Ron Haddrick
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Ron Haddrick | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Norman Haddrick 9 April 1929 Adelaide, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1946–present |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Lorraine Quigley I daughter (Lynette) 1 son (Greg Haddrick) |
Ronald Norman Haddrick AM MBE (born 9 April 1929) is an Australian theatre, television, film and voice actor. He is notable for a long and distinguished career. John Bell AO OBE says of him: Ron's career has been extraordinary. He is undoubtedly one of the leading lights in the Australian acting industry. He's a great actor, says David Williamson AO, definitely one of the greatest of his generation, and also a great human being who has enriched the lives of countless Australians through his acting. He has enriched the life of many of us who work in the theatre because of his dedication and palpable decency.[1]
Early life
Haddrick was born in Adelaide, Australia, the only son of Olive May (née Gibson) and Alexander Norman Haddrick.[2]
Cricket
A former sportsman, Haddrick played First Class Cricket during the 1950s and went on to represent South Australia on three occasions in the famed Sheffield Shield competition.[3]
Career
Haddrick first appeared on the stage in 1946 at the Adelaide Tivoli Theatre. Later, Haddrick was invited to join the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (now the Royal Shakespeare Company). Upon his return to Sydney, there followed roles with the Trust Players, and when the Old Tote Theatre Company formed, Ron played in over forty productions.
Haddrick worked extensively in radio and TV throughout his career, notably for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He had his first starring TV role as the alien "Adam Suisse" in G K Saunders' pioneering children's science fiction series The Stranger, broadcast on the ABC in 1964-65. In 1969, he voiced Ebenezer Scrooge for an Australian produced A Christmas Carol, giving way to more work along the same lines in the Australian animation field in 1977 with a shorter version of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Other stage work in the '70s and ‘80s included major roles for Sydney Theatre Company, State Theatre Company of South Australia and Queensland Theatre Company in classics and new Australian plays including extensive seasons of the Nimrod Theatre Company production of The Club. Ron received Sydney Theatre Critics Circle Awards for his performances in Long Day's Journey into Night and I'm Not Rappaport. The ‘90s saw him in many roles for Marian Street Theatre and the STC including his King Lear and his much loved Wacka Dawson in The One Day of The Year. Haddrick has appeared in Australian-made television from Certain Women to Farscape and in numerous feature films. Haddrick also played on the "The Lost Islands" playing the tyrant "Q", a 200 year old ruler . On radio, he has performed in hundreds of dramas, documentaries, special features and is frequently heard reading poetry for the ABC.
Honours
- Member of the Order of Australia (In the General Division) – For significant service to the performing arts as an actor and narrator (2013) [4]
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) – for services to the Arts (1974) [5]
- Equity Lifetime Achievement Award - for a lifetime combining a phenomenal career with generous leadership and selfless mentorship presented by Actors Equity Australia, part of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (2012) [6]
Major theatre work
| Years | Title | Role | Theatre/Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | The Eagle Has Two Heads | Stanislaus | Tivoli Theatre, Adelaide |
| 1954 | Toad of Toad Hall | Alfred | Prince's Theatre, London |
| 1954–59 | King John | Hubert | Shakespeare Memorial Theatre |
| Romeo and Juliet | King Tybalt | ||
| Twelfth Night | Antonio | ||
| Hamlet | Horatio | ||
| 1959 | Man and Superman | Johßn Tanner | Trust Players |
| Long Day's Journey into Night | Jamie Tyrone | ||
| Julius Caesar | Brutus | ||
| 1960 | The Rape of the Belt | Heracles | Trust Players |
| Candida | James Mavor Morell | ||
| The Hostage | Monsewer | ||
| Murder in the Cathedral | Fourth Tempter & Fourth Knight | ||
| 1960 | Murder in the Cathedral | Fourth Tempter & Fourth Knight | Adelaide Festival of Arts |
| 1961 | The One Day of the Year | Alf Cook | Palace Theatre, Sydney Theatre Royal, Stratford London |
| 1962 | Naked Island | Jacko | Union Theatre, Sydney |
References
- ^ Lifetime Award shows that its not just a stage he is going through - The Age 20 November 2012 Retrieved 23 June 2013
- ^ Film Reference Biography
- ^ Internet Movie Database
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald – Queen's Birthday honours list 2013
- ^ It's an Honour
- ^ Ron Haddrick honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- Use dmy dates from April 2011
- 1929 births
- Living people
- Male actors from Adelaide
- Australian cricketers
- Australian male film actors
- Australian male musical theatre actors
- Australian male stage actors
- Australian male television actors
- Australian television presenters
- Australian male voice actors
- Members of the Order of Australia
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
- South Australia cricketers
- Sportspeople from Adelaide
- Cricketers from South Australia