Alan Hopgood Australian actor (1934–2022)
Alan Hopgood
Alan Hopgood as Wally Wallace in TV series "Prisoner"
Born Alan John Hopgood
Died 19 March 2022 (aged 87) Occupations Actor producer playwright and dramatist screenwriter librettist publisher lecturer Years active 1940–2014
Alan John Hopgood AM (29 September 1934 – 19 March 2022), also known as Alan Hopwood , was an Australian actor, producer, and writer. He wrote the screenplay for the 1972 film Alvin Purple Bellbird Prisoner Neighbours [ 1]
Early life
Hopgood was born in Launceston, Tasmania , and grew up in the state. He acted in several dramatic roles in his childhood, making his legimiate debut aged 12 in The Winslow Boy in Hobart.[ 1]
He attended school in Melbourne as a boarder at Wesley Collect. HE studied at the University of Melbourne , graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) and a Diploma of Education.[ 1]
His first play, Marcus , was produced at Melbourne University while he was working as a school teacher. He left teaching to write full-time and start his acting career.[ 2]
Career
Screen actor: Television and film
Hopgood was an actor with the Melbourne Theatre Company for ten years and was an early 'soap' star in Bellbird Prisoner Neighbours as Jack Lassiter (a role he reprised in August 2013).[ 4]
As an actor, his cinema credits include My Brilliant Career The Blue Lagoon Roadgames Evil Angels A Cry in the Dark outside of Australia and New Zealand)[ 5] The Man from Snowy River II
He worked with a large number of actors including Frank Thring , Meryl Streep , Brooke Shields , Sam Neill and Judy Davis .[ 6]
In late 2021, Hopgood appeared in an exclusive interview for the official YouTube Talking Prisoner , in which he discussed his life and career. The episode was published in January 2022.[ 7]
Honours
Hopgood won AWGIE awards for The Cheerful Cuckold The Bush Bunch and writing several feature films including Alvin Purple and the documentaries The Prophecies of Nostradamus The Fountain of Youth .
Hopgood was awarded the A.M. (Member of the Order of Australia ) in 2005 for his services to the performing arts as an actor, playwright and producer, and to the community through raising awareness of men's health issues.[ 8]
Personal life
Hopgood resided in Melbourne with his wife Gay, with whom he had two children (Fincina and Sam), and four grandchildren (Jackson, Harrison, Ashwyn and Darcy).[ 1]
Health issues and death
Alan Hopgood developed prostate cancer and published a book on the experience titled Surviving Prostate Cancer: One Man's Journey , which was widely praised.[ 9] [ 10] [ 6]
Hopgood died from prostate cancer at the age of 87 on 19 March 2022 at a hospital in Melbourne.[ 11] [ 12]
Filmography
As writer
Year
Title
Role
Type
1963
And the Big Men Fly Writer
TV movie
1964
Barley Charlie Writer
TV series, season 1 (7 episodes)
1967
Bellbird Writer
TV series
1968
The World of Seekers Writer
TV movie
1969
The Cheerful Cuckold Writer
TV movie (from Australian Plays
1973
The Barry Crocker Comedy Hour Writer
TV special
1973
Alvin Purple Screenplay
Feature film
1974
And the Big Men Fly Writer
TV series, season 1 (6 episodes)
1974
Alvin Rides Again Screenplay
Feature film
1975
The True Story of Eskimo Nell Writer
Feature film
1976
Alvin Purple Writer / creator
TV series, season 1 (13 episodes)
1979
Gulpilil: Man of Two Worlds Writer
TV movie
1979
The Prophecies of Nostradamus Writer
Feature film
1980
The Quick Brown Fox Writer
Short film
1981
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow Screenplay
Feature film
1981
And Here Comes Bucknuckle Writer
TV series, season 1 (6 episodes)
1981
Pacific Banana Screenplay
Feature film
1981
The Cliffhanger Writer
Short TV movie
1981
