Mike Bishop (actor)
Mike Bishop | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Children | Gemma Bishop[2] |
Mike Bishop, also credited as Michael Bishop, is an Australian actor, director and drama coach.[1]
Career
[edit]Bishop's television appearances include recurring roles in cult prison series Prisoner playing Harry Grosvenor (1986), R.F.D.S. playing Evelyn Whaley (1993–1994) and Something in the Air as Sergeant Geoff Collins / Clive (2000–2001). He also featured in long-running soap opera Neighbours in 1996, in which he played the recurring guest role of Mick Anderson. He later worked as a drama coach on the series from 2005 to 2008.[1]
He portrayed Uncle Dan in the second and third miniseries of Fields of Fire, in 1988 and 1989 respectively. In 1990, he appeared in the second miniseries of All the Rivers Run, based on the 1958 Australian novel of the same name by Nancy Cato. He also appeared in the 1992 political miniseries Bastard Boys as Peter Reith.[3] He later played English cricketer Doug Insole in the 2012 miniseries Howzat! Kerry Packer's War.
Additionally, Bishop has made guest appearances in numerous television series including Cop Shop, Carson's Law, The Henderson Kids, The Flying Doctors, Col'n Carpenter, All Together Now, Boys from the Bush, Acropolis Now, Law of the Land, Snowy, Blue Heelers, Good Guys, Bad Guys, Stingers, City Homicide, the first season of Underbelly, Killing Time, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Fat Tony & Co. and Wentworth.
Bishop's film credits include 1985 comedy Malcolm,[4] and 1987 action thriller Ground Zero (alongside Colin Friels in both), and 1992 film A Slow Night at the Kuwaiti Cafe. For his performance in the 1988 prison drama-suspense film Ghosts… of the Civil Dead, he was nominated for the 1989 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.[5]
His other film credits include medical comedy drama The Clinic (1982), Ozploitation film Future Schlock (1984), thriller Dead Sleep (1990) opposite Linda Blair, comedy A Kink in the Picasso (1990), gritty drama thriller Metal Skin (1994) alongside Ben Mendelsohn and Aden Young, and River Street (1996) opposite Bill Hunter, Essie Davis and Aden Young. He also appeared in several made-for-tv movies and short films.
Bishop has also worked extensively in theatre since 1982.[6][7] He appeared in a touring production of The Hobbit puppet show as Gandalf in 1997,[8][9] Dirty Dancing as Max Kellerman from 2014 to 2015,[10][11] and Singin' in the Rain as R.F. Simpson in 2016.[12][13] His most recent stage credit was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Melbourne's Princess Theatre, in which he was part of the original cast from 2019 to 2022.[6]
Bishop directed Dr. Cade[14][15] at La Mama in Melbourne as part of the 2002 Melbourne Fringe Festival,[16] before it moved to Beckett Theatre,[17] and then Sydney's Stables Theatre in 2003.[18] His other stage credits as director include a 1993 touring production of The Wind in the Willows with the Australian Shakespeare Company, a 1996 Melbourne production of Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood at Melbourne Concert Hall and a 2009 Melbourne production of The Show Must Go On with La Mama.[6][7]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | The Clinic | ||
| 1984 | Future Schlock | Bear | |
| 1985 | Malcolm | Armed Guard | |
| 1987 | Ground Zero | TV News Cameraman | |
| 1988 | Ghosts… of the Civil Dead | David Yale | |
| 1990 | Breakaway | De Silva | |
| 1990 | Dead Sleep | Policeman | |
| 1990 | A Kink in the Picasso | Tony | |
| 1992 | A Slow Night at the Kuwaiti Cafe | ||
| 1992 | Aftermath: Restoring the Workplace | Short film | |
| 1994 | Metal Skin | Dazey's father | |
| 1995 | Sticktoitiveness | Short film | |
| 1996 | River Street | Constable Mark Rogers | |
| 1999 | Dead End | Interview Room Police | |
| 2009 | Remembering Nigel | Michael Bishop | |
| 2011 | Talkback | Bill Pointer – The Virus | Short film |
| 2012 | Planes | Malachi | Short film |
| 2013 | Hard Cases | The Judge | Short film |
| 2015 | I Am Evangeline | Mr Black | |
| 2018 | Hoarder Control | Rob | Short film |
| 2018 | Bloody Christmas | Prime Minister Desmond Humphrey | |
| 2024 | Good Neighbour | David | Short film |
| 2025 | Average Bloke | Terrie Jones |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Cop Shop | Ben Higgins | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Every Move She Makes | Bob | TV movie |
| 1983–1984 | Carson's Law | Defence Counsel / Williams / Const. Reg Lewis / Frederick Walsh | 4 episodes |
| 1985 | The Henderson Kids | Desk Clerk | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Prisoner | Harry Grosvenor | 11 episodes |
| 1988 | Fields of Fire II | Uncle Dan | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1989 | Fields of Fire III | Uncle Dan | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1989–1991 | The Flying Doctors | Harold Jacobs / Charlie | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Col'n Carpenter | Brian | 1 episode |
| 1990 | All the Rivers Run II | Grainger | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1991 | All Together Now | Mr Reid | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Boys from the Bush | Bruce | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Acropolis Now | Kevin | 1 episode |
