Barry Otto

Barry Otto (born 1941) is an Australian actor.

Early life Barry Otto was born in 1941 in Brisbane, the son of Alice Long and Bob Stephens, a car dealer from the suburb of Chermside. His mother later married Ronald Otto, a butcher of German ancestry. Barry is actually of Scottish and Irish descent. He has a sister named Denise, who was a model. for the likes of Myer and McWhirters, while he took classes in cutting and designing, with dreams of becoming a fashion designer. His performance as Doug Hastings (father of Paul Mercurio’s Scott) in Baz Luhrmann’s first feature film Strictly Ballroom (1992) earned him two awards for Best Supporting Actor from the Australian Film Institute and Film Critics Circle of Australia. for which he received a Green Room Award for Best Actor. opposite Cate Blanchett. The same year he had a role in Kiss or Kill (1997), He voiced a character in 2010 animated film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole and in 2015, he voiced the role of Mayor Wilberforce Cranklepot, a goanna, in animated feature Blinky Bill the Movie.

Otto has worked extensively in television, beginning with an ongoing role as Trevor McKenzie in Grundy's soap opera Until Tomorrow in 1975. He later starred as Douglas Goddard in the acclaimed 1987 miniseries Vietnam alongside Nicole Kidman. His other miniseries credits include The Dismissal (1983), The Paper Man (1990) and Through My Eyes (2004) alongside daughter Miranda.

He starred as Sir Jeffrey in dance series Dance Academy in 2013, and as Julius Bechly in Sisters in 2017. In 2023, the film Australia received a spin-off miniseries, Faraway Downs in which Otto reprised his role as Administrator Alsop.

He has also had guest roles in Case for the Defence, Spring & Fall and A Country Practice, Shadows of the Heart, G.P., Murder Call, Outriders, Farscape, The Secret Life of Us, HeadLand, All Saints, Stupid Stupid Man, Rake and The Other Guy.

Additionally, Otto has appeared in numerous theatre productions during his career, including The Marriage of Figaro for which he won a 1991 Green Room Award.

Personal life Otto married Lindsay Clayton, whom he met while performing in amateur theatre in Brisbane. They appeared together in a Brisbane Repertory Theatre 1967 stage production of Goodnight Mrs Puffin. Together they had a daughter Miranda (also an actress), who was born in Brisbane in 1967. They divorced in 1973.

After his marriage broke down, Otto met second wife Susan 'Sue' Hill (eventual co-founder of Sydney’s Belvoir Street Theatre), Through daughter Miranda and her actor husband Peter O’Brien, Otto is grandfather to Darcey O'Brien.

