Russell John Kiefel (1951 – 20 November 2016) was an Australian stage, film and television actor. After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Kiefel started his screen acting career with a role in the 1977 feature film The Singer and the Dancer. He followed this with roles in Breaker Morant (1980), Twelfth Night (1986), Call Me Mr. Brown (1990) and television film The Leaving of Liverpool (1992). Kiefel appeared in several television dramas, including Home and Away, Fireflies and Stingers. He starred in an episode of Twisted Tales in 1998. Among his various guest appearances were episodes of Wildside, Blue Heelers and Something in the Air. In 2008, Kiefel played Lloyd Ross in Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal. He joined the cast of Neighbours in the recurring role of Russell Brennan in 2015.
Russell Kiefel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Russell John Kiefel[1] 1951 |
| Died | (aged 65) Darwin, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–2016 |
| Spouse | Katrina Foster |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Susan Kiefel (sister)[2] |
Kiefel worked with various theatre companies throughout his stage career, appearing in numerous productions. His earliest roles were with the Old Tote Theatre Company. He appeared in both the Australian and American seasons of A Streetcar Named Desire and Travelling North. Kiefel was closely associated with Belvoir and appeared in several productions for them, including Run Rabbit Run and The Blind Giant is Dancing. He starred in the 2009 production of The Alchemist at the Sydney Opera House. Kiefel fell ill while appearing in And I'm the Queen of Sheba at the Browns Mart Theatre in Darwin, and he died on 20 November 2016.
Early life
editKiefel was born in Tully, Queensland in 1951, to Alf, an accountant, and Patsy, a homemaker.[3] He has two younger sisters, including former Chief Justice of Australia Susan Kiefel.[2] After moving to Brisbane, Kiefel attended Sandgate High School.[3] During his teenage years, he acted with Twelfth Night Theatre and La Boite Theatre Company.[3] Kiefel moved to Sydney so he could attend the National Institute of Dramatic Art, and he graduated in 1974.[4][5]
Career
editTheatre
editKiefel was a prolific stage actor and worked with various theatre companies throughout his career, including Sydney Theatre Company (STC), Bell Shakespeare, and Queensland Theatre Company.[4] His earliest roles were with the Old Tote Theatre Company in productions at the Sydney Opera House from 1977.[3] Throughout the 1980s, Kiefel worked with the State Theatre Company of South Australia.[3] He made 13 appearances for the STC. He appeared in Our Town, and the Australian and American seasons of A Streetcar Named Desire and Travelling North.[4] In November 1987, Kiefel played Valantin, alongside Barry Otto, in Egil Kipste's production of Kiss of the Spider Woman for the Nimrod Theatre Company.[6] Kiefel began working with the Queensland Theatre Company in 1988 in productions of Night and Day and The Recruiting Officer.[4] He was also associated with the Belvoir company and appeared in several productions for them, including Ray's Tempest, Stuff Happens, Hamlet, The Power of Yes, The Business and Run Rabbit Run.[4][7][8]
While appearing as Surly in the company's 1996 production of The Alchemist, Kiefel had to leave during one show after learning that his wife had gone into labour. His co-star Sam Wilcox took over his role for the second act.[9] Later stage roles saw Kiefel appear in Tom Holloway's And No More Shall We Part for the Griffin Theatre Company.[4] He starred in the 2009 production of The Alchemist at the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House. This time he played the role of Master Lovewit.[10] In 2016, Kiefel performed in The Blind Giant is Dancing for Belvoir. He had starred in the show three times previously, including the original production in 1983.[4] New play And I'm the Queen of Sheba was Kiefel's final stage performance.[11] It opened at the Browns Mart Theatre on 17 November. Kiefel played the role of Frank and had been involved in the production since April 2016.[4]
Television and film
editKiefel began his screen acting career with a role in Gillian Armstrong's 1977 feature film The Singer and the Dancer.[4] He went on to appear in the 1980 film Breaker Morant,[11] Neil Armfield's 1986 film version of Twelfth Night, Call Me Mr. Brown, which was made in 1985 but not released until 1990,[12] telemovie The Leaving of Liverpool,[4] and comedy drama feature Children of the Revolution.[13] Other film roles included No Escape (1994),[14] Radiance (1998), Dogwatch (1999) and Fresh Air (1999).[15]
