Mark Little (Australian actor)
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Mark Little | |
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| Born | 20 October 1959 |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1980-present |
Mark Little (born 20 October 1959) is an Australian actor, television presenter, comedian and screen/stage writer. He is known for portraying the role of Joe Mangel from 1988-1991, 2005 and 2022 on the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
Career
Little appeared in a string of Australian films and TV series during the 1980s, including Short Changed (1986), written by Aboriginal playwright Bob Merritt and directed by George Ogilvie. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the AFI Awards for this role.[1]
He also performed his own comedy in Melbourne's comedy clubs throughout the eighties, while his longest-running television role was as Joe Mangel in the soap opera Neighbours, from 1989 to 1991. Owing to the show's popularity in the UK, he became known in the country and subsequently moved to England. In 1990 he co-hosted with Tania Lacy on Countdown Revolution, a music show that was on ABC each week night. He and Lacy were fired from the show in June after their in-famous protest about acts having to mime & the hosts having to "pretend" to like an artist, even if they didn't.[citation needed]
In 1994, he replaced Chris Evans as the presenter of The Big Breakfast. He has also narrated cult TV series The Villa on Sky TV.[citation needed]
He has worked on films such as Blackball and in the West End with his one-man show Defending the Caveman, which also won the Laurence Olivier Award in 2000. He returned to Neighbours as Joe for a brief period in 2005.[citation needed]
Little appeared as Roy in a production of Louis Nowra's play Così at The White Bear Theatre in Kennington, London, opening 29 July 2008. From the following year, he started making regular appearances on the discussion show, The Wright Stuff.[citation needed]
As well as extended runs of Defending the Caveman at London's Leicester Square Theatre, he toured the play around the UK in 2010.[2]
In June 2010, he made his directorial debut starring in, designing and directing Jack Hibberd's A Stretch of the Imagination at The Cock Tavern Theatre in Kilburn, London.[citation needed]
Little has also written comedy films and poetry. He appeared in a documentary special celebrating Neighbours' 30th anniversary titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015.[3][4]
In December 2017, Little played the character of "Fleshcreep" in a pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Palace Theatre, Mansfield.[5]
In 2019, Little took part in the eleventh series of Dancing on Ice, partnered with Brianne Delcourt. They become the first couple to leave after the judges choose to save ex-cricketer Ryan Sidebottom and his skating partner Brandee Malto in the skate-off.[citation needed]
He has also taken many self-devised shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and toured them nationally throughout the UK.[citation needed]
He is currently appearing in pantomime at the Middlesbrough Little Theatre in a Production of Peter Pan. He is playing the part of Captain Hook. UK.[citation needed]
In May 2022 it was announced he will reprise his role as Joe Mangel for the ending of Neighbours
Awards
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- 1985 Australian Television Society Award, Best Actor for The Flying Doctors
- 1997 Paramount Comedy Award, Edinburgh Fringe for Psychobubble
- 2000 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, Defending the Caveman
- 2008 Contributing Artist: Brighton Festival of Artists Open Houses, Best Open House: Cath Farr's The Art of Fun
- Australian Film Institute: Nominations for Best Supporting Actor: 1985 "An Indecent Obsession" (Ben Maynard) and 1987 "Short Changed" (Curly)
- Logie Awards: Nomination for Best Supporting Actor 1984 Waterfront (Alan)
- Australian Television Society: Nomination for Best Actor 1990 Neighbours (Joe Mangel)
Filmography
- Skyways (1980) TV series
- Cop Shop (1981) TV series
- The Sullivans (1981) TV series
- Tennis Elbow (1982) as Sidney Tower
- The Clinic (1982), Basil
- Starstruck (1982) as Carl
- Infinity Limited (1984) as Rosco
- Waterfront (1984) TV miniseries as Allan
- Wills & Burke (1985) as John King
- An Indecent Obsession (1985) as Benedict Maynard
- The Dunera Boys (1985) (TV) a Pete Dunstan
- The Flying Doctors (1985) TV miniseries as 'Roughneck' Ron
- The Flying Doctors (1986) TV series as Ron Miller (1986)
- Short Changed (1986) as Curly
- The Gillies Republic (1986) TV series
- A Matter of Convenience (1987) (TV) as Roger Purvis
- Evil Angels (A Cry in the Dark) (1988)[6] as Constable Morris
- Bachelor Girl (1988) as Waiter
- Neighbours (1985) TV series as Joe Mangel (1988–1991, 2005, 2022)
- Nirvana Street Murder (1990) as Boady
- Golden Braid (1990) as Punk
- Greenkeeping (1992) as Lenny
- The Villa (1999) TV series as Narrator (1999–2000)
- Distant Shadow (1999) as The Landlord
- The Rat Trap (1999)
- Motion (2001) as Foreman
- Summer Rain (2001) as Travel Agency Manager
- Blackball (2003) as Mark Doohan
- Casualty (2008) as Gary Forrester
- Emmerdale (2008) as Jonty DeLorean
- Whites (2010) as Darryl Sommers
- Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite (2015) as Himself
- The Program (2015) as Rupert Guinness
- Dancing on Ice (2019) as Himself
References
- ^ Kruger, Debbie. "Bob Merritt's message of understanding". The Weekend Australian. Retrieved 10 December 2021 – via Debbie Kruger.
- ^ "Defending The Caveman, starring Mark Little – National Tour 2010". Defendingthecaveman.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
- ^ Knox, David (28 February 2015). "Airdate: Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (4 March 2015). "Neighbours 30th anniversary schedule confirmed by Channel 5". Digital Spy. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ 'Jack & the Beanstalk review at Palace Theatre', 'The Stage', 20 December 2017. https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2017/jack-beanstalk-review-palace-theatre-mansfield/
- ^ "A Cry in the Dark (1988) - Release dates". IMDb.com. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
External links
- Mark Little at IMDb