| 1992 | The Aftermath | TV movie | |
| 1993 | Law of the Land | Ray Richmond | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Snowy | Les Tremain | 4 episodes |
| 1993 | Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771 | First Officer Russ Mann | TV movie |
| 1993–1994 | R.F.D.S. | Evelyn Whaley | 7 episodes |
| 1994–2006 | Blue Heelers | Mick Pearce O'Connor / Davies Davidson / Charles Fenwick | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | Neighbours | Mick Anderson | 5 episodes |
| 1997 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Frank Little | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Get a Life | Ken Fleiss | |
| 1998 | Driven Crazy | Tom | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Blabbermouth & Stickybeak | Kenny Batts | TV movie |
| 2000 | Stingers | Simon Hall | 1 episode |
| 2000–2001 | Something in the Air | Sgt. Geoff Collins / Clive | 9 episodes |
| 2002 | Short Cuts | Sophie's Dad | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Bastard Boys | Peter Reith | Miniseries |
| 2007 | City Homicide | David Statesman | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Underbelly | Detective Lowe | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 2011 | Killing Time | Judge Colti | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Howzat! Kerry Packer's War | Doug Insole | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Doctor Blake Mysteries | Charles Griffith | 1 episode |
| 2014 | Fat Tony & Co. | Judge / Justice Gillard | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Wentworth | Roland Henderson | 1 episode |
Theatre
[edit]As actor
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Nightshift | Musician in Residence | Rusden State College, Melbourne |
| 1982 | Skids | Melbourne Comedy Cafe | |
| 1984 | Odyssey of a Prostitute | Count Coolgardie / Henri Suave / Zeek / Judge | Church Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Contemporary Theatre Company |
| 1984 | Unsuitable for Adults | Studio Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company | |
| 1985 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Bellerose / Gascon Cadet | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1985 | Victoria Bitter | Lord Melbourne / Chairman / Judge / Gossip / Narrator / Palmer / Dying Man / George / Alastair the Thug / Masters of Ceremonies | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1985 | The Sentimental Bloke | Ginger Mick | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1986 | Nothing Like a Dame | Kinselas, Sydney | |
| 1987–1988 | Sweeney Todd | Birdseller | Playhouse, Melbourne, Riverstage, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney with MTC |
| 1988 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Roo | Australian Nouveau Theatre, Melbourne, Singapore |
| 1989 | Joan of Arc at the Stake | Melbourne Concert Hall with MTC & Victorian State Opera | |
| 1988 | Molière | One Eye | Key Studios, Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre for Spoleto Melbourne Festival of the Arts |
| 1989; 1991 | A Royal Commission into the Australian Economy | Police Auditorium, Melbourne, Universal Theatre, Melbourne for MICF | |
| 1990 | Siren | Paul | Melbourne Athenaeum, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Canberra Theatre with Australian Shakespeare Company |
| 1990 | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Dodo / Caterpillar / March Hare | Werribee Mansion Gardens with Australian Shakespeare Company |
| 1990 | A Hard Act to Follow | MICF | |
| 1990 | The Adman | Eric Sterling | Playbox Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1991 | The Gigolo from the Congo | La Mama, Melbourne, Universal Two, Melbourne | |
| 1992 | Naso Bello | Naso Bruto | Victorian Arts Centre |
| 1992–1993 | Twelfth Night | Malvolio | Adelaide Botanic Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Adelaide Festival of Arts with Australian Shakespeare Company |
| 1993–1995 | Blabbermouth | Kenny Batts | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1994 | Amadeus | Von Strack / Citizen of Vienna / Salieri understudy | Melbourne Athenaeum with Griffin Entertainment |
| 1995 | Good Works | Brother Clement / Barry / Alan / Mr Donovan | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Monash University, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1996 | Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs | The Jockey | Melbourne Concert Hall with Magpie Theatre Company |
| 1996 | Red Riding Hood | The Wolf | Melbourne Concert Hall with Magpie Theatre Company |
| 1997 | The Hobbit | Gandalf | Canberra Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Victorian Arts Centre, Monash University, Melbourne |
| 1998 | Bodysongs – the Fatman tour | The Fatman | Theatre Works, Melbourne |
| 1998–1999 | Much Ado About Nothing | Antonio / Friar | EHJ Productions |
| 2000 | The Dam | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne | |
| 2000 | Wind in the Willows | Badger | |
| 2001 | Romeo and Juliet | Capulet | |
| 2001 | Go in Tight | Dickins | La Mama, Melbourne |
| 2002 | Twelfth Night | Malvolio | Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with Australian Shakespeare Company |
