Henri Szeps

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Henri Szeps

GLUGS Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Henri Szeps Green Room at the Ensemble Theatre
  • Henri Szeps

    ) (born 1943), also spelt Henry Szeps, is a Swiss-born Australian character actor of theatre and television. He has also featured in films and worked in voice roles, and has worked in productions in the United Kingdom.

    Early life

    Henri Szeps was born in 1943 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to Polish parents. Prior to the German invasion of Poland during World War II, his parents fled to France in 1938. His father left the family to join the French Resistance. In 1943, his mother and three-year-old sister made their way to a refugee camp in Lausanne, where Henri was born. At 112 months he was fostered to a Swiss couple in Blumenstein. His mother reclaimed him when he was three years old, and returned to the Swiss couple when he was 412. He was reclaimed by his mother to Paris, and due to her illness, at the age of six was placed at the Rothschild Orphanage. He came to Sydney, Australia, at the age of eight in 1951 or 1952 with his mother and sister.[1][2]

    Career

    Szeps studied acting at

    Sydney University
    . In 1963, while sitting for the BSc in maths and physics during the day he was appearing every night at the Ensemble Theatre in his first play there, called The Physicists, which ran for six months.

    Szeps is probably best known for his role as selfish dentist Robert Beare in the classic Australian television comedy series Mother and Son (1984 to 1994), with Garry McDonald, Ruth Cracknell and Judy Morris. Another prominent role was in Palace of Dreams for which he received a Penguin Award. He played the Doctor in the world première of David Williamson's play, Travelling North, and was asked to repeat the performance in the 1987 film, with Leo McKern and Graham Kennedy.

    He appeared in 1981 TV movie A Step in the Right Direction.

    Szeps won the Penguin Award for best actor for ABC's 10 part series Palace of Dreams.

    He has performed in five one-man shows, produced by the Ensemble Theatre, the last three self-penned: The Double Bass (1990), Sky (1992) (written for him by John Misto, I'm Not a Dentist (1997), Why Kids (2003) and Wish I'd Said That (2010).

    He has written a book on acting, All in Good Timing (1996), which is used by drama schools.[citation needed]

    Honours and awards

    Association Year Award Work Results
    Penguin Award Best Actor in a mini-series Palace of Dreams Won
    Norman Kessell Award
    1997 Outstanding Performance I'm Not a Dentist[3] Won
    Australian Government 2001
    Medal of the Order of Australia
    "For service to the arts, and to the community through the Australia Day Council and the National Centre for Childhood Grief"[4] Honoured
    Helpmann Award
    2003 Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical Cabaret Won
    Ensemble Theatre 2014 The Henri Szeps Green Room Honoured
    Glugs Awards
    2015 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoured

    Filmography

    Film

    Year Title Role Type
    1969 You Can't See 'round Corners Peter Feature film
    1977 Say You Want Me Jim Morton TV movie
    1979 The Plumber David Medavoy TV movie
    1980 A Toast to Melba Thomas Beecham
    Buffalo Bill
    Mayor of Brisbane
    TV movie
    1980 Fatty Finn Mr. Zilch Feature film
    1981 A Step in the Right Direction TV movie
    1981 Run Rebecca, Run Manuel Cortes Film
    1982 Wilde's Domain Shenko TV movie
    1982 Mystery at Castle House Mr. Wilberforce TV movie
    1983 Now and Forever Barry York Feature film
    1983 The Return of Captain Invincible Chief Security Officer Feature film
    1983 Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear Voice Animated TV movie
    1983 Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet Voice Animated TV movie
    1983 Platypus Cove Winston Bell TV movie
    1984 A Tale of Two Cities Voice TV movie
    1985 Warming Up Sergeant Peter Sullivan Feature film
    1985 The Pickwick Papers Voice Animated TV movie
    1987 The Edge of Power Steve Traynor Film
    1987 Les Patterson Saves the World Dr. Charles Herpes
    Desiree Herpes
    Feature film
    1987 Travelling North Saul Feature film
    2001 South Pacific Benoit TV movie
    2001 Elixir Bob Sommerville
    2009 No Junk Mail Short film
    2010 The Bris Dobinski Short film
    2012 Bathing Franky Rodney Feature film
    2013 McLean's Money Edward McLean

    Television

    Year Title Role Type
    1969 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Bob TV series
    1969 Riptide Des Dawkins TV series
    1967-69 Homicide Peter Scott (1967)
    Alan Shaw (1969)-
    David Yates (1969)
    TV series
    1971 Misleading Cases Pierre TV series
    1971 Spyforce Dingo TV series
    1971 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Laval TV series
    1972 Spyder's Web Policeman TV series
    1972 Spy Trap The Frenchmen TV series
    1972 The Strauss Family Edi's Dresser TV miniseries
    1974 Barlow Corsican TV series
    1973–74 Colditz De Crossait
    Captain Henry LeVevre
    TV series
    1974 Crown Court Dr. Herman Abel TV series
    1975 Dixon of Dock Green Onion Man TV series
    1969–75 Division 4 Jeff Taylor (1969)
    Brian Martin (1971)
    Jimmy Dunn (1975)
    TV series
    1974 Armchair Cinema TV series
    1976 Number 96 Phillip Chambers TV series
    1976 God Knows Why, But It Works Dr. Archie Kalokerinos TV series
    1977 The Dick Emery Show in Australia Various characters TV series
    1978 Chopper Squad Falconio TV series
    1977–78 Cop Shop Steven Halliday (1977)
    Vincent Morelli (1978)
    TV series
    1979 Ride on Stranger Vincent Sladder TV series
    1981 Daily at Dawn Joe Parker TV series
    1982 The Best of Friends Lilo
    1982 M.P.S.I.B Tran Van TV series
    1982–83 A Country Practice Perc Hobbs
    Ralph Bianchi
    TV series
    1980–84 Kingswood Country Mr O'Grady
    Eric the Postman
    TV series
    1984 City West Dr. Mikus Kuskis TV series
    1985 Palace of Dreams Mick Mendel TV miniseries
    1987 Vietnam Harold Holt TV miniseries
    1988 Rafferty's Rules Uncle Aniello TV series
    1989 Hannay Police Inspector TV series
    1990 Mission: Impossible Esteban Magdalena TV series
    1991 Hampton Court Mr. Verstak TV series
    1992
    The Adventures of Skippy
    Frank TV series
    1992 Seeing Red Louie Leeds
    1984–94 Mother and Son Robert Beare TV series
    1991–95 G.P. Charlie Cassidy
    -Ibram Hanaf
    TV series
    1996
    Snowy River: The McGregor Saga
    Jacob Verkovic TV series
    1999–09 All Saints George Bresnic (1999)
    -Victor McGregor (2009)
    TV series
    2000 Stingers Norman Sagar TV series
    2001 Flat Chat Cardinal Del Gardia TV series
    2001 Escape of the Artful Dodger Dr. Hartman TV series
    2015 Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door Dee Anthony TV miniseries

    References

    1. ^ "Henri's story". Refugee Council of Australia. April 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
    2. ^ Wright, Tony (6 September 1988). "Szeps's life would make a good script itself". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). p. 1. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
    3. ^ "Awards". Glugs. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
    4. ^ "Mr Henri Szeps". Australian Honours Search Facility. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia). Retrieved 26 December 2023.

    External links