977 | Number 96 | Duncan Swann | TV series |
| 1979 | Ripping Yarns | 1st Mutinous Officer | TV series |
| 1987 | Rockliffe's Babies | Lorry Driver | TV series |
| 1992 | G.P. | Paul Ricketson | TV series |
| 1995 | Screen Two | Dairympie's Butler | TV series |
| 1985–1986 | Casualty | Musician / John | TV series |
| 1990 | The Bill | Donald Varney / William Mobley / Heckler (1 episode) | TV series |
| 2001 | Oscar Charlie | Biker | TV series |
| 2007 | Holby City | Martin Riley | TV series |
References
- ^ "Ken Shorter shows how". The Canberra Times. 21 March 1969. p. 3. Retrieved 1 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- Uskov, Oleg (19 November 2024). "Умер Кен Шортер, звезда популярного в СССР сериала про кенгуру "Скиппи" [Ken Shorter, star of popular Soviet kangaroo series Skippy, dies]. Rossiyskaya Gazeta (in Russian). Retrieved 19 November 2024.
Шортер родился в 1945 году.
[Shorter was born in 1945.] - Marshall, Valda (2 July 1967). "A name you'll know by now". The Sun-Herald. p. 95. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- Spooner, Peter (29 June 1969). "Growing beards for parts in Kelly film". The Sun-Herald. p. 13. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
Ken Shorter ("You Can't See 'Round Corners") will play Aaron Sherritt...
- Jones, Margaret (11 October 1971). "An all-out attack of the senses". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 12. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
The big cast worked well as equals, the leaders if any, being Joe, Taggart, and Dan, played by Drew Forsythe, Reg Livermore and Ken Shorter.
- Kippax, Harry (1 March 1971). "Etheridge at the parade". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 10. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
Mr Ken Shorter, though, too rough with Etheridge's honed raillery, is a flamboyant Dorimant.
- Kippax, Harry (7 September 1971). "Racy translation of Gogol classic". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 16. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
...the blandly uncomprehending German doctor (Mr Ken Shorter)...
- "Theatre group back". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 June 1972. p. 8. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- "Study of a sportsman first of weekly plays". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 July 1974. p. 13. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- Knox, David (13 November 2024). "Vale: Ken Shorter". TV Tonight. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- Abi, Jo (13 November 2024). "Australian actor Ken Shorter, known for his role in cult film Stone, dies aged 79". Nine.com.au. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- "The Bill" Body Language (TV Episode 1990). Retrieved 19 November 2024 – via IMDb.
External links
- Ken Shorter at IMDb
- Ken Shorter at National Film and Sound Archive
- Ken Shorter discography at Discogs