Brian Thomas Wenzel (24 May 1929 – 6 May 2024) was an Australian actor, comedian, director and singer.[1] He was in the entertainment business itinerantly for some 60 years, including circus, stage, television and film.
Brian Wenzel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brian Thomas Wenzel 24 May 1929 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Died | 6 May 2024 (aged 94) South Australia, Australia |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1946–1995, 2002, 2009–2014[1] |
| Known for | A Country Practice (TV series) as Frank Gilroy Rove Live (TV series) (recurring) |
| Spouse |
Linda Wenzel (m. 1953) |
After numerous character roles in Crawford Productions serials and films, and after appearing in the ABC serial Certain Women and The Young Doctors, he was cast in the permanent role of Frank Gilroy, an old-fashioned and upright police sergeant (later chef and barman) of the fictional Wandin Valley in A Country Practice, opposite co-star Lorrae Desmond, which he played from 1981 to 1993.
Wenzel had a small role in 1995 in Neighbours as Gordon "Flakey the Clown" Orchard. He was also briefly a cast member of Rove Live in 2009.
Life and career
editEarly life
editWenzel was born in 1929 in Adelaide, South Australia of German descent, one of eight children[3] to Harold Wenzel, a grocer who served with the RAAF, and Kathleen Wenzel.[3]
Wenzel grew up in Western suburbs of Adelaide including Mile End, Thebarton. Torrensville.[4] and then some time in Mt. Gambier, before moving to Geelong, Victoria and had an unsettled early life and spent much of his childhood in remand homes run by various organisation's including the Christian Brothers and the Salvation Army. Wenzel ran away several times. At age 14, he left school and to stay out of trouble was offered a job, as a pony groomer and dog trainer, by a chap with the Sole Brothers' Circus, eventually he would be offered a job in the ring riding the Broncos. During World War II, he was criticised because of his German Prussian surname.[4][3]
Early theatre
editWenzel in the post-WWII years started acting professionally in 1946 when his first performance in an acting role came at the age of 17 in a comedy stage play. He subsequently appeared in numerous stage roles, musicals, pantomime and children's theatre, including productions of Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, The Imaginary Invalid and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. He also worked with the Adelaide Festival of Arts and the South Australian Theatre Company.[5]
Television and film
editAfter many years in the entertainment industry, primarily in live comedy and theatre, Wenzel appeared on the small screen starting from the late 1960s, including the Crawford Production drama series Division 4, Matlock Police and Homicide, as well as The Young Doctors, Cop Shop and Certain Women. In 1972, he and his wife Linda moved to Sydney in order for Wenzel to do full-time acting.[4] It was the role in Certain Women that won him the part of old-fashioned and affable policeman Frank Gilroy, originally a constable and later a sergeant, in A Country Practice. He appeared in the series from its inception in 1981, winning a Silver Logie for his role. Later episodes would eventually see Gilroy retire from the police force to become the local RSL club's barman and chef after the original owner, "Cookie" (Syd Heylen), retired. He also had a guest role playing a NSW Police officer in the series Home Sweet Home with John Bluthal.[citation needed] Wenzel became very popular with the NSW Police due to his role as Sgt Gilroy. He was once presented with a leather police jacket from former commissioner John Avery as the fictional country town of Wandin Valley was located in New South Wales.[citation needed] Wenzel did not reprise his role as Frank Gilroy when A Country Practice was revived for a single season in 1994.