Kiefel made numerous recurring and guest appearances in television series, including Wildside, Water Rats, Blue Heelers, Stingers and Something in the Air.[3] He played Roy O'Neale in Home and Away from 1993 to 1994.[16] Following this, he guested in children's science-fiction drama Escape from Jupiter,[17] and joined the cast of Heartbreak High.[3] In 1998, he starred in an episode of the anthology and mystery drama series Twisted Tales, alongside Robert Taylor.[18] Kiefel was part of the ensemble cast of television film The Junction Boys, which centres on the life of American college football coach Bear Bryant.[19] After appearing in the ABC television film Fireflies in 2003, Kiefel was subsequently cast in the lead role of Sharpie in the television series of the same name.[20] In 2008, Kiefel appeared as political adviser Lloyd Ross in the television documentary Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal.[21] He was also part of the ensemble cast of the 2014 telemovie Schapelle.[22]
Artist Demian Carey Gibbins painted Kiefel in 2015, and reached the semi-finals of the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize with the piece he titled A Familiar Face.[3] From 29 July 2015, Kiefel played the role of Russell Brennan in the television soap opera Neighbours.[23] His character was introduced as the father of the established Brennan brothers, and his arrival started a domestic violence storyline for the family.[24] Kiefel had previously worked as a scriptwriter for the serial in the 1990s.[24] Producers had plans to bring the character back following his initial arc, but they had to change the storyline due to Kiefel's death. They introduced his character's former wife Fay Brennan (played by Zoe Bertram) instead.[25] Kiefel's later television appearances were recurring and guest roles in Tricky Business, Childhood's End and Secret City.[4]
Personal life
editKiefel was married to actress Katrina Foster. The couple had two sons.[4]
Kiefel died on 20 November 2016.[11] He had fallen ill on 18 November, while appearing in a production of And I'm the Queen of Sheba at the Browns Mart Theatre in Darwin.[11] The theatre cancelled the rest of the season out of respect,[11] and later held a memorial for Kiefel on 18 December.[3] Kiefel's former co-stars and friends paid tribute to him on social media.[26] He is survived by his sisters, his wife and sons.[3]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Singer and the Dancer | Pete | |
| 1980 | Breaker Morant | Christiaan Botha | |
| 1986 | Twelfth Night | Sea Captain | |
| 1990 | Call Me Mr. Brown | Ray Poynting | |
| 1991 | The Girl Who Came Late | Nell's Father | |
| 1994 | No Escape | Iceman | |
| 1996 | Children of the Revolution | Barry Rogers | |
| 1998 | Radiance | Father Doyle | |
| 1999 | Fresh Air | Preacher | |
| 1999 | Dogwatch | Palmer | |
| 2002 | Queen of the Damned | Fire Marshall | |
| 2014 | Son of a Gun | Mick |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | Cliff Hanger | |
| 1992 | The Leaving of Liverpool | Brogan | Television film |
| 1993 | Police Rescue | Pellegrini | Episode: "Lift Sixteen" |
| 1993–1994 | Home and Away | Roy O'Neale | Recurring role |
| 1994 | Escape from Jupiter | Gilbert | Episode: "Rescue" |
| 1994–1995 | Heartbreak High | Norm Rivers | |
| 1997 | Big Sky | Detective #1 | Episode: "The Principal" |
| 1997 | Blue Heelers | Mal Truesdale | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Twisted Tales | George | Episode: "A Sure Thing" |
| 1998 | Wildside | Don Kapper | 3 episodes |
| 1998 | A Difficult Woman | Prime Minister | |
| 1999 | Big Sky | Roberts | Episode: "Secrets and Lies" |
| 2000 | Water Rats | Lewis West | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Blue Heelers | Keith Cashell | Episode: "Unfinished Business" |
| 2000 | SeaChange | Ian Cameron | Episode: "Love in the Time of Coleridge" |
| 2000–2004 | Stingers | Andrew Bligh | |
| 2001–2002 | Something in the Air | Tas | 4 episodes |
| 2002 | The Junction Boys | Doake Gearhart | Television film |
| 2004 | Fireflies | Sharpie | |
| 2006 | All Saints | Ian Cosgrove | Episode: "Shadows of the Heart" |
