Simon Chilvers
Australian actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simon Chilvers (born 5 April 1939) is an English-born, Australia-based television actor.[1]
Simon Chilvers | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 April 1939 Potters Bar, Middlesex, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Notable work | The Dunera Boys True Believers Rafferty's Rules Buddies |
Early life
Chilvers was born in London in 1939, and discovered art as a young child, drawing images of planes flying overhead during World War II.[2]
He attended Knox Grammar School, in the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga, from 1949 to 1956.[3] Upon leaving school, his parents encouraged him to pursue a career in advertising. Unenthused, he was instead inspired by his grandmother to attend an acting audition, where he was immediately offered a role.[2]
Career
Chilvers started off his career acting for the stage, at the Melbourne Theatre Company, playing roles In productions by Shakespeare, Ibsen and Chekhov.[2]
He went on to appear in television series such as A Country Practice, Prisoner, Homicide and Division 4.[2] He also played the main role of Sergeant Julian Flicker in drama series Rafferty's Rules.[4]
Chilvers won the 1986 AFI Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Mini Series for his role in the miniseries The Dunera Boys.[5] He was nominated for the same award in 1988 for political miniseries True Believers[6] (in which he played Doctor Evatt), and for the 1983 AFI Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for comedy-drama film Buddies.[7]
Chilvers' acting career was upended in 1996 when he was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis, after experiencing an incident on stage. He gradually became less mobile and eventually his work was limited mostly to narration work in documentaries.[2]
Personal life
Chilvers and his wife Sally met at the ages of 43 and 21, respectively, while working together on a Sydney Theatre Company production of A Happy and Holy Occasion in 1982. Sally was the assistant manager on the production. After conducting a long distance relationship between Melbourne and Sydney, they moved into a flat together in Manly in 1986.[8]
In 1996, Chilvers was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. In 2016, his wife qualified as a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and treats him on a daily basis.[8]
Chilvers has resided in the Sydney suburb of Fairlight for 30 years.[2]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Buddies | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 1986 | The Dunera Boys | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Miniseries | Nominated |
| 1988 | True Believers | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Miniseries | Nominated |
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Daphne Laureola | TV movie | |
| 1972 | The Man Who Shot the Albatross | Feature film | |
| 1974 | The End Product | Dr Cardios | TV movie |
| 1974 | The Cherry Orchard | TV movie | |
| 1977 | High Rolling | Sideshow Boss | Feature film |
| 1983 | Buddles | Alfred | Feature film |
| 1983 | A Descent for Gossips | Mr. Findlay | TV movie |
| 1984 | Annie's Coming Out | Metcalf | Feature film |
| 1984 | The Young Wife | Peter Barwine | TV movie |
| 1985 | The Naked Country | Inspector Poole | Feature film |
| 1986 | Sky Pirates | Rev. Mitchell | Feature film |
| 1986 | Robbery | Chief Super. Bill Sullivan | TV movie |
| 1986 | The Big Hurt | Algerson | Feature film |
| 1986 | Windrider | Howard | Feature film |
| 1989 | Home Brew | Pat Daley | TV movie |
| 1992 | Garbo | Detective | Feature film |
| 1992 | The Time Game | George Johnson | Feature film |
| 1995 | Mushrooms | Instop | Feature film |
| 2004 | Jessica | Judge | TV movie |
| 2005 | Hell Has Harbour Views | George Hancock | TV movie |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | And the Big Men Fly | Harry Head | TV miniseries |
| 1965 | The Magic Boomerang | ||
| 1973-74 | Ryan | Henderson / Fat man / Joe | TV series |
| 1972-75 | Division 4 | Joseph Cooper / Charlie Gibson / Brent Nichols | TV series |
| 1977 | Homicide | 3 roles | TV series |
| 1976-81 | Cop Shop | Various | TV series |
| 1983 | Prisoner | Det. Sgt. Terry Farmer | TV series |
| 1983 | Five Mile Creek | Lord Rivers | TV series |
| 1983 | The Young Doctors | Steven Karp | TV series |
| 1984 | A Country Practice | Cameron McPherson | TV series |
| 1984 | Waterfront | Cross | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | The Last Reunion | Earle Page | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | The Cowra Breakout | Major. Horden | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | Special Squad | Maguire | TV series |
| 1984 | Eureka Stockade | Bishop Goold | TV miniseries |
| 1985 | The Dunera Boys | Col. Berry | TV miniseries |
| 1987 | The Petrov Affair | H.V. Evatt | TV miniseries |
| 1987 | Willing and Abel | Pisani | TV series |
| 1987 | Ground Zero | Commission President | Film |
| 1987 | The Shiralee | Thaddeus | TV miniseries |
| 1988 | True Believers | H.V. Evatt | TV miniseries |
| 1987-91 | Rafferty's Rules | Jullian Flicker | TV series |
| 1991 | Ratbag Hero | Baldy | TV miniseries |
| 1992 | Cluedo | Harold Felon | TV series |
| 1993 | Minder | Bill McCabe | TV series |
| 1994 | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | Douglass | TV miniseries |
| 1995 | Janus | Magistrate. Shearer | TV series |
| 1997 | Fallen Angels | Bernie Levinson | TV series |
| 1999 | Big Sky | Rex | TV series |
| 2001 | The Farm | Phil Reynolds | TV miniseries |
| 2001 | Always Greener | Charlie Parker | TV series |
| 2003 | Changi | Father Keogh | TV miniseries |
| 2001 | Corridors of Power | Lester | TV series |
| 1999-2007 | All Saints | 3 roles | TV series |
| 2009 | Rogue Nation | Child Judge | |
| 2019 | Rake | Albert | TV series |
Theatre
As actor
As director
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Trial of the Catonsville Nine | Assistant Director | Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1972 | The Tavern | Director | |
| 1973–1974 | The Last of the Knucklemen | Director | Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra with MTC |
| 1974 | London Assurance | Director | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1975 | Shindig! | Director | Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1975 | The Freeway | Director | |
| 1976 | Old Flames | Director | VCA, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1978 | Arsenic and Old Lace | Director | Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC |
| 1978–1979 | The Club | Director | Playhouse, Perth, Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1980 | The Matchmaker | Director | Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC |
| 1980 | The Man Who Came to Dinner | Director | |
| 1980 | Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead | Associate Director | |
| 1981 | A Man for All Seasons | Director | |
| 1981 | The London Cuckolds | Director | |
| 1981–1982 | A Cuckoo in the Nest | Director | |
| 1982 | Hedda Gabler | Associate Director |