Paul Blackwell (actor)

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Paul Blackwell
Born(1954-07-11)11 July 1954
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died24 February 2019(2019-02-24) (aged 64)
Adelaide
OccupationActor

Paul Blackwell (11 July 1954 – 24 February 2019) was an Australian actor, mainly known for his stage work. He played a major role was in

Rolf De Heer's 1996 film The Quiet Room
and other minor film roles, and was also co-creator and director on some stage productions.

Early life and education

Paul Blackwell was born on 11 July 1954 in

swing bands. For work, he Daryl ran the family business, FW Blackwell Funerals, inherited from his father Frank.[2]

Paul had four younger siblings: Lisa, Madeleine, Mark, and Louise. Madeleine also became a stage actor, and later a

sound recordist in film and television. Louise is a singer and cabaret performer, who is also a Francophile.[2]

The family lived in the middle-class eastern suburb of Wattle Park, and Paul attended Rostrevor College in Adelaide for his schooling.[5]

In the 1970s, Blackwell and a friend lived and worked in

roadies for artists such as Pink Floyd, Frank Sinatra, and The Manhattan Transfer.[2] Returning to Australia, he went to Sydney to study acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art from 1980 to 1982.[5]

Career

Stage

Blackwell appeared in many productions from some of Australia's best-known theatre companies, including

Patch Theatre, and Opera Australia.[1]

Among many performances for STCSA, he played a leading role in Andrew Bovell's 2016 work Things I Know to be True, as well as their co-presentation of Brian Friel's play Faith Healer (directed by Judy Davis[6] co-presented and produced by Belvoir, with Colin Friels taking the main role[7]). Blackwell also played several clown characters: in The Popular Mechnicals, The Ham Funeral, and The Government Inspector, and the title character in the STCSA production of Samuel Beckett's play Eh Joe in 2015.[5]

He starred in

The Hypochondriac.[5][1]

In 2014, Blackwell co-directed a children's play for Patch Theatre, Mr McGee and the Biting Flea. The production was described as comprising "whimsical stories [which] emerge from dozens of suitcases and crates as three curious warehouse workers transform a storeroom into enchanting little miracles of music and play".[8] The production toured every state and territory in Australia, and also New Zealand, playing in regional theatres as well as larger venues.[1] Other creative work with Patch included Who Sank the Boat? and The Happiest Show on Earth.[5]

In 2017 Blackwell toured Australia playing Parsons in 1984, a stage adaptation of George Orwell's novel by directors Duncan MacMillan and Robert Icke. It was a Headlong, Almeida Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse production, presented by Sydney Theatre Company in association with STCSA, by arrangement with GWB Entertainment and Ambassador Theatre Group.[9]

Film and TV

Blackwell appeared in several films, usually in small parts. His only major film role was in the 1996 film

Rolf De Heer, which was critically acclaimed and was screened in the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. He had roles in Red Dog and the 2019 remake of Storm Boy.[5]

Other appearances in films included Candy, directed by Neil Armfield and starring Heath Ledger; December Boys, starring Daniel Radcliffe; Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger; and the silent film Dr. Plonk – another collaboration with Rolf De Heer.[10]

Television appearances include

Patrol Boat, Colour in the Creek, All Saints, My Place, City Homicide, and Deadline Gallipoli.[11]

Recognition

In 2019 Blackwell received a Premier's Award for Lifetime Achievement posthumously in the South Australian Ruby Awards.[12]

He was also posthumously awarded a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play, for his role as Teddy Faith Healer.[6][13][7]

Personal life and death

Blackwell was married to Lee-Ann, and they had three adult children.[5]

He died on 24 February 2019,

Burnside Ballroom was packed, with 800 people attending.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Paul Blackwell". AusStage. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Green, Tanya (28 February 2023). "French connection". SALIFE. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  3. ^ Keen, Suzie (13 October 2020). "'Damage is a portrait of two people… it is also a portrait of us, now'". InDaily. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  4. ^ Slatter, Sean (7 November 2023). "Madeleine Blackwell finds a way forward for debut feature 'Damage'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i McDonald, Patrick (25 February 2019). "Acclaimed Adelaide actor Paul Blackwell dies". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  6. ^
    Adelaide Now
    . Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Faith Healer". AusStage. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Mr McGee and the Biting Flea". AusStage. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  9. ^ Portus, Martin (22 July 2017). "1984". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  10. ^ Live Performance Australia. "Vale Paul Blackwell" (PDF).
  11. ^ Knox, David (1 March 2019). "Vale: Paul Blackwell". TV Tonight. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  12. ^ Cabinet, Department of the Premier and (2 December 2019). "Ruby Awards". Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  13. ^ Marsh, Walter (15 July 2019). "Paul Blackwell wins Helpmann Award for final stage role". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 19 November 2023.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Blackwell_(actor)&oldid=1185819340"