Dave O'Neil

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Dave O'Neil
Birth nameDavid O'Neil
Born (1965-05-08) 8 May 1965 (age 58)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
MediumTelevision, film, radio
NationalityAustralian
Alma materRMIT University Melbourne University

David O'Neil (born 8 May 1965) is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, bass guitarist, writer, television and radio presenter.

Early career[edit]

O'Neil was a Cub, Scout, Venturer and Rover. His late father Kevin was the Group Leader at the 1st/3rd Mitcham Scout Group.[citation needed]

After finishing high school, O'Neil completed a course in primary school teaching; however, he never taught. He became a field officer for the Red Cross, giving talks and training sessions, where he first enjoyed public speaking and the opportunity to tell jokes.[1]

In the late 1980s, he was a member of Melbourne band Captain Cocoa, in which he played bass. His identical twin brother, Glenn, was the lead vocalist.[1][2][3]

Radio career[edit]

O'Neil ventured into radio in the early 1990s, appearing on the Osso Booko Show on Melbourne community station 3RRR from 1992 to 1997. He co-hosted the one-hour sketch comedy show on Sundays with Vic Plume and Alan Parkes. He also spent some time on the RRR Breakfast team with Kate Langbroek and regular phone-ins from Dave Hughes.

In December 2001, he joined then-new radio station Nova 100 in Melbourne, on the top-rating Hughesy, Kate & Dave breakfast show. He later left in July 2006 for Nova's sister station, Vega 91.5 to co-host the breakfast show Dave and Denise with Shaun Micallef. In 2007, Ian "Dicko" Dickson and Chrissie Swan joined the show with Denise Scott with Shaun Micallef leaving the station.

In 2010, once Vega 91.5 became Classic Rock 91.5, Chrissie Swan departed the breakfast team. However, on 15 July 2010 Ian "Dicko" Dickson and O'Neil were axed from Classic Rock 91.5.

From 2017 until 2022, O'Neil was a regular guest and fill in for Sam Pang on Nova 100's breakfast show Chrissie, Sam & Browny.

Other activities[edit]

At the Australian federal election in 2007, O'Neil stood as an independent candidate for the federal seat of Gellibrand in Melbourne's industrial and portside inner western suburbs including Williamstown, Newport, Spotswood, Footscray, Braybrook, Altona and parts of Altona Meadows and Laverton.[4][5] He received 2.3% of the vote.[6]

In 2017, O'Neil began a new podcast The Debrief with Dave O'Neil.[7] Each episode he drives a comedian home from a gig and discusses comedy and their career. It's available through iTunes and other podcast apps. Guests on the show have included Colin Lane, Denise Scott, Tom Ballard, Dilruk Jayasinha, Fiona O'Loughlin, Joel Creasey and Cal Wilson.

O'Neil's other podcasts include Somehow Related which he co-hosts with Glenn Robins and The Junkees co-hosted with Kitty Flanagan.

Film/television appearances[edit]

Film[edit]

  • In 2002, O'Neil featured on the hit Australian movie The Nugget along with Eric Bana.
  • In 2003, O'Neil also appeared with Vince Colosimo and Stephen Curry on the Australian movie Take Away as the butcher.
  • In 2010, O'Neil features in a cameo performance in the upcoming Australian mockumentary musical film Ricky! the movie.

Television[edit]

O'Neil has appeared on Under Melbourne Tonight, The Loft Live, Spicks and Specks, Sleuth 101, Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight, Tractor Monkeys, All Star Family Feud, Celebrity Name Game, The Project, Show Me the Movie!, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Hughesy, We Have a Problem.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Jones, Kate (13 January 2014). "My first job: Dave O'Neil, comedian". The New Daily. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Captain Cocoa". Rate Your Music. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  3. ^ Beck, Chris (11 July 2002). "Waking Dave O'Neill". The Age. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  4. ^ Sim, Joanne (19 April 2010). "O'Neil's unlucky break". The Age. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  5. ^ "House of Representatives Division First Preferences (Gellibrand)". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  6. ^ "Gellibrand - Federal Election 2007". ABC Elections (ABC Online). 12 December 2023.
  7. ^ O’Neil, Dave (3 July 2017). "The Debrief with Dave O'Neil". Nearly.com.au. Nearly Media 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2020.

External links[edit]