| 2006 | headLand | Lionel Travers | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | McLeod's Daughters | Eric Weatherdon | Episode: "The Legend of Harry Ryan" |
| 2007 | Murder in the Outback | Kesby | Television film |
| 2008 | All Saints | Lenny | Episode: "Comfort Zone" |
| 2008 | Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal | Lloyd Ross | Television documentary |
| 2009 | Chandon Pictures | Warwick | 4 episodes |
| 2009 | A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne | John Abernethy | Television film |
| 2010 | Underbelly: The Golden Mile | Mel Mal | Episode: "The Crucible" |
| 2010 | Rake | Warwick Torrens | Episode: "R vs Langhorn" |
| 2011 | Spirited | Engineer | Episode: "I'll Close My Eyes" |
| 2012 | Tricky Business | Hugh Goodman | 5 episodes |
| 2014 | Schapelle | Malcolm McCauley | |
| 2015 | Neighbours | Russell Brennan | Recurring role |
| 2015 | Childhood's End | Sheriff De Bont | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Secret City | Olmstead | 3 episodes |
Theatre
editReferences
edit- ^ "Russell Kiefel Death Notice". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ a b Pelly, Michael (1 November 2023). "'We were looking for a fair go': Susan Kiefel on her rise to the top". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Blake, Elissa (5 December 2016). "Russell Kiefel, film and stage actor with career spanning five decades". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Watts, Richard (21 November 2016). "Vale Russell Kiefel". ArtsHub. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ "All alumni – Graduates from 1970–1979". National Institute of Dramatic Art. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ Cockington, James (13 November 1987). "Spicier 'kiss'". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 45. Retrieved 18 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Whetton, Simone (21 April 2011). "What's on this weekend?". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ Boland, Michaela (25 January 2004). "Review: 'Run Rabbit Run'". Variety. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ Burke, Kelly (23 September 1996). "Box office". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 14. Retrieved 8 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Blake, Jason (25 March 2009). "I think...therefore I scam". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Howie, Tamara (21 November 2016). "Australian actor Russell Kiefel died while in Darwin for his role in And I'm the Queen of Sheba". Herald Sun. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ Kalina, Paul (May 1991). "Video releases". Cinema Papers. No. 83. p. 62 – via Issuu.
- ^ Stratton, David (5 August 1996). "Children of the Revolution". Variety. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ Johnson, Malcolm (29 April 1994). "Raw future awaits in 'No Escape'". Hartford Courant. p. 13. Retrieved 9 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "RIP Russell Kiefel". Belvoir. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ "Home and Away – This months cast". Inside Soap. No. 24. August 1994. p. 59.
- ^ "Escape from Jupiter (Episode 4)". Paley Center for Media. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ "Green Sunday Guide". The Age. 22 January 1998. p. 75. Retrieved 9 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gallo, Phil (12 December 2002). "The Junction Boys". Variety. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ Miller, Kylie (26 June 2003). "Networking". The Age. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ Anderson, Doug (6 November 2008). "A reflection on Chifley in straitened times". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ Knox, David (2 February 2014). "Airdate: Schapelle". TV Tonight. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ "Russell Brennan arrives in Erinsborough". Network Ten. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ a b Dainty, Sophie (29 June 2015). "Neighbours to introduce Russell Brennan for domestic violence plot". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (29 June 2017). "Neighbours star Matt Wilson reveals gossip on Aaron, David and the Brennans' mum in our big interview". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ Dainty, Sophie (21 November 2016). "Former Neighbours star Russell Kiefel passes away after falling ill during theatre performance". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ "AusStage".
External links
edit- Russell Kiefel at IMDb
- Russell Kiefel at the BFI