Martin Colin Sacks (born 16 October 1959) is an Australian actor who is chiefly known for his 12-year role on Blue Heelers from 1993 to 2005.

Martin Sacks
Sacks attending the 2016 TV Week Logie Awards, May 2016
Born
Martin Colin Sacks

(1959-10-16) 16 October 1959 (age 65)
Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)Actor, director
Years active1977–present
SpouseKate Sacks (née Allen)
Awards1998–2002: Silver Logie award for Most Popular Actor – for his role as PJ Hasham in Blue Heelers

Life and career

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Sacks was born in Sydney. He got into acting after a bit part in an episode of The Love Boat when it was filming in the Pacific. His first role came about in the series The Restless Years in 1977, which started him on the television circuit in Australia. He emigrated to Hollywood in the 1980s, guest starring in series such as thirtysomething, but preferred Australia, and so he returned there after a few years. Also had guest appearances in: Love in Limbo, Encounters, Irresistible Force, Fields of Fire III, All the Way, Touch the Sun: Princess Kate, Slate, Wyn & Me, Sentiments, Emoh Ruo, Stock Squad and The City's Edge. Also Jake and the Fatman.

Sacks took the role of Detective P.J. Hasham in the 1993 series Blue Heelers. The show rocketed him to fame, most notably his 7-year "will-they-or-won't-they" relationship with Constable Maggie Doyle (Lisa McCune) which ended with her death in the programme's seventh season.

During the time he starred on the show, Sacks married Kate and had two children, Jack and Ned and had leading roles in two major Australian miniseries: Do or Die and My Husband, My Killer (both 2001).

After playing P.J. for twelve years, and being one of only three original cast still on the show in the twelfth season, Sacks left Blue Heelers in August 2005. Sacks asked the producers not to kill his character, so that he could return for a guest spot in the future. He did not get the chance, however: the show was cancelled in early 2006.[citation needed]

Sacks is also a director, having directed episodes of Blue Heelers, All Saints and a short film called Crushed.

Sacks also starred in the 2008 Australian TV hit, Underbelly, portraying underworld loanshark Mario Condello. In 2010, Sacks guest starred in three different shows – City Homicide, Rescue: Special Ops and Sea Patrol. In 2013 he appeared in Wentworth.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref
1983 The City's Edge Youth at Party Feature film
1985 Stock Squad Ric Santana TV movie
Emoh Ruo Des. Tunkley Feature film
1987 Slate, Wyn & Me Slate Jackson Feature film
1988 Touch the Sun: Princess Kate Greg Mathieson TV movie
1993 Irresistible Force Bomb Squad Officer Feature film
Love in Limbo Max Wiseman Feature film
Encounters Martin Carr Feature film
2001 My Husband, My Killer Andrew Kalajzich TV movie
2011 The Cup Neil Pinner Feature film
This Dog’s Life Father Short film
2012 Bait 3D Todd Feature film
Jack Irish: Black Tide Steve Levesque TV movie [1]
Island Chris Short film
Rise of the Underdog Bridges Short film
Blackbuster Graham Short film
2013 Absolute Deception Hank Feature film
Cliffy Syd TV movie [2]
2014 Breath Father Short film
Rise Jimmy Cove Feature film
2015 Truth Robert Strong Feature film
2016 Hitch The Man Short film
Land to Vale Narrator Short film
2017 The Kindness of Strangers Man Short film
Don't Tell Tony Feature film
2018 The Second The Brother Feature film [3]
2019 Ride Like a Girl Owner #2 Feature film
2020 Sweet River John Drake Feature film
2021 Buckley's Chance Cooper Feature film
2022 Bosch & Rockit Derek Feature film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref
1977 The Restless Years Adam Lee TV series
1982–84 A Country Practice Craig Thompson/Philby TV series. 6 episodes
1987 Sentiments Jeff TV series
1988 All the Way Alan Scott Miniseries, 3 episodes
1989 Fields of Fire III Rinaldo Miniseries, 3 episodes
1990 thirtysomething Assistant Director TV series, Season 3, episode 22
Jake and the Fatman Halsey Reed TV series, Season 4, episode 5
1993 Police Rescue Lloyd Cooper TV series, Season 3, episode 4
1993–2005 Blue Heelers Senior Detective Patrick Joseph "P.J." Hasham TV series, 484 episodes
1997 Oz Encounter: UFOs in Australia Host Documentary
1999 Carols in the Domain Host TV special
2001 Do or Die (aka The Rubicon) Jimmy Grattan Miniseries
2008 Underbelly Mario Condello TV series, 11 episodes
The Strip Keith Boswell TV series, Season 1, episode 5
2009 East of Everything Toby Ferrani TV series, Season 2, episode 7
2010 Lowdown Tony Marino TV series, Season 1, episode 7
City Homicide Daniel Worthington TV series, Season 3, episode 22
Sea Patrol Derek Cavanaugh TV series, Season 4, episode 16
Rescue Special Ops Charles Howard TV series, Season 2, episode 12
Offspring Colin Soriel TV series, 2 episodes
2012 The Straits Howard Reeman Miniseries, 2 episodes
2013 Reef Doctors David Miniseries, Episode: "Episode #1.9"
Air Rescue Narrator TV series, 6 episodes [4]
2014-15 Wonderland Callan Beaumont 14 episodes [5]
2012, 2014 Rake Roger Cross TV series, 7 episodes
2013–18 Wentworth Derek Channing TV series, 17 episodes [6][7]
2013–14, 2017 A Place to Call Home Itzaak Goldberg TV series, 5 episodes
2014 The Gods of Wheat Street Bobby Blackman Miniseries, 3 episodes
2015 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Martin O’Brien TV series, 1 episode
2016 Brock Geoff Brock Miniseries, 2 episodes [8]
2017 The Laps Tasmania Narrator Documentary
2018 Sisters Online miniseries
2022 Irreverent Victor Miniseries, 3 episodes

Director

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Year Title Notes
2005-2006 Blue Heelers 4 episodes
2006-2008 All Saints 6 episodes
Crushed Short film

Awards

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Year Award Category Film Result
1996 Logie Award Most Popular Actor Blue Heelers Nominated
1997[9] Won
1998[10] Won
1999[11] Won
2000[12] Won
2001[13] Won

References

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  1. ^ Knox, David (21 October 2011). "All-star cast joins Jack Irish telemovies | TV Tonight". TVTonight.
  2. ^ "Cliffy | TV Tonight". 22 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Airdate: The Second | TV Tonight". 24 May 2018.
  4. ^ "Martin Sacks narrates Air Rescue | TV Tonight". 2 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Martin Sacks steps into Wonderland | TV Tonight". 23 June 2014.
  6. ^ Knox, David (29 March 2016). "Returning: Wentworth | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.
  7. ^ Knox, David (27 February 2017). "Returning: Wentworth | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.
  8. ^ Knox, David (27 September 2016). "Airdate: Brock | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.
  9. ^ "1997 TV Week Logie Awards". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  10. ^ "1998 TV Week Logie Awards". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  11. ^ "1999 TV Week Logie Awards". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  12. ^ "2000 TV Week Logie Awards". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  13. ^ "2001 TV Week Logie Awards". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
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