Patrick Ward (actor)

Ward grew up in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville, the son of a taxi driver and payroll mistress. He left home and school at the age of 14.^[2] He worked in several jobs, before joining choreographer Ross Coleman's production of Gotta Move at Sydney's Union Theatre (now Footbridge Theatre) in 1968.^[2] At 16, he joined the Independent Theatre, where he trained as an actor,^[3] before going on to perform at the Killara 680 Coffee Theatre. At 17, he came second in a go-go dancing competition for radio station 2UW.^[2]

In his late teens, Ward was signed by Pat Woodley's modelling agency, through which he began landing roles in TV commercials.^[2]

Ward signed with International Casting Services run by Gloria Payten who initially secured work for him as an extra in films such Color Me Dead (1969) and That Lady from Peking (1975).^[2] At the beginning of the 1970s he also scored work in various television shows. He played Gilbert Bunthorp in the ABC's adaptation of The Cousin from Fiji, a soldier in Spyforce and a Vietnam veteran in The Godfathers.^[2] Ward played Mike Parsons in early episodes of the television series Number 96 in 1972,^[4] before later playing Nicholas Brent in the 1974 film version.^[5]

Other early roles came in police drama Matlock Police in 1973 and as Sam Wandsworth in the teen soap opera Class of '74.^[5] He played the regular role Cornelius (aka 'Corny'), in 1975 serial The Unisexers, produced by Cash Harmon Television, the makers of Number 96.^[5] However, the series was cancelled after just three weeks and 16 episodes, due to poor ratings.^[6]

Ward had a regular support role as Constable Peter Fleming in the police serial Cop Shop beginning in late 1977, but left the series within three months of its launch.^[7] In 1980 he was a regular cast member of a new soap opera, Arcade, created by several members of the creative team from Number 96.^[8] He played sports shop owner Craig Carmichael.^[3] Arcade was a critical and ratings failure and was cancelled after six weeks on air.^[8][9]

Further television credits included short-lived police drama The Spoiler, Catch Kandy, Homicide and sitcom Up The Convicts.^[3] He also appeared in A Country Practice (1983), Chances (1991) and Phoenix (1992) and had a regular role in the sitcom My Two Wives (1992).^[10][2] He later appeared in All Saints (2001), Farscape (2001; 2003) and Bad Cop, Bad Cop (2003) and Home and Away.^[2]

Ward's miniseries credits include ANZACS (1985), alongside Paul Hogan, Fields of Fire (1987) and Bodysurfer (1989), based on the short story collection by Robert Drewe. He also appeared in the TV movies Kindred Spirits and Super Sleuth (1984).^[3][2]

Ward also appeared in film, an early credit being 1974 cult Ozploitation film Stone opposite Helen Morse.^[11] The same year, he featured in the opening sequence of Peter Weir's The Cars That Ate Paris and then played tough guy Tex in 1975 film Sidecar Racers. Other film credits include 1980 thriller The Chain Reaction,^[12] opposite Steve Bisley, 1987 crime thriller Running from the Guns,^[2] 1990 romantic drama The Crossing alongside Russell Crowe^[2] and 1992 film Jindalee Lady^[13] He later appeared in 2008 thriller Restraint opposite Teresa Palmer, Travis Fimmel and British actor Stephen Moyer.^[14]

Theatre, however, was Ward's first love, which saw him appear in numerous stage productions throughout his career, including Butley, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Scapino, The Lion in Winter, Mourning Becomes Electra, Caesar and Cleopatra and Father's Day.^[2] Other theatre credits included Pyjama Tops, The Shifting Heart, The Removalists, Having a Ball, The Devil's Advocate, True West and Angel City.^[2] From 1979 to 1981 he performed in Kirribilli Pub Theatre shows. A role in Broadway musical South Pacific saw him tour Thailand in the early 1990s.^[2]

Despite landing roles in international productions including a 1981 guest role in Aaron Spelling drama The Love Boat, 1986 miniseries Spearfield's Daughter, the 1988 reboot of Mission: Impossible, and sci-fi series Farscape, Ward never had big ambitions to make it internationally.^[2]

Ward died on 14 October 2019, at the age of 69.^[3][1] He was survived by his long-term partner Alanna and his sister Sue.^[2]