| 2003 | Dirty Laundry | Lenny | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama |
| 2004 | The Campaign | Michael Murphy | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama, Melbourne with MICF |
| 2005 | The Trial of Adolf Eichmann | General Heydrich | Courthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2006 | Dizney on Dry Ice | Ned | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama for MICF |
| 2006 | Mrs Petrov's Shoe | Various characters | Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne with theatre@risk |
| 2006 | The Reunion | The Admiral | |
| 2007 | Sideshow Alley | Tiny McKenzie | Playhouse, Brisbane |
| 2008 | Richard III Unhinged | Hastings | Melbourne Athenaeum with Australian Shakespeare Company |
| 2008 | The Dinner | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne for Short+Sweet | |
| 2009 | AvaTära – The Opera | Space 28, Melbourne with Malthouse Theatre & The Opera Project | |
| 2010 | Lawyers, Drugs and Money | Alan Clowes | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama for MICF |
| 2010 | MelBorn | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama & Melbourne Writers' Theatre | |
| 2010 | Love Your Poison | Mick | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama & Melbourne Writers' Theatre |
| 2010 | Squizzy | Trades Hall, Melbourne with Australian Shakespeare Company & Think Big Productions | |
| 2011 | Kismet | Jawan, the Master Brigand | State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company & The Arts Centre |
| 2014 | Guys and Dolls | Big Jule | State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company & The Arts Centre |
| 2014–2015 | Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage | Max Kellerman | Sydney Lyric Theatre, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Crown Theatre, Perth, Adelaide Festival Centre with The Gordon Frost Organisation |
| 2016 | Singin' in the Rain | R.F. Simpson | Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Lyric Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane |
| 2019–2022 | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | Understudy for Amos Diggory, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Vernon Dursley and Tom Riddle | Princess Theatre, Melbourne |
As director
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Hoopla – Opposite Waves | Director | Rusden State College, Melbourne |
| 1983 | Hell on Earth | Director | Rusden State College, Melbourne |
| 1984 | Good Things Come in Glass | Supervisor | Rusden State College, Melbourne |
| 1992 | Lillian | Director / Playwright | USQ Concert Hall, Toowoomba |
| 1993 | The Wind in the Willows | Director | Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with Australian Shakespeare Company |
| 1994 | See You in Heaven | Director | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with Chiron Productions |
| 1995 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Director | Adelaide Botanic Garden with Australian Shakespeare Company |
| 1996 | From Figaro to Phantom II | Consultant | Melbourne Town Hall for MICF |
| 1996 | Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! | Director / Dramaturge | Monash University, Melbourne & VIC regional tour |
| 1996 | Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood | Director | Melbourne Concert Hall with Magpie Theatre Company |
| 2002–2003 | Dr. Cade | Director | La Mama, Melbourne for Melbourne Fringe Festival, Beckett Theatre, Melbourne, Stables Theatre, Sydney |
| 2004 | Personality Games | Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney, La Mama, Melbourne |
| 2007 | Topo | Director | Seymour Centre, Sydney |
| 2007 | The Devil in Me | Director | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama |
| 2009 | The Show Must Go On | Director | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "My life in pictures – Mike Bishop", Queensland U On Sunday, 21 August 2016
- ^ Devlyn, Darren (2 July 2003), "Playing the field", Herald Sun
- ^ Anderson, Doug (8 December 2011), "Television", Herald Sun
- ^ Bazzani, Rozzi (12 November 2001), "Old side splitter", Herald Sun
- ^ "Ghosts beats Evil Angels", The Canberra Times, 5 July 1989
- ^ a b c d Mike Bishop, AusStage
- ^ a b c Michael Bishop, AusStage
- ^ Wilkins, Peter (9 September 1997), "The Stuff Of Epic Fantasy", The Canberra Times
- ^ Steger, Jason (14 December 1997), "The Hobbit - Performance", The Age
- ^ Blake, Elissa (28 November 2014), "Baby, one more time", The Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ Wilson, Roxanne (27 September 2015), "Baby, I love your way", Sunday Mail (Adelaide)
- ^ Herbert, Kate (15 May 2016), "Rain supreme", Herald Sun
- ^ Byrne, Matt (11 December 2016), "Making a splash", Sunday Mail (Adelaide)
- ^ Thompson, Helen (5 October 2002), "Quiet hero's tale lacking in verve - Arts", The Age
- ^ Thomson, Helen (12 May 2003), "Homage to great doctor lacks drama - Review - Theatre", The Age
- ^ Dr. Cade – La Mama, AusStage
- ^ Dr. Cade – Beckett Theatre, AusStage
- ^ Dr. Cade – Stables Theatre, AusStage
- ^ "Mike Bishop" (PDF). Showcast.
External links
[edit]- Mike Bishop at IMDb
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