Francis Bell (actor)

Wayne Francis Earl Bell[1] (18 April 1944 – 3 May 1994) was a New Zealand-born actor who achieved international stardom playing the part of original character Max Ramsay in the early years of the popular Australian soap opera, Neighbours. During his career he also acted in Australian serials The Sullivans and Sons and Daughters. He appeared in 15 films from 1976 until his death.

Francis Bell
Bell as Max Ramsay in Neighbours
Born
Wayne Francis Earl Bell

(1944-04-18)18 April 1944
Auckland, New Zealand
Died3 May 1994(1994-05-03) (aged 50)
Auckland, New Zealand
OccupationActor
Years active1976–1994

Career in Neighbours

His character Max Ramsay, was a key character for the show's first year. Soon after the serial switched from the Seven Network to Channel Ten in early 1986, Bell abruptly left the show.[2] To accommodate this loss, the new character of Max's brother Tom was hastily introduced. In the story Tom arrived to take the reins of Max's plumbing business while Max was away; behind the scenes the scriptwriters went through the scripts replacing "Max" with "Tom", with Tom speaking the dialogue written for Max.

Other roles

Prior to Neighbours, Bell had minor roles in The Sullivans and Sons and Daughters.

In 1985 Bell played the role of Major-General Howard 'Pompey' Elliott in the critically acclaimed Australian mini-series Anzacs. Also starring in the series were Paul Hogan, Andrew Clarke, Jon Blake, Megan Williams, Tony Bonner, Bill Kerr, Ilona Rodgers, Robert Coleby and David Bradshaw

Death

On 3 May 1994, Bell was found dead after falling from a building in Auckland, New Zealand. The city's police released a statement stating that there were no suspicious circumstances regarding his death.[3] He was buried at Purewa Cemetery.[1] His agent Graham Dunster later revealed that Bell had been hospitalised with depression prior to his death.[4]

Filmography

References
  1. "Burial and cremation details". Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  2. "Neighbours: The Perfect Blend: Where Are They Now?". Perfect Blend. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  3. "Actor dies in plunge". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 1994. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Francis Bell". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
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