Harold Douglas Hopkins (6 March 194411 December 2011) was an Australian film and television actor.
Early life Hopkins was born on 6 March 1944, in Toowoomba, Queensland. He was one of seven children (including Naomi, Michael, Gregory, Margaret, Suzanne and twin brother John) born to Francis Hopkins and Olive (nee Ascroft).
He attended The Southport School and Toowoomba Grammar School as a day boy in 1958 and 1959. During the 1960s, he worked as an apprentice carpenter, and was exposed to asbestos fibres without protective masks or clothing.
After his apprenticeship, Hopkins and his twin brother John enrolled at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, with Harold graduating in 1967.
Career
Theatre After numerous theatre performances with NIDA in the late 1960s, Hopkins originated the role of Danny Rowe, captain of the Collingwood Football Club in a 1977 stage production of David Williamson's satirical play The Club.
Hopkins' appeared on stage with the Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company playing Barney in Ray Lawler's The Doll Trilogy at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Athenaeum and again three years later in New York.
Television Hopkins' on-screen career began in the late 1960s with a recurring guest role on the short-lived daytime soap opera Motel, alongside Jack Thompson. He also had a major co-starring role opposite Jeanie Drynan in the 1969 ABC drama miniseries Pastures of the Blue Crane, an adaptation of the 1965 children's novel by Hesba Brinsmead.
Other early television credits included Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Riptide, Delta and Barrier Reef. He also had a recurring role in the 1971 comedy drama series The Godfathers and its spin-off The People Next Door. Hopkins won a Penguin Award in 1974 for his portrayal of private secretary Percy Deane in John Power's docudrama Billy and Percy.
Hopkins went on to appear in numerous other series including Certain Women, Silent Number, Matlock Police, Homicide, Division 4, Rush and The Lost Islands. He then landed a lead role in the 1979 series Twenty Good Years.
Hopkins also appeared in several miniseries including Sara Dane (1982), The Last Bastion (1984), The Dirtwater Dynasty (1988), True Believers (1988), Winners, Shadows of the Heart (1990) and Brides of Christ (1991).
Later television series in which Hopkins had roles, included State Coroner, Blue Heelers, White Collar Blue, Wildside, All Saints, The Secret Life of Us, Grass Roots and The Strip. He also played Melbourne arms dealer George Joseph in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, the second season of underworld series Underbelly.
Film Hopkins first foray into film began with a supporting role in Age of Consent (1969), with James Mason and Helen Mirren. He appeared in 16 films over the course of his career, including classic Australian films Don's Party (1976) in which he played the role of Cooley, and The Picture Show Man (1977).
Hopkins reprised his role as Danny in The Club (from his 1977 stage performance) once more in Bruce Beresford's 1980 film adaptation. His performance saw him nominated for a 1981 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actor. He lost out to Bill Hunter for Peter Weir's war drama Gallipoli, in which Hopkins also starred as obnoxious farmhand Les McCann, opposite Mel Gibson and Mark Lee.
Further film credits included Monkey Grip (1982), Fantasy Man (1984), Children of the Revolution (1996) and 1987 coming of age drama The Year My Voice Broke, with Noah Taylor and Ben Mendelsohn. Several TV films followed, including Big Ideas (1993) and Never Tell Me Never (1998). In 2001, he starred as a dying man in AFI-nominated, TV short Saturn’s Return, opposite Joel Edgerton, who played his son.
Hopkins' final film was 2010 horror thriller The Clinic. His last audition was for the role of Jay Gatbsy’s father, Henry C. Gatz in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, although he knew he would not live to play the role, as he had been diagnosed with cancer mere days earlier.
Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 1974 Billy and Percy Penguin Award 1981 The Club Australian Film Institute Awards Best Supporting Actor
Personal life Harold Hopkins married twice. His second marriage was to Sue Collie, an actress he met in Melbourne in 1977, while starring in the original stage production of David Williamson's The Club with Melbourne Theatre Company.
In the 1970s, Hopkins bought land at Webbs Creek, on the Hawkesbury River. Between stage and film roles, Hopkins worked as a Hawkesbury River ferryman.