The Bush Bunch: 1.1 the Cliffhanger Writer
TV movie
1982
Breakfast in Paris Screenplay (credited as Morris Dalton)
Feature film
1982
Prisoner Writer
TV series, season 4 (1 episode)
1983
A Slice of Life Screenplay
Feature film
1985
Fountain of Youth Writer
TV movie
1985
From Opera with Love Writer
TV movie
1988–91
The Flying Doctors Writer
TV series, seasons 3-5 & 9 (6 episodes)
1989
Sugar and Spice Writer
TV series, season 1 (8 episodes)
1989–91
Pugwall Scriptwriter
TV series, seasons 1 & 2 (42 episodes)
1990
Flair Writer
TV miniseries (2 episodes)
1991
Chances Writer
TV series, season 1 (3 episodes)
1994
Blue Heelers Writer
TV series, season 1 (1 episodes)
1998–01
Neighbours Writer
TV series, seasons 14–17 (22 episodes)
Theatre
As actor
Year
Title
Role
Type
1947 Saint Joan Playhouse, Hobart
1953 Slaves of Duty Puckapunyal Army Base
1953 The Shoemaker's Holiday Lord Mayor of London University of Melbourne
1956 Of Mice and Men George University of Melbourne
1956 The Madwoman of Chaillot The Rag Picker University of Melbourne
1956 Golden Boy University of Melbourne
1956 The Troublemakers University of Melbourne
1956 Thieves' Carnival Harlequin University of Melbourne
1957 Much Ado About Nothing University of Melbourne
1957 Arsenic and Old Lace Lieutenant Rooney University of Melbourne
1957 A View from the Bridge First Officer / Neighbour University of Melbourne
1957 Speak of the Devil University of Melbourne
1958 The Making of Moo William University of Melbourne
1958 A Hatful of Rain Polo Pope University of Melbourne
1958 Lola Montez Smith University of Melbourne , Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane , Elizabethan Theatre
1958 The Threepenny Opera Smith University of Melbourne
1958 Look Back in Anger Cliff Lewis Elizabethan Theatre
1959 Marcus University of Melbourne with The Marlowe Society
1960 Long Day's Journey into Night Edmund Tyrone St Martins Theatre
1961 Stop Press Phillip Street Theatre
1962 The Fantasticks Narrator Russell Street Theatre
1963 The Man Who Came to Dinner Banjo Russell Street Theatre
1963-65 And the Big Men Fly J.J. Forbes Russell Street Theatre , Arts Theatre Adelaide , Wangaratta Town Hall, Broken Hill Town Hall, Playhouse Perth , Albury, Theatre Royal Hobart , Twelfth Night Theatre
1964 After the Fall Quentin Russell Street Theatre
1964 Night of the Auk University of Melbourne
1965 Entertaining Mr Sloane Russell Street Theatre
1965 Bandicoot on a Burnt Ridge Russell Street Theatre
1965 Tiny Alice Butler University of Melbourne
1965 Inadmissible Evidence University of Melbourne
1965 The Homecoming Lenny University of Melbourne
1966 A Break in the Music Derek Playhouse Theatre Perth
1966 The Owl and the Pussycat Russell Street Theatre
1967 The Servant of Two Masters Truffaldino Russell Street Theatre
1968 The Crucible Giles Corey Russell Street Theatre , Canberra Theatre , Tasmania
1968 Three Sisters Captain Solyony Russell Street Theatre
1968 Everything in the Garden Russell Street Theatre
1969 Henry IV, Part 1 Poins Octagon Theatre Perth , Murdoch Court Melbourne
1986 A Kind of Justice Masonic Hall, Perth
1993-94 Emperor of the Ghetto Rumkowski Fairfax Studio Melbourne, Lion Theatre Adelaide with Bay Street Productions
1995 It's My Party (And I'll Die if I Want To) Arts Theatre Adelaide
1997 For Better, for Worse Des Chapel Off Chapel with Bay Street Productions
2007 Four Funerals in One Day Clarrie Bay Street Productions
2007-08 Visiting Mr. Green Mr Green Whitehorse Centre, Drum Theatre Dandenong, Kingston Arts Centre Moorabbin, Clocktower Centre Moonee Ponds
2008 The Peppercorn Tree Jonah
2008 Never Too Old Fred Monash University , Chapel Off Chapel with Bay Street Productions
2012 Hear Me Doctor International Incident Disclosure Conference with Bay Street Productions
