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Geoff Morrell (born 19 February 1958) is an Australian actor.
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Geoff Morrell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 February 1958 Fairfield, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Children | 2 |
Morrell was born in Fairfield in Western Sydney, where his father was a schoolteacher. The family moved to Wollongong when Morrell was nine. He finished high school without doing well, academically. He subsequently worked at the Port Kembla Steelworks, but decided to repeat year 12, and after applying himself second time around, topped the HSC.
Morrell received a NSW Teacher's Scholarship and studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Wollongong. While studying, he made his stage debut as Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest. He was also President of the Student Representative Council. He graduated in 1979.[1][2]
Morrell began his career in theatre acting, becoming a founding member of the Theatre South organisation. In 1983, he briefly moved to England, featuring in a number of productions there.
In 1985, he branched into film acting, with a minor role in a telemovie version of Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan. Over the next few years, he moved between film and theatre, starring in productions such as Macbeth and King Lear, as well as several supporting roles in films, telemovies, miniseries and regular series. These included notable Australian films Blackrock and Oscar and Lucinda. He has had guest roles in the series The Secret Life of Us, Stingers and Farscape.
Morrell starred as Harry in Australia's first production of Michael Gow's play Away, which was performed by the Griffin Theatre Company and premiered at the Stables Theatre in Sydney on 7 January 1986.[3]
After filming Oscar and Lucinda, Morrell won the role of forensic scientist Lance Fisk in the series Murder Call, which screened from 1997 to 1999. In 2000, he won one of his most significant roles to date, as the protagonist of the ABC series Grass Roots. The series was not renewed after the 2001 season, and Morrell followed this with a major role in the ABC telemovie Marking Time, as the father of a boy in love with an asylum seeker.
Morrell won the 2000 AFI Award for Best Actor for Grass Roots, and has been nominated four times, for Fallen Angels (1997), Grass Roots second series, Changi (2001) and Marking Time. He has been nominated for three silver Logies for Grass Roots (first and second series) and Changi.
In 2004, Morrell made a move into the mainstream when he became one of four new actors to join the long-running police series Blue Heelers, on which he played Sergeant Mark Jacobs. In September 2004, there was speculation that the ABC would commission a third series of Grass Roots. However, Morrell stated that the ABC "may have missed its chance", and as he remained contracted to Blue Heelers, would likely not have been able to participate if the series did return. Due to family commitments, Morrell chose to leave Blue Heelers.
He has also been involved in the film Right Here Right Now. In 2010, Morrell made a return to ABC to star alongside Richard Roxburgh in the first series of Rake. Morrell played the role of Joe Sandilands, a fictional NSW Attorney-General involved in the inside wheeling and dealing of the NSW Labor. In 2015, he appeared as Inspector Clive Small, in the two-part miniseries Catching Milat.[4][5]
He appeared in the feature film Rogue, and Anthony Hayes' feature film debut Ten Empty. In 2010, he began work on the set of Cloudstreet, a television miniseries version of Tim Winton's novel. He plays the role of Lester Lamb.
Morrell has since appeared in numerous other productions including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.[6] In 2023 Morrell was named as part of the cast in Foxtel drama High Country, and Stan series Thou Shalt Not Steal.[7]
In 2024, Morrell was named as part of the cast for the Liam Neeson led The Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky.[8]
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Strangers | Frank | |
| 1992 | The Girl Who Came Late (aka Daydream Believer) | Brad Hislop | |
| 1994 | No Worries | Ben Bell | |
| 1996 | Mr. Reliable (aka My Entire Life) | Sergeant Campbell | |
| 1997 | Blackrock | Stewart Ackland | |
| Oscar and Lucinda | Charley Fig | ||
| 1998 | Never Tell Me Never | Rehab Specialist | |
| 2000 | Looking for Alibrandi | Mr. Barton | |
| 2003 | Ned Kelly | Robert Scott | |
| 2004 | Right Here Right Now | Paul | |
| 2007 | Lucky Miles | Peter Coode | |
| Rogue | Allen Smith | ||
| 2008 | Ten Empty | Ross | |
| The View from Greenhaven | Theodore | ||
| 2009 | Coffin Rock | George | |
| 2010 | Oranges and Sunshine | Walter | |
| 2014 | The Mule | John | |
| 2017 | Red Christmas | Joe | |
| TBA | The Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky | TBA |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Lady Windemere's Fan | Mr. Hopper | Television film |
| 1986 | The Bill | Rod | TV series |
| The Monocled Mutineer | Aussie Gas Mask | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules | Alan Tillaman | TV series |
| Captain James Cook | Perry | TV miniseries | |
| 1989 | Round the Twist | Porter | TV series |
| 1991 | The Flying Doctors | Rex Waddington | TV series |
| 1993 | G.P. | Neil Gordon | TV series |
| 1994 | Heartbreak High | Allan Masters | TV series |
| 1995 | Bordertown | Bates | TV series |
| Blue Murder | Les Knox | TV series | |
| 1996 | Fallen Angels | Jack Landers | TV series |
| 1997–1999 | Murder Call | Lance Fisk | TV series |
| 1998 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Beckett | TV series |
| 2001 | BackBerner | 1 episode | |
| Changi | Major Dr. Rowdy Lawson | TV miniseries | |
| The Secret Life of Us | TV series | ||
| My Husband, My Killer | Television film | ||
| 2000–2003 | Grass Roots | Col Dunkley | TV series |
| 2003 | Farscape | TK Holt | TV series |
| Stingers | Ron Moore | TV series | |
| Marking Time | Geoff Fleming | TV miniseries | |
| 2004 | Go Big | Ian Patterson | Television film |
| 2004–2005 | Blue Heelers | Sergeant Mark Jacobs | TV series |
| 2005 | Second Chance | Television film | |
| 2006 | All Saints | Chris Harrison | TV series |
| 2007 | Bastard Boys | Chris Corrigan | TV miniseries |
| Curtin | Ben Chifley | Television film | |
| 2008 | Sea Patrol | Lieutenant Commander Jack Freeman | TV series, season 2 |
| Bed of Roses | Tibor Havel | TV series | |
| Emerald Falls | Jack Donnelly | Television film | |
| 2009 | Rogue Nation | John McArthur | 2 episodes |
| Packed to the Rafters | Tim Connelly | TV series | |
| 2010 | Rake | Joe Sandilands | TV series, season 1 |
| 2011 | Small Time Gangster | Les | TV series |
| Cloudstreet | Lester Lamb | TV miniseries[9] | |
| Winners & Losers | Paul Armstrong | TV series | |
| 2011–2012 | Home and Away | Geoffrey King | TV series |
| 2012 | Dripping in Chocolate | Stuart Verger | Television film |
| 2013 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Bob Ryan | TV series |
| Serangoon Road | Philip Tuckworth | TV series | |
| 2015 | Open Slather | Special Guest | 3 episodes |
| 8MMM Aboriginal Radio | Dave Cross | TV series | |
| Catching Milat | Inspector Clive Small | TV miniseries | |
| 2016 | The Code | David Banks | TV series |
| Deep Water | Don Lustigman | TV series | |
| 2015–2016 | Please Like Me | Bruce | TV series |
| 2017 | Top of the Lake: China Girl | Ray | TV series |
| Fucking Adelaide | Geoff | TV miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 2018 | Nippers of Dead Bird Bay | Judge | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Blue Water Empire | Government Official | |
| Harrow | Dr. Laurie Badcoe | TV series, season 2 | |
| 2022–2024 | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Waldreg | 7 episodes |
| 2023 | Wolf Like Me | Peter Stenning | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | High Country | Brian Harris | TV series |
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