John Howard (Australian actor)
Encyclopedia
John Howard is an Australia
n stage and screen actor
. Howard is best known for his appearances in the film The Club
, and the television series SeaChange
, Always Greener
, All Saints
and Packed To The Rafters
.
. He then went on to play the villain 'Preston Preston' in the 1988 film Young Einstein
.
(1998–2000), Ken in Changi
(2001) and he played John Taylor in Always Greener
(2001–2003). John Howard also had the regular role of Dr. Frank Campion in the Australian medical TV drama
, All Saints
which finished in October 2009. Overseas, he is best known as the villain Silverthorn from the early 1990s Australian children's programs The Girl From Tomorrow
and Tomorrow's End: The Girl From Tomorrow Part II. He has also appeared in David Williamson
's play, Dead White Males in the lead role of Dr Grant Swain.
Early in his career, he decided (partly in response to a recognised tendency for successful Australian actors to end up in England or the US) that he would only appear in Australian productions.
In 2010, he appeared in the Seven Network's hit TV series Packed to the Rafters playing Dave Rafter's father, Tom Jennings.
He will continue to work with the Seven Network in 2011, also starring in City Homicide
's mini-series titled "No Greater Honour" while continuing working on Packed to the Rafters.
was elected Prime Minister of Australia
in 1996, jokes about the coincidence entered Australian comedy - notably in an episode of the satirical television series The Games
. Often characters in The Games had the same names as the actors playing them - Howard's episode mocked the Sydney Olympics
when staff hired the actor (played by himself) as a stand in for the Prime Minister, as they supposed foreign dignitaries would not know the difference.
John Howard the actor, identifying himself only as "John Howard", said "Sorry" to Indigenous Australians
for their treatment by English settlers and their descendants. This was a direct comment on the repeated refusal of the then Prime Minister to make an apology on behalf of the Government of Australia
.
The actor also appeared on the Australian "news channel" television show CNNNN (a mock 24 hour news channel comedy series created and performed by The Chaser) as a guest to discuss the Iraq war, being criticised by a presenter confusing him with John Howard the Prime Minister.
He is the subject of the song John Howard The Actor (an opening in protest) by Ross McLennan, ex-frontman of the band Snout
, featuring the lyrics: My sympathies go out/Go out to John Howard the actor/His nomenclature/Messed up under history's tractor.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n stage and screen actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Howard is best known for his appearances in the film The Club
The Club (play)
The Club is a satirical play by Australian playwright David Williamson, that follows the fortunes of a football club over the course of a season. It explores the clashes between "human loyalty versus materialistic gain". It was inspired by the backroom dealings and antics of the Victorian Football...
, and the television series SeaChange
SeaChange
SeaChange was a popular Australian television show that ran for 39 episodes from 1998 to 2001 on the ABC. It was created by Andrew Knight and Deborah Cox and starred Sigrid Thornton, David Wenham, William McInnes, John Howard, Tom Long and Kerry Armstrong...
, Always Greener
Always Greener
Always Greener was an Australian television drama/comedy series that aired on the Seven Network which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new direction in life for themselves...
, All Saints
All Saints (TV series)
All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009...
and Packed To The Rafters
Packed to the Rafters
Packed to the Rafters is an Australian family-orientated television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and...
.
Film
Howard's first role was in 1978's My Boys Are Good Boys, in a minor role. His next film had him gain high recognition in the industry - starring in the popular film The ClubThe Club (play)
The Club is a satirical play by Australian playwright David Williamson, that follows the fortunes of a football club over the course of a season. It explores the clashes between "human loyalty versus materialistic gain". It was inspired by the backroom dealings and antics of the Victorian Football...
. He then went on to play the villain 'Preston Preston' in the 1988 film Young Einstein
Young Einstein
Young Einstein is an Australian comedy film directed by and starring Yahoo Serious, released in 1988.-Plot:Albert Einstein, the son of an apple farmer in Tasmania in the early 1900s, splits a beer atom with a chisel in order to add bubbles to beer, discovers the theory of relativity and travels to...
.
Television
John Howard is also a well known television actor and has appeared in a number of Australian programs. He played Frank Reilly in Wildside (1997–1998), he portrayed Bob Jelly in SeaChangeSeaChange
SeaChange was a popular Australian television show that ran for 39 episodes from 1998 to 2001 on the ABC. It was created by Andrew Knight and Deborah Cox and starred Sigrid Thornton, David Wenham, William McInnes, John Howard, Tom Long and Kerry Armstrong...
(1998–2000), Ken in Changi
Changi
Changi is an area at the eastern end of Singapore. It is now the site of Singapore Changi Airport/Changi Air Base, Changi Naval Base and is also home to Changi Prison, site of the former Japanese Prisoner of War Camp during World War II which held Allied prisoners captured in Singapore and Malaysia...
(2001) and he played John Taylor in Always Greener
Always Greener
Always Greener was an Australian television drama/comedy series that aired on the Seven Network which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new direction in life for themselves...
(2001–2003). John Howard also had the regular role of Dr. Frank Campion in the Australian medical TV drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, All Saints
All Saints (TV series)
All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009...
which finished in October 2009. Overseas, he is best known as the villain Silverthorn from the early 1990s Australian children's programs The Girl From Tomorrow
The Girl from Tomorrow
The Girl from Tomorrow is an Australian children's television series created by Film Australia. The series is based around Alana , a girl from the year 3000...
and Tomorrow's End: The Girl From Tomorrow Part II. He has also appeared in David Williamson
David Williamson
David Keith Williamson AO is one of Australia's best-known playwrights. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.-Biography:...
's play, Dead White Males in the lead role of Dr Grant Swain.
Early in his career, he decided (partly in response to a recognised tendency for successful Australian actors to end up in England or the US) that he would only appear in Australian productions.
In 2010, he appeared in the Seven Network's hit TV series Packed to the Rafters playing Dave Rafter's father, Tom Jennings.
He will continue to work with the Seven Network in 2011, also starring in City Homicide
City Homicide
City Homicide was an Australian television drama series that aired on the Seven Network between 27 August 2007 – 30 March 2011. The series was set on the Homicide floor of a metropolitan police headquarters in Melbourne...
's mini-series titled "No Greater Honour" while continuing working on Packed to the Rafters.
Name confusion
After the politician John HowardJohn Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
was elected Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
in 1996, jokes about the coincidence entered Australian comedy - notably in an episode of the satirical television series The Games
The Games (Australian TV)
The Games was an Australian mockumentary television series about the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The series was originally broadcast on the ABC and had two seasons of 13 episodes each, the first in 1998 and the second in 2000....
. Often characters in The Games had the same names as the actors playing them - Howard's episode mocked the Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
when staff hired the actor (played by himself) as a stand in for the Prime Minister, as they supposed foreign dignitaries would not know the difference.
John Howard the actor, identifying himself only as "John Howard", said "Sorry" to Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
for their treatment by English settlers and their descendants. This was a direct comment on the repeated refusal of the then Prime Minister to make an apology on behalf of the Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
.
The actor also appeared on the Australian "news channel" television show CNNNN (a mock 24 hour news channel comedy series created and performed by The Chaser) as a guest to discuss the Iraq war, being criticised by a presenter confusing him with John Howard the Prime Minister.
He is the subject of the song John Howard The Actor (an opening in protest) by Ross McLennan, ex-frontman of the band Snout
Snout
The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.-Terminology:The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous...
, featuring the lyrics: My sympathies go out/Go out to John Howard the actor/His nomenclature/Messed up under history's tractor.