Syd Heylen

Harold Charles Sydney Heylen (25 May 1923 – 4 December 1996), credited as Syd Heylen, Sid Heylen and Sydney Heylen, was an Australian character actor of radio, stage, television and film, comedian, and variety performer.

Syd Heylen
Born
Harold Charles Sydney Heylen

(1923-05-25)25 May 1923
Renmark, South Australia, Australia
Died4 December 1996(1996-12-04) (aged 73)
Queensland, Australia
Other namesSydney Heylen
Occupation
  • Actor (radio, stage, television and film)
  • comedian
  • variety performer
Years active1956–1992
Spouse(s)
  • Dorothy Plater
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1944, divorced)​
  • Patti Brittain
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1961; his death 1996)​
Children2

Heylen was best known known for the television serial A Country Practice, as publican Vernon "Cookie" Locke, he often performed in a traditional vaudeville style in the vein of Roy Rene, and also sang and played banjo and ukulele.

He went into vaudeville after World War II and in 1956 starred in the variety show "The Show of Stars" with Hal Lashwood and John Ewart.

Heylen became well known during the 1960s on television as a regular performer on the HSV-7 variety show Sunnyside Up for 10 years, appearing as "Sydney from Sydney". He teamed up with other comics, such as Honest John Gilbert, presenting comedy sketches in between the musical items.

Early life

Heylen was born in Renmark, South Australia as the only son of a carpenter. He joined the army at 16 and served on the Kokoda Trail in the 39th Infantry Battalion, later going on to join an army entertainment troupe. In 1961, he married Patti Brittain (his second wife) and they had two children (both in the entertainment industry) - a daughter, Julie Heylen, and a son, Syd Heylen Junior, who is a well known entertainer in variety and cabaret.

Career

Heylen appeared in numerous smaller television series roles including Matlock Police, Homicide, Division 4, and Alvin Purple, but remains best known for his permanent and long running role as Vernon "Cookie" Locke, a chef and barman in the Australian television series A Country Practice, a role he played from 1982 until 1992. He was cast as Cookie on A Country Practice after the series creator and executive producer James Davern saw him in the ill-fated TV series Arcade in 1980 alongside Lorrae Desmond, whom he would also cast in ACP. Heylen was written out of the series in 1992 alongside another older cast member Gordon Piper (who played Cookie's mate Bob Hatfield) as the producers wanted to concentrate on a younger cast and an updated formula. Davern would later regret dropping Cookie and Bob, as they were two of the show's central long standing older characters who provided many of the comedy scenes between the more dramatic storylines.

Previously Heylen had acted in the soap opera The Box playing a fast-talking television sportscaster.

Heylen played a minor role in the film Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior as Curmudgeon.

In the 1980s he released a number of albums containing songs such as "Who's Sorry Now?" (to which the D-Generation quipped "anyone who bought the album".)

After he left A Country Practice in 1992, he and his wife Patti retired to their Gold Coast, Queensland home, he would occasionally do public appearances and performances. He died in Queensland from a stroke on 4 December 1996, aged 75 from a stroke.[1]

Syd Heylen was a patron and performer for the Variety Club Australia, where he was awarded as The First National Treasure.

Selected Television and film credits

References
  1. "Wandin Valley Bush Nursing Hospital - Syd Heylen Biography". www.acountrypractice.com.
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