Jump to content

Barry Otto

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barry Otto
Otto at the Spot Festival in March 2012
Born1941 (age 82–83)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
OccupationActor
Years active1975–present
Spouses
  • Lindsay Otto
    (div. 1973)
  • Susan Hill
Children3, including Miranda and Gracie Otto

Barry Otto (born 1941) is an Australian actor.

Early life

[edit]

Barry Otto was born in 1941 in Brisbane, the son of a butcher.[1][2][3] He has a sister named Denise.[4] Otto trained as an artist at Brisbane Central Technical College.[4] In the 1960s, Otto worked as a commercial artist and fashion illustrator.[5] He never formally trained as an actor.[3]

Career

[edit]

Otto began acting in amateur theatre and drawing room comedies in the 1970s.[1][3] He has had film roles in Strictly Ballroom, Cosi, The Dressmaker, Kiss or Kill, Dead Letter Office, The Visitor, The Great Gatsby, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, Love's Brother (see Filmography). He portrayed Administrator Allsop in Australia in 2008. In 2015 Otto voiced the role of Mayor Wilberforce Cranklepot, a goanna, in Blinky Bill the Movie.

Personal life

[edit]

Otto married Lindsay, with whom he has a daughter Miranda (an actress), born in 1967 in Brisbane.[6] They divorced in 1973.[citation needed]

With his second wife Susan "Sue" Hill,[7] Otto has a son, Eddie (a teacher and professional cricket coach), and daughter, Gracie (a filmmaker and actress), born in 1987 in Sydney.[6][8]

Otto is also an artist. He often paints members of his family and has twice entered the Archibald Prize.[9]

Otto was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2018.[10]

Filmography

[edit]
Otto with Australian actress Deborah Mailman in 2012

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Benny Hill Down Under Trevor McKenzie TV movie
1982 Norman Loves Rose Charles Feature film
1984 The Secret Discovery of Australia French Ambassador
Undercover Professor Henckel Feature film
Who Killed Hannah Jane? James Harnney TV movie
1985 Bliss Harry Joy Feature film
1986 The More Things Change... Lex Feature film
1987 Howling III: The Marsupials Professor Harry Beckmeyer Feature film
1988 Takeover George Oppenheimer Feature film
1989 The Punisher 'Shake' Feature film
1992 Strictly Ballroom Doug Hastings Feature film
1993 The Custodian Brian Ferguson Feature film
1994 Exile Sheriff Hamilton Feature film
1995 Dad and Dave: On Our Selection J.P. Riley Feature film
1996 Lilian's Story John Singer Feature film
Così Roy Feature film
My Entire Life (aka Mr Reliable) The Premier Feature film
1997 I Love Rachel Unknown
Mr. Nice Guy Baggio Feature film
Oscar and Lucinda Jimmy D'Abbs Feature film
Kiss or Kill Adler Jones Feature film
Frontier Government Agent Archibald Meston
1998 Dead Letter Office Gerald Urquhart Feature film
2002 The Visitor Michael Short film
2004 Love's Brother Father Alfredo Feature film
Loot Charles Highsmith
2006 Single White Farmer Poley
2007 Rogue Merv Feature film
La même nuit The Concierge
Soul Mates Paddy Byrne
Cheap Seats Enjouer
2008 Newcastle Gramps Feature film
Australia Administrator Allsop Feature film
$9.99 Albert (voice) Feature film (animated)
Three Blind Mice Fred Feature film
In a Pig's Eye Unknown
2010 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Echidna (voice) Feature film (animated)
South Solitary George Wadsworth Feature film
Seamstress Unknown
2011 To Face the Sun Father
Waiting for the Turning of the Earth Tom
2012 A Cautionary Tail Doctor (voice)
2013 The Great Gatsby Benny McClenahan Feature film
2015 Blinky Bill the Movie Mayor Wilberforce Cranklepot (voice) Feature film
Nominated — Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice in an Animated Film
The Dressmaker Percival Almanac Feature film
2016 Pypo
Fish with Legs Head Fish Warren

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1975 Until Tomorrow Trevor McKenzie TV series
1978 Case for the Defence Doctor TV series
Tickled Pink Leo TV special
1980 Spring & Fall Harry Dawson Anthology series, season 1, episode 5: "The Slammer"
1983 The Dismissal Miniseries
A Country Practice Bela Szollos TV series
1984 Singies Miniseries
1998 Murder Call Otis Farrow TV series, season 2, episodes 10-11: "Deadfall" (parts 1 &2)
2005 The Secret Life of Us Bill Holdforth TV series, season 4, episode 12: "The Heart of Friday Night"
2006 Stupid Stupid Man Principal Cooper TV series, season 1
All Saints Bob Tyrell TV series, 1 episode
2013 Dance Academy Sir Jeffery TV series, season 3, 6 episodes
2016 Rake Judge Cowper TV series, 1 episode
2017 Sisters Julius Bechly TV series, 7 episodes
2019 The Other Guy Ron TV series, episode: "New Wheels and Cock Socks"