Wenzel appeared in many Australian films during the 1970s and 1980s, including Caddie (1976), The Odd Angry Shot (1979) and Alison's Birthday (1981). He also appeared in the 2014 crime thriller John Doe: Vigilante[6]
Rove Live and advertising
editWenzel was a semi-recurring presence on the Rove McManus light entertainment series Rove Live in 2009. Wenzel also appeared in a television advertisement for the Advance Medical Institute in a role about sexual dysfunction therapy.[7] His Sgt Gilroy character (now 80 years old) arrives to save the day when a newlywed wife complains about her husband "speeding" in bed and then prosecutes him in court. The advertisement created much controversy[8][9] and Wenzel was featured on A Current Affair, defending the advertisement and stating that he was "an actor and this is what I do" and being thrown into the spotlight after almost 15 years out of it. In May 2009, he appeared on a spoof of the advertisement which was aired on Rove Live.[3]
Personal life and death
editWenzel was married to his English-born wife Linda Wenzel for 70 years.[citation needed]
He was an Australia Day ambassador for the state of Victoria and a lifelong supporter of the Carlton Football Club.[citation needed]
Wenzel had two mini strokes in 2018.[10] He went into an Adelaide nursing home in September 2022 with dementia, and died on 6 May 2024, at the age of 94.[11][12]
Awards
edit| Event | Year | Award | Production | Results |
| Logie Awards of 1983[13] | 1983[13] | Best Supporting Actor in a Series[13] | A Country Practice as Sgt. Frank Gilroy[13] | Won[13] |
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Hunter | Harrison – Sargeant Reynolds |
| 1970 | The Long Arm | Det. Sgt Harrison |
| 1972–1973 | Boney | Sgt. Cox |
| 1967–1973 | Homicide | 8 roles |
| 1971–1973 | Matlock Police | 7 roles |
| 1969–1973 | Division 4 | 10 roles |
| 1974 | Movin' On | |
| 1973–74 | Ryan | 3 roles |
| 1973–74 | The Evil Touch | Mr. Jiggs |
| 1973–1976 | Certain Women | Barry Gardiner |
| 1976 | Caddie | Doctor |
| 1976 | The Young Doctors | Mr. Cox |
| 1979 | Glenview High | |
| 1979 | The Odd Angry Shot | Bill's Dad |
| 1979 | Ride on Stranger | Detective |
| 1980 | Skyways | Frank Richmond |
| 1980 | Young Ramsay | Ken Cooper |
| 1981 | Punishmnent | Wally Webber |
| 1981 | Alison's Birthday | Police sergeant |
| 1982 | Deadline | ASIO agent |
| 1981–1993 | A Country Practice | Frank Gilroy |
| 1995 | Neighbours | Gordon "Flakey the Clown" Orchard |
| 2002 | Marshall Law | Murray |
| 2014 | John Doe: Vigilante | Judge |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Wenzel, Brian". Trove, National Library of Australia. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ Bennett, Craig (10 June 2013). "Sgt Frank Gilroy The secret to 60 years of marriage...". Woman's Day. p. 30. ISSN 1321-9839. EBSCOhost 88351346.
- ^ a b c d Davies, Nathan (17 June 2017). "Brian Wenzel, better known as Sgt Frank Gilroy, on his troubled childhood and a lifetime in showbiz". Herald Sun. Melbourne: News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Davies, Nathan (18 June 2017). "Bashed in boys' homes, the Adelaide lad who ran away to the circus and became a TV star". Sunday Mail. Adelaide: News Corp Australia. p. 8. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024 – via NewsBank.
- ^ "Brian Wenzel". Hennessy Harman Management. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "Brian Wenzel, best known for role in A Country Practice, dies aged 94". ABC News. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ B&T Australia (26 May 2009). AMI Bedroom Police Ad (Advertisement). Archived from the original on 19 December 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Country Practice cop patrols bedrooms in weirdest role". The Advertiser. Adelaide: News Limited. 3 March 2009. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009.
- ^ Burke, Kelly (26 May 2009). "Men's sexual health TV ad scrapped". WAtoday. Perth: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Koch, Phillip (31 October 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Brian Wenzel: 'I miss Lorrae dearly'". New Idea. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (6 May 2024). "Vale: Brian Wenzel". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Gossling, Bronte (6 May 2024). "The Young Doctors and A Country Practice's Brian Wenzel dies aged 94". 9Honey Celebrity. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "1983: The 25th Annual TV Week Logie Awards". Yahoo!7. 2014. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
External links
edit- Brian Wenzel at IMDb
- Brian Wenzel discography at Discogs