Rod Mullinar Explained

Rod Mullinar
Birth Place:Hereford, UK
Spouse:Liz Mullinar (approx. 2 yrs);
Penny Ramsey-Mullinar (dec. 2009)
Occupation:Actor
Known For:Hunter (TV series), Ryan (TV series)

Rodney Mullinar (born 1942) is a British Australian actor, noted for his roles on Australian television.

Mullinar emigrated to Australia in 1966, at the urging of an Australian friend in London, Bill Hunter. He relocated to Sydney with his first wife Liz who was at that time also an actor but would soon become a well-known casting agent.[1]

Mullinar appeared in theatre productions, firstly with the Australian Theatre for Young People[2] and then with the Independent Theatre troupe in mid-1968 with whom he performed in the plays Wait Until Dark, Uncle Vanya, and Tango. He also had a major role in the controversial 1970 film The Set in which he plays Tony Brown, who has an affair with the film's protagonist, Paul, played by Sean McEuan. During the making of The Set, Mullinar, who was union shop steward for the film, was punched by another actor when Mullinar demanded to see his union card. The Sydney Morning Herald identified this actor as the female impersonator 'Kandy' Johnson, who was not a union member.[3]

Mullinar took the leading role in Australian espionage drama Hunter late in the show's run in 1968, however he appeared in just eight episodes due to the cancellation of the series. He subsequently played the title role in television series Ryan (1973).

Mullinar's second wife was actress Penny Ramsey. During publicity for Ryan, Mullinar and Ramsey chose to make their relationship public - they had a young daughter at this stage but were not yet married - under threat of exposure by persons unspecified.[4] An article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1969 claimed that, before migrating to Australia, Mullinar had a small role in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball as well as appearing in the British TV series Z Cars and No Hiding Place.[5] An article in the Melbourne Age in June 1972 also claimed that Mullinar was a graduate of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and had appeared in the film Wake in Fright, the aforementioned Z Cars and Thunderball as well as (as this show began in 1969, this seems unlikely, but he may have been involved in its predecessor, Softly, Softly). It stated that Mullinar had been shortlisted for the role of Frank Banner in Division 4, which was ultimately given to Gerard Kennedy.[6]

Mullinar's other credits include: Cop Shop, Bellbird, Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police, Against the Wind, Breaker Morant, Prisoner, Five Mile Creek, All Saints, Stingers, , Reef Doctors, The Lost World, and The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

Filmography

Film

Year Production RoleType
1969It Takes All KindsPolicemanFeature film
1970The Set Tony BrownFeature film
1971StockadePeter LalorFeature film
1975Down the WindRegFeature film
1977Raw DealAlexFilm
1978The Pyjama Girl CaseInspector Morris Feature film
1978The GeeksMartinTV movie
1978Patrick Ed JacquardFeature film
1978Magee and the LadyTomTV movie
1979Thirst DerekFeature film
1979TaxiLeslie ArmitageTV movie
1980Breaker MorantMajor Charles Bolton Feature film
1980Maybe This Time Jack Feature film
1981The Coming
1982Duet for Four Ken OverlandFeature film
1982Breakfast in Paris Michaels BarnesFeature film
1983Now and ForeverGeoffrey BatesFeature film
1987The Surfer HaganFeature film
1987Echoes of Paradise TerryFeature film
1987Walter Dixon's WombatJohnathon TV movie
1989Dead CalmRussell Bellows Feature film
1989The Humpty Dumpty Man Stewart Brax TV movie
2000MuggersMarcus Browning Feature film
2000On the BeachAdmiral Jack CunningtonTV movie
2001Curse of the TalismanFather EcclestonTV movie
2007JudgeTV movie
2013Patrick Morris Feature film
2015Comedy Showroom: BleakTV movie
2016Dogstar: Christmas in SpaceCommercial announcerTV movie
2017That's Not Me Summer Street "Len"Feature film