Theatre

[edit]
Year Title Role Company
1970 Eden House Bernie Smith La Boite Theatre
1971 Flash Jim Vaux Circus Style Performer Twelfth Night Theatre
1974 Present Laughter SGIO Theatre
1974 A Doll’s House Torvald Helmer SGIO Theatre
1975 How Does Your Garden Grow? Twelfth Night Theatre
1976–77 Travesties Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Nimrod Theatre
1976 The Tatty Hollow Story Ben Stables Theatre
1976 Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been? Edward Dmytryk / Investigator Nimrod Theatre
1976 The Recruiting Officer Constable Nimrod Theatre
1976 The Duchess of Malfi Castruchio / Count Malateste Nimrod Theatre
1977 Twelfth Night Orsino Nimrod Theatre
1977 Wild Oats Ephraim Smooth Seymour Centre
1977 The Tempest Sebastian Sydney Opera House
1978 Black Comedy Brindsley Miller Sydney Opera House
1978 The Misanthrope Alceste Sydney Opera House
1978 Hay Fever Sandy Tyrell Canberra Theatre, Sydney Opera House
1978 The Lady from Maxim’s Dr Petypon Sydney Opera House
1979 What Price Glory? Pharmacist's Mate ABC Radio, Sydney
1979 The Bed Before Yesterday Felix Theatre Royal, Sydney
1979 On Our Selection Old Carey / Jim Carey Jane Street Theatre, Nimrod Theatre
1979 Upside Down at the Bottom of the World D H Lawrence Nimrod Theatre
1980 Traitors Giorgi Krasin Nimrod Theatre
1980 The Bride of Gospel Place The Master Jane Street Theatre
1980 The Dybbuk Azriel Jane Street Theatre
1980 Volpone Corvino Nimrod Theatre
1981 Three Sisters Fyodor Ilyich Kulyghin Nimrod Theatre
1981 Protest: Audience / Private View / Protest Malster / Michal / Stanek Nimrod Theatre
1981 Cloud Nine Clive / Cathy Nimrod Theatre
1981 Tales from the Vienna Woods Zauberkonig Nimrod Theatre
1982 Welcome the Bright World Sebastian Ayalti Nimrod Theatre
1982 Burn Victim Nimrod Theatre
1983 Uncle Vanya Uncle Vanya Nimrod Theatre
1983 The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H. Sydney Opera House
1987 Tom and Viv Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1987 Kiss of the Spider Woman Seymour Centre
1988 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Johnny University of Sydney
1989–91 The Marriage of Figaro Figaro Wharf Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne with Sydney Theatre Company
1990 Hot Fudge and Icecream Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1991 Hotel Sorrento Edwin Wharf Theatre
1992; 1994 Cosi Roy Belvoir Theatre, Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
1993 The Trials of Brother Jero Courtyard Theatre, Bondi
1993 Faust Faust Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
1994 White Wheat Domain Theatre, Sydney
1994 Amadeus Salieri Melbourne Athenaeum
1995 The Tempest Prospero Belvoir Theatre, Space Theatre, Adelaide
1996 Night on Bald Mountain Playhouse Adelaide, Belvoir Theatre
1996 Wasp Belvoir Theatre
1998 Show Boat Cap'n Andy Lyric Theatre Sydney, Regent Theatre, Melbourne
1999 Barrymore John Barrymore Sydney Opera House, Glen Street Theatre, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Cremorne Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2000 The Falls Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company
2002 Volpone Volpone Sydney Opera House
2003–04 Last Cab to Darwin Max Octagon Theatre, Perth, Sydney Opera House, Broken Hill Entertainment Centre, Orange Civic Theatre, Glen Street Theatre, Manning Entertainment Centre, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Princess Theatre, Launceston, Dunstan Playhouse Adelaide, IMB Theatre, Wollongong, Darwin Entertainment Centre, Butter Factory Theatre with Pork Chop Productions
2003 Proof Robert Sydney Opera House, Glen Street Theatre
2005 Boy Gets Girl Les Kennkat Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2007 Troupers Isaac Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2007 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martin Cremorne Theatre with Queensland Theatre
2007 Heroes Philippe Cremorne Theatre with Queensland Theatre
2008 Tartuffe Orgon Malthouse Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
2008 Hamlet Polonius Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Melbourne with Bell Shakespeare
2009 Optimism Pangloss Malthouse Theatre, [[]], Sydney Opera House & Royal Lyceum Theatre for Edinburgh Comedy Festival
2012 The Histrionic The Landlord Malthouse Theatre, Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2013 The Kreutzer Sonata Pozdnyshev State Theatre Company of South Australia
2015 Seventeen Ronny Belvoir Theatre

[11]

Awards

[edit]

Otto received an AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in Strictly Ballroom and was nominated for Bliss, Cosi and The More Things Change....

Otto's plaque at the Australian Film Walk of Fame, Ritz Cinema, Randwick, Sydney

Barry Otto at Randwick in Sydney on the Australian Film Walk of Fame.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Porter, Zoë (15 January 2020). "Otto The Great". The National Treasures Series. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Dichotomia, Barry Otto, 2008". National Portrait Gallery collection. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Morgan, Joyce (26 January 2007). "Barry Otto's busting to talk". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b Faulkner, Noelle (29 December 2017). "The Imaginarium of Mr Otto by Jake Terrey". Side-Note. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  5. ^ Kornits, Dov (25 January 2020). "Otto on Otto". FilmInk. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b Gannon, Genevieve (22 June 2023). "Miranda Otto reveals what working with her sister is really like". The Australian Women's Weekly. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  7. ^ https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/its-like-hes-trying-to-remember-who-he-is-barry-ottos-daughters-share-heartbreaking-update-on-australian-screen-legends-health/news-story/8be843ba917bc5b501fecf3a953b186f. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ Lehmann, Megan (6 November 2021). "Gracie Otto, the human sparkplug". The Australian. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  9. ^ Schwartzkoff, Louise (7 February 2009). "Barry's M.Otto: if at first you don't succeed, paint on". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  10. ^ Maddox, Garry (7 May 2024). "Gracie Otto began a film about her dad's one-man show. A diagnosis changed the story". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  11. ^ "AusStage".
[edit]