2017 Never Too Old Fred at ACMI , Federation Square for Melbourne International Comedy Festival with Bay Street Productions
2019 Never Too Old Fred Glen Eira Town Hall for Glen Eira Storytelling Festival with Bay Street Productions
2020 The Carer George Parker Online with The Sugden Society with Bay Street Productions
Year
Title
Role
Type
1957 Beauty and the Beast Stage manager University of Melbourne
1959 Marcus Playwright University of Melbourne
1961 Stop Press Lyricist Phillip Street Theatre
1963-65 And the Big Men Fly Playwright Russell Street Theatre , Arts Theatre Adelaide , Wangaratta Town Hall, Broken Hill Town Hall, Playhouse Perth , Albury, Theatre Royal Hobart , Twelfth Night Theatre
1964 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Playwright Russell Street Theatre
1965-66 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Playwright Burnley Theatre Richmond, Camberwell
1966 Private Yuk Objects Playwright Mildura, Russell Street Theatre , Phillip Theatre , Mildura Arts Centre
1967 Terribly Terribly University of California
1967 Monkey Tricks Playwright Playhouse Canberra
1967 And the Big Men Fly Playwright Playhouse Canberra
1967-68 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Playwright Pymble Community Hall, Adelaide Teachers College , Twelfth Night Theatre
1970 And the Big Men Fly Playwright Scott Theatre, Adelaide
1973 And the Big Men Fly Playwright La Boite Theatre
1974 Terribly Terribly Playwright Monash University
1976 And the Big Men Fly Playwright SGIO Theatre
1977 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Playwright Mountview Theatre Macedon, Arts Theatre Brisbane
1980-83 And the Big Men Fly Playwright Victorian country tour, Arts Theatre Brisbane, Arts Theatre Adelaide , Tilley Recreation Park Adelaide, Brown's Mart Theatre Darwin with Bay Street Productions
1982 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Playwright Nerang, Newcastle
1986 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Out of the Frying Pan ; A Kind of Justice Playwright Masonic Hall Perth
1988 And the Big Men Fly Playwright Russell Street Theatre with Bay Street Productions
1970 Ritual Playwright Majestic Cinemas Sydney
1992 Petrov: The Musical PlaywrIght Melbourne Concert Hall
1993-94 Emperor of The Ghetto Adaptor Fairfax Studio Melbourne, Lion Theatre Adelaide with Bay Street Productions
1994 And the Big Men Fly Playwright Theatre 62, Adelaide with Bay Street Productions
1997 For Better for Worse Playwright Chapel Off Chapel with Bay Street Productions
1998 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Playwright Harbour Theatre, Shellharbour
2001 The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Playwright Tweed Heads Civic and Cultural Centre
2002 And the Big Men Fly Playwright Tower Arts Centre, Adelaide with Bay Street Productions
1999-2004 The Carer Playwright Australian national tour with Bay Street Productions
2005 Six Degrees of Diabetes Playwright Bay Street Productions
2005 Red Dust Diva - the Musical Writer Chapel Off Chapel
2006 A Pill, a Pump and a Needle Playwright Bay Street Productions
2005-07 Weary - the Story of Sir Edward Dunlop Playwright Australian national tour
2007 Four Funerals in One Day Playwright Bay Street Productions
2008 Never Too Old Director / Playwright Monash University , Chapel Off Chapel with Bay Street Productions
2008 Wicked Widows Director / Playwright Monash University , Chapel Off Chapel
2009 My Dog Has Stripes Playwright Fortyfivedownstairs with Bay Street Productions
2011 The Empty Chair Playwright Bay Street Productions
2012 Hear Me Playwright Bay Street Productions
2014 Do You Know Me Playwright Bay Street Productions
[ 14]
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