Television

Year Production RoleType
1967Contrabandits TV series
1968The Adventures TV series
1968-69HunterGil Martin / Ted CookTV series
1971Dynasty Bob Campbell TV series
1969-72Division 4 5 character rolesTV series
1971-72Matlock Police Jack Bowan / Lou Carter / WardTV series
1972Over ThereTom BowdenTV series
1972Boney Frank AbbottTV series
1967-74Homicide8 rolesTV series
1974RushJim Hill TV series
1973-74Ryan Michael Ryan TV series
1974The Wanderer
1975Quality of MercyCharlieTV series
1974-75BellbirdScott Leighton TV series, 365 episodes
1977Beyond Reasonable Doubt ProsecutorTV miniseries documentary
1977Young Ramsay George TV series
1977BlueySwanson TV series
1978Run From the Morning SpencerTV series
1978Against the Wind John MacCarthurTV miniseries
1978-80Cop Shop 3 roles TV series
1979SkywaysGeoff Blake TV series
1979-80 PrisonerDavid Austin / Wayne TraversTV series
1980Water Under the BridgeDon Brandywine TV miniseries
1983For the Term of His Natural LifeLt. Maurice FrereTV miniseries
1984Eureka Stockade Frederick VernTV miniseries
1983-85Five Mile CreekJack TaylorTV series
1986The Flying Doctors Darcy Adams TV series
1988Rafferty's Rules Harry Bertie TV series
1989Inside Running TV series
1989Mission: ImpossibleConrad Drago TV series
1989The MagistrateIan WaltersTV miniseries
1992Boney Selby TV series
1992The Fremantle ConspiracyTV miniseries
CluedoFrederick StokesTV series
1994NewlywedsKirby HackerTV series
1994Halifax f.p. Melvin LazarTV series
1997Simone de Beauvoir's BabiesMickTV miniseries
1998All SaintsProfessor TV series
2000Tales of the South Seas TV miniseries, 1 episode: "Blackbirding"
2000Shortland Street Max Dubrovsky TV series
2001Shock JockBasil Hannigan TV series
2001BeastMasterChiumaTV series
1999-2002The Lost World3 rolesTV series
2002MDADr. Nathan Tate TV series
2003Welcher & WelcherTobyTV miniseries
2004Stories from the GolfRichard TV series
2004Stingers Colin Burns TV series
2007City Homicide Olivier Braxton TV series
Very Small Business Dick DenyerTV series
2008-09SatisfactionJimmy Buraston TV series
2009RushGavin TV series
Killing TimeJudge Hart TV miniseries
2007-11DogstarChesterTV series
2012LowdownAdditional voices TV series
2013Reef Doctors Sonny Ferrall TV miniseries
2014The Flamin' ThongsKing RerpsiesAnimated TV series
2015The Doctor Blake MysteriesJock Clement TV series
2015Miss Fisher's Murder MysteriesWilbur Littleton TV series
2017House Husbands William MitchellTV series
2017Impossible Peace NarratorTV series
2018-19True Story with Hamish & AndyNarrator TV series
2019Utopia Voice TV series
2019Secret Bridesmaids' Business Dyson Novak 1 episode
2019-20Bloom Tommy BrydonTV series

Notes and References

  1. Liz Mullinar and Simon Hopkinson, The Liz Mullinar story Sydney, Hodder Headline 1997 p. 76, p. 79
  2. Liz Mullinar and Simon Hopkinson, The Liz Mullinar story Sydney, Hodder Headline 1997 p. 84
  3. 'Union man punched on film set' Sydney Morning Herald 15 January 1969 p. 12
  4. Jennifer Berry and Phillip McCarthy, 'Publicity Stunts' Melbourne Age 17 January 1974 p. 31
  5. 'Dramatic Actor Changes Spots', Sydney Morning Herald 'S.M.H. TV Guide' 11 August 1969 p. 1
  6. Anon, 'Channels order new series to supplement "ageing" local shows' Melbourne Age 'TV Radio Guide' 15 June 1972 p. 1