William McInnes
Daryl William Mathew Gabriel McInnes (born 10 September 1963)[1] is an Australian film and television actor and writer. He portrays the role of Matt Tivolli in The Time of Our Lives. He is best known for his roles as Senior Constable Nick Schultz in Blue Heelers and Max Connors in SeaChange.
William McInnes | |
---|---|
Born | 10 September 1963 57) Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia | (age
Occupation |
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Years active | 1990–present |
Spouse(s) | Sarah Watt (?–2011; her death) |
Children | 2 |
Early life
McInnes was born in Redcliffe, Queensland. He studied drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and graduated in 1988. He was made a fellow of the academy in 2010. He also has a degree and honorary doctorate from Central Queensland University in Rockhampton.[2]
Career
Television
After a recurring role in A Country Practice in 1990, McInnes appeared in series such as Bligh, Ocean Girl, Good Vibrations and Snowy before making his name as Senior Constable Nick Schultz on Blue Heelers in 1993. McInnes starred on the show until 1998, when he left to focus on other work. In 1999, he joined the cast of SeaChange as Max Connors, the new love interest of the main character Laura Gibson (Sigrid Thornton) after Diver Dan (David Wenham) left the series.
In 2002, McInnes was part of the cast of Marshall Law, which was cancelled after one season; and he returned for several episodes of Blue Heelers in 2004 and 2005. He also had a recurring role as Rosie's sleazy ex Colin in 2003's CrashBurn; and a noted comic turn as Sandy Freckle in two episodes of Kath & Kim, under the pseudonym "Rock Hampton". In 2006 he completed the telemovie Stepfather of the Bride.
McInnes was the first guest host of Let Loose Live on 29 May 2005; the show was axed by the Seven Network after just two weeks. He also appeared as himself on Micallef Tonight on the Nine Network but it was also quickly axed. McInnes lent his voice for the Nine Network factual series The Code: Crime and Justice.[3] He is sometimes credited as "Rock Hampton" (e.g. in Kath & Kim and the 2005 film You and Your Stupid Mate), as a nod to his university time spent in the city of the same name. In 2007 he played the title role in the telemovie Curtin.
In late 2007, he had the lead role in SBS's East West 101.[4] In 2008, he also appeared in Network Ten's telemovie The Informant.
Film
Early film roles include My Brother Jack (2001), Do Or Die (2001), Dirty Deeds (2002) and the TV Movie The Shark Net (2003).
McInnes featured in the lead role in Look Both Ways (2005), directed by his wife Sarah Watt. Subsequent film roles include in 2006 Irresistible, with Susan Sarandon, and Kokoda, the lead role in the romantic drama Unfinished Sky in 2007, and in 2009 Prime Mover, featuring Andrew S. Gilbert, Ben Mendelsohn and Anthony Hayes, and Sarah Watt's follow-up film My Year Without Sex.
Radio
In December 2016, McInnes hosted Summer Afternoons across ABC Local Radio.[5]
Writing
McInnes released his first book A Man's Got to Have a Hobby on 1 August 2005. His second book Cricket Kings was released in 2006[6] and his third, That'd Be Right, in August 2008.[7] His fourth book, The Making of Modern Australia, was released in 2010; it was accompanied by a television documentary series of the same name on the ABC that McInnes narrated.[8] In 2011 he released his fifth book, Worse Things Happen at Sea, co-written by his wife Sarah Watt.[9] In 2014 he released Holidays, a collection of stories loosely based around his and other people's holidays. He wrote a regular column called "William Tells" for The Australian Women's Weekly.
Other
On 16 February 2009, John Faulkner, then Special Minister of State and Cabinet Secretary, appointed McInnes as the new chair of the Advisory Council of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. McInnes has spoken in many of his media appearances about the museum and its work and the importance of democratic values and civics education. He succeeded Doug Anthony as chair of the council.[10]
Awards
McInnes has won, and been nominated for, several awards including:
Won
- 2000 – Most Outstanding Actor at the Logie Awards, for SeaChange
- 2002 – Most Outstanding Actor at the Logie Awards, for My Brother Jack
- 2008 – Most Outstanding Actor at the Logie Awards, for East West 101
- 2008 – Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 50th Australian Film Institute Awards for Unfinished Sky
Nominated
- 1997 – Most Outstanding Actor at the Logie Awards, for Blue Heelers
- 1998 – Most Outstanding Actor at the Logie Awards, for Blue Heelers
- 2001 – Most Outstanding Actor at the Logie Awards, for SeaChange
- 2001 – Most Popular Actor at the Logie Awards, for SeaChange
- 2001 – Best Actor in a telemovie at the AFI Awards, for My Brother Jack
- 2001 – Best Actor in a Television Series at the AFI Awards, for SeaChange
- 2004 – Most Outstanding Actor at the Logie Awards, for The Shark Net
- 2005 – Best Lead Actor at the AFI Awards, for Look Both Ways
- 2008 – Best Lead Actor at the AFI Awards, for East West 101
In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, McInnes was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for his role as an "Influential Artist".[11]
Personal life
He was married to film actor, animator and director Sarah Watt. They had two children. Sarah Watt died of cancer in 2011.[12]
Works
Non-fiction
- McInnes, William (2005). A Man's Got to Have a Hobby : Long Summers with My Dad (1st ed.). Hodder Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-2078-2.
- —— (2008). That'd Be Right : A Fairly True History of Modern Australia. Hachette Livre. ISBN 978-0-7336-2253-3.
- —— (2010). The Making of Modern Australia (1st ed.). Hachette Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-2494-0.
- ——; Watt, Sarah (2012). Worse Things Happen at Sea. Hachette Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-2802-3.
- —— (2014). Holidays. Hachette Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-3312-6.
- —— (2016). Full Bore. Hachette Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-3553-3.
- —— (2018). Fatherhood : Stories about Being a Dad. Hachette Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-3555-7.
References
- "William McInnes", tv.com
- "Honorary Doctor of Performing Arts – Darrell William McInnes", Central Queensland University, 17 February 2010, accessed 24 September 2017
- Nguyen, Kenneth (25 January 2007). "All rise for reality justice". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- William McInnes as Ray Crowley at SBS
- "William McInnes – ABC Melbourne". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- Juliette Hughes (12 August 2006). "Cricket Kings". The Age. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- Books at Hachette Australia
- The Making of Modern Australia, ABC TV
- Worse Things Happen at Sea, Hachette
- Advisory Council at Old Parliament House, Canberra
- Bligh, Anna (10 June 2009). "Premier Unveils Queensland's 150 Icons". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 24 May 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
- "Australian filmmaker Sarah Watt dies"