Reg Evans
Encyclopedia
Reginald "Reg" Evans was a British-born actor active in Australian television, theatre, and cinema from the 1960s.
He started drama while in the Royal Air Force
stationed near Oxford, England. After leaving the service studied for two years at the London Academy of Music and Drama, followed by work in repertory theatre. He toured Europe with the New Park Theatre Club and later became its artistic director.
Immigrated to Australia in the 1960s and worked in commercial radio and toured with the Young Elizabethan Players. His many Australian television roles include guest roles in Homicide, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
, Number 96
, Division 4
, Spyforce
, The Evil Touch
, A Time for Love, Behind the Legend, Comedy Playhouse.
Film roles include that of the Station Master in the film Mad Max
(1979) and as a pirate in The Island
(1980). Evans also appeared in My Letter to George
(1986).
After 1980 Evans played regular and recurring roles in several television series. These roles included that of Mr. Cocker in the Australian series of Are You Being Served?
, and Keith Purvis in the television police drama Blue Heelers
in the 1990s.
Evans played the recurring role of scruffy private detective Howard Simmons in Prisoner
in 1985. He had played three previous guest roles in Prisoner. These were a colleague at Eddie Cook
's electrical firm in 1979, the foreman at the printshop where Bea Smith does her work release in 1982, and as Foxy, an old friend of Lizzie Birdsworth
's, in 1983.
He started drama while in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
stationed near Oxford, England. After leaving the service studied for two years at the London Academy of Music and Drama, followed by work in repertory theatre. He toured Europe with the New Park Theatre Club and later became its artistic director.
Immigrated to Australia in the 1960s and worked in commercial radio and toured with the Young Elizabethan Players. His many Australian television roles include guest roles in Homicide, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian television series for children created by John McCallum, produced from 1966–1968, telling the adventures of a young boy and his intelligent pet kangaroo, in the Waratah National Park in Duffys Forest, near Sydney, New South Wales.Ninety-one 30-minute...
, Number 96
Number 96 (TV series)
Number 96 was a popular Australian soap opera set in a Sydney apartment block. Don Cash and Bill Harmon produced the series for Network Ten, which requested a Coronation Street-type serial, and specifically one that explored adult subjects...
, Division 4
Division 4
Division 4 was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 300 episodes....
, Spyforce
Spyforce
Spyforce was an Australian TV series produced from 1971 to 1973, based upon the adventures of Australian Military Intelligence operatives in the South West Pacific during World War II...
, The Evil Touch
The Evil Touch
The Evil Touch is an Australian-produced television series, originally broadcast in Australia in 1973. It was an anthology series where each episode had a self-contained story and a new set of characters. Each episode feature a new cast of guest actors, although several guest stars appeared in more...
, A Time for Love, Behind the Legend, Comedy Playhouse.
Film roles include that of the Station Master in the film Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
(1979) and as a pirate in The Island
The Island (1980 film)
The Island is a 1980 American thriller film, directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Michael Caine and David Warner. The film was based on a novel of the same name by Peter Benchley who also wrote the screenplay...
(1980). Evans also appeared in My Letter to George
My Letter to George
My Letter to George is a 1986 drama film directed by Michael Laughlin and starring Jodie Foster, John Lithgow and Michael Murphy. An orphaned New Zealand girl marries a much older businessmen, but strains soon begin to develop between them and she runs away. It was a co-production between...
(1986).
After 1980 Evans played regular and recurring roles in several television series. These roles included that of Mr. Cocker in the Australian series of Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served? (Australian TV series)
The Australian version of British sitcom Are You Being Served? was produced by Network Ten in 1980-1981. It ran for 16 episodes until 1981. The draw-card was the presence of actor John Inman reprising his role of Mr. Humphries from the original series...
, and Keith Purvis in the television police drama Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
in the 1990s.
Evans played the recurring role of scruffy private detective Howard Simmons in Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
in 1985. He had played three previous guest roles in Prisoner. These were a colleague at Eddie Cook
Prisoner characters - Miscellaneous
A list of miscellaneous characters in the television series Prisoner.Listed in order of appearance:* Eddie Cook , an electrician contracted to do repair work at the prison...
's electrical firm in 1979, the foreman at the printshop where Bea Smith does her work release in 1982, and as Foxy, an old friend of Lizzie Birdsworth
Prisoner characters - Inmates
A list of all inmates of Wentworth Detention Centre in the television series Prisoner.Note that episode numbers cited are for first and last appearances; many characters had spells where they were absent and subsequently returned....
's, in 1983.