Death In 2011, Hopkins was diagnosed with mesothelioma, believed to be due to his asbestos exposure in the 1960s. He died in Neringah Private Hospital, a Sydney hospice in Wahroonga on 11 December 2011, at the age of 67. He was survived by his six siblings, including twin brother John.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes Ref.1969 You Can't See 'round Corners Soldier at dance (uncredited) Age of Consent Ted Farrell 1970 Adam's Woman Cosh 1971 Demonstrator Malcolm 1976 Don’s Party Grainger Cooley (Susan's boyfriend) 1977 The Picture Show Man Larry Pym 1980 The Club Danny Rowe 1981 Gallipoli Les McCann 1982 Monkey Grip Willie Ginger Meggs Mr. Fox 1983 Buddies Johnny The Winds of Jarrah Jack Farrell 1984 Stanley: Every Home Should Have One Harry Fantasy Man Nick Bailey 1987 The Year My Voice Broke Tom Alcock 1992 Resistance Peach 1993 No Worries John Burke 1993 Kin chan no Cinema Jack 1996 Children of the Revolution Police Commissioner 1997 Blackrock Principal Joey Kanga Catcher 1998 Bloodlock Peter Short film 2000 Our Lips Are Sealed Shelby Shaw 2005 The Assistant Enzo Short film 2010 The Clinic Grave Digger Final film role
Television Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1968 Motel Bruce Jackson 2 episodes 1969 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Tim Grant 2 episodes Riptide Harry 1 episode Pastures of the Blue Crane Perry, the taxi driver Miniseries, 5 episodes Delta Alan Tibbett 1 episode Australian Plays Ben Torrents Episode: "The Torrents" 1969–1973 Division 4 Eric Smith / Max Williams / Dave Clarke / Ted Kavanagh 4 episodes 1970–1971 Barrier Reef Steve Gabo 39 episodes 1971–1972 The Godfathers David Milson 46 episodes 1971–1974 Matlock Police Doug Campbell / George Kelly / Luke Reid / Rocky / Tony Grey / Chip Richardson 6 episodes 1973 Boney Jack Wilton 1 episode The People Next Door Dave Milson 20 episodes 1974 Silent Number Brendon 1 episode Billy and Percy Percy Deane TV movie 1974–1975 Certain Women 9 episodes 1967–1975 Homicide Geoff Brady / Constable Alec Henderson / Gary Thompson 3 episodes 1975 Ben Hall Johnny Vane Miniseries, 4 episodes 1976 The Lost Islands Thomas Quick 1 episode Rush Hardy Evans 1 episode 1978 The Young Doctors Orderly Terry Cooper 3 episodes Case for the Defence Theo Lambrakis 1 episode 1978–1982 Cop Shop Noel Lawson / Paul McKinnon / Bob Little / Paul Moorhead 7 episodes 1979 Twenty Good Years Ron Fielding 20 episodes 1980 Young Ramsay Ken Murray 1 episode Rusty Bugles Vic Richards TV movie 1981 Bellamy O'Grady 1 episode 1982 The Highest Honor Cpl. C.M. Stewart TV movie Sara Dane Andrew McLeay Miniseries, 8 episodes 1984 The Last Bastion Harold Holt Miniseries, 3 episodes 1985 A Country Practice Dave Burchfield Season 5, 2 episodes Winners Jack Doyle 1 episode 1987 Fields of Fire Whacker Miniseries, 2 episodes 1988 The Dirtwater Dynasty Reverend Mc Bride Miniseries, 5 episodes Fields of Fire II Whacker Miniseries, 2 episodes The True Believers Edgar Ross Miniseries, 8 episodes 1989 Fields of Fire III Whacker Miniseries, 2 episodes 1990 G.P. Malcolm Bishop 1 episode E.A.R.T.H. Force Holland 1 episode Shadows of the Heart Willy Carter Miniseries, 2 episodes 1991 Brides of Christ Ken Maloney Miniseries, 3 episodes 1991–1995 Police Rescue Colley / Tony Fuller (NARC detective) 3 episodes 1992 Big Ideas Sam Stevens TV movie 1993 Joh's Jury Geoffrey Woodward TV movie 1994 Time Trax Ed Lowry 1 episode Heartland Jim 3 episodes Blue Heelers Geoff Lovett Season 1, episode 36: "Adverse Possession" 1996 Water Rats Union Representative Season 1, 1 episode 1998 Moby Dick Captain Peleg Miniseries Never Tell Me Never Neville TV movie State Coroner Max Capilano Season 2, 1 episode 1999 Big Sky Minister 1 episode Wildside Lionel Season 2, 1 episode Murder Call Brian Capper Season 3, 1 episode Heartbreak High Owen Croft Season 7, 2 episodes 2000 Grass Roots Surf Club Manager Season 1, 1 episode 2001 Courts mais GAY: Tome 5 Dan TV movie, segment: "Saturn's Return" Outriders Hayden Simpson 4 episodes Beastmaster Kumon 1 episode 2001; 2008 All Saints Abe / Frank Miller 2 episodes 2002 The Road from Coorain Rob McLennan TV movie 2003 White Collar Blue Bruce Season 4, 1 episode 2004 McLeod's Daughters Ken Logan Season 4, 1 episode 2005 The Secret Life of Us Bill Davidson Season 4, 1 episode Home and Away Jim Wallace 1 episode 2006 Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King Vernon Klein 1 episode 2008 The Strip Bomber Davis Season 1, 1 episode 2009 Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities George Joseph 3 episodes
Theatre Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1966 Two Programs of Short Plays: Men Without Shadows / Le Malentendu Militiaman / Jan Jane St Theatre, Sydney with NIDA 1967 Camille and Perdican Father Blazius UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney with NIDA Point of Departure Orpheus Three Men on a Horse Moses The Winter’s Tale King Leontes 1968 Childermas UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney A Refined Look at Existence Donny (Dionysius) 1969 The Knack Colin Theatre Royal Sydney 1974 The Bride of Gospel Place Arts Theatre, Adelaide with South Australian Theatre Company 1976 Martello Towers Lonnie Randall Nimrod Theatre, Sydney 1977 The Club Danny Rowe Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1982 Demolition Job Quentin Nimrod Theatre, Sydney 1985 The Real Thing Sydney Opera House with STC 1985; 1988 The Doll Trilogy: Kid Stakes / Other Times / Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Barney Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Athenaeum, Pepsico Summerfare, New York with MTC / STC 2002 Earl Stables Theatre, Sydney
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