Otto was prone to suffering from depression, which hit an all-time low when he suffered a nervous breakdown after a blow to his confidence when performing in a stage production of The Kreutzer Sonata at the Adelaide Festival.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1982 Norman Loves Rose Charles Feature film 1983 September '51 Short film 1984 Undercover Professor Henckel Feature film 1985 Bliss Harry Joy Feature film 1986 The More Things Change... Lex Feature film 1987 Howling III: The Marsupials Professor Harry Beckmeyer Feature film 1989 The Punisher Shake Feature film Black Sorrow The Psychiatrist Short film 1992 Strictly Ballroom Doug Hastings Feature film 1993 The Custodian Brian Ferguson Feature film The Door Stepfather Short film Touch Me Stewart Short film 1994 Exile Sheriff Hamilton Feature film 1995 Dad and Dave: On Our Selection J.P. Riley Feature film 1996 Così Roy Feature film Lilian's Story John Singer Feature film My Entire Life (aka Mr Reliable) The Premier Feature film 1997 I Love Rachel Mr. Nice Guy Baggio Feature film Kiss or Kill Adler Jones Feature film The Beneficiary Leonard Dunbar Short film Oscar and Lucinda Jimmy D'Abbs Feature film A Cut in the Rates Short film 1998 Dead Letter Office Gerald Urquhart Feature film 2002 Dad's Clock Narrator Short film The Visitor Michael Short film 2004 Love's Brother Father Alfredo Feature film 2005 Are We Narrator Short film 2006 Single White Farmer Poley Short film 2007 La même nuit The Concierge Short film Soul Mates Paddy Byrne Short film Cheap Seats Enjouer Short film Rogue Merv Feature film 2008 Newcastle Gramps Feature film Three Blind Mice Fred Feature film $9.99 Albert (voice) Feature film (animated) Australia Administrator Allsop Feature film In a Pig's Eye The Butcher Short film 2009 Schadenfreude Short film 2010 South Solitary George Wadsworth Feature film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Echidna (voice) Feature film (animated) Seamstress Clive Short film 2011 Waiting for the Turning of the Earth Tom Short film To Face the Sun Father Short film 2012 A Cautionary Tail Doctor (voice) Short film 2013 The Great Gatsby Benny McClenahan Feature film 2015 Blinky Bill the Movie Mayor Wilberforce Cranklepot (voice) Feature film (animated) The Dressmaker Percival Almanac Feature film 2016Fish with Legs Head Fish Warren Short film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1975 Until Tomorrow Trevor McKenzie 180 episodes 1977 Benny Hill Down Under Trevor McKenzie TV movie 1978 Case for the Defence Doctor 1 episode Tickled Pink Leo TV special 1980 Spring & Fall Harry Dawson Anthology series, season 1, episode 5: "The Slammer" 1982 M.P.S.I.B. Mike Barry 1 episode 1983 The Dismissal Miniseries, 1 episode A Country Practice Bela Szollos 4 episodes 1984 The Secret Discovery of Australia French Ambassador TV movie Singies Peter Miniseries, 1 episode Who Killed Hannah Jane? James Harnney TV movie 1985 The Fast Lane Daniells 1 episode 1986 Studio 86 Mr Van Mint 1 episode 1987 Frontier Government Agent Archibald Meston Miniseries, 3 episodes I've Come About the Suicide Garfield Lawson TV movie Vietnam Douglas Goddard Miniseries, 10 episodes 1988 Takeover George Oppenheimer TV movie 1989 The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro Kevin Blaxland TV movie 1990 The Paper Man Elliot Calder Miniseries, 4 episodes Shadows of the Heart Charles Munro 2 episodes 1992 G.P. Geoff Evatt 1 episode 1993 Under the Skin 1 episode 1998 Murder Call Otis Farrow Season 2, episodes 10-11: "Deadfall" (parts 1 &2) 2001 Outriders Antiques Dealer 1 episode Invincible Professor TV movie 2002 Farscape Dr Tumii 1 episode Don't Blame the Koalas Mr Fitch 2 episodes 2004 Loot Charles Highsmith TV movie 2005 The Secret Life of Us Bill Holdforth Season 4, episode 12: "The Heart of Friday Night" HeadLand Professor Day 2 episodes 2006 All Saints Bob Tyrell 1 episode Stupid Stupid Man Principal Cooper Season 1, 1 episode 2013 Dance Academy Sir Jeffery Season 3, 6 episodes 2015 Pypo 1 episode 2016 Rake Judge Cowper 1 episode 2017 Sisters Julius Bechly 7 episodes 2019 The Other Guy Ron Episode: "New Wheels and Cock Socks" 2023 Faraway Downs Administrator Alsop 6 episodes

Theatre Year Title Role Company

Radio Year Title Role Company 1979 What Price Glory? Pharmacist's Mate ABC Radio, Sydney

Awards and nominations Year Work Award Category Result 1985 Bliss Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor in a Leading Role 1986 The More Things Change... Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor in a Leading Role 1991 The Marriage of Figaro Green Room Award Leading Male in a Drama 1992 Strictly Ballroom Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role 1992 Strictly Ballroom Film Critics Circle of Australia Award Best Supporting Actor 1993 The Custodian Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role 1994 Cosi (play) Green Room Award Leading Male in a Drama 1996 Cosi (film) Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role 1999 Showboat Green Room Award Male Artist in a Leading Role 2005 Last Cab to Darwin Adelaide Theatre Guide Award Best Individual Male Performance 2008 Tartuffe Green Room Award Best Male Performer 2015 Blinky Bill the Movie Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favourite Voice in an Animated Film