Gary Sweet

Gary Sweet (born 22 May 1957) is an Australian film and television actor known for his roles in Alexandra's Project (as Steve), Police Rescue (as Sergeant 'Mickey' McClintock), Cody (as Cody), Big Sky (as Chris Manning), Bodyline (as Donald Bradman), Stingers (as DI Luke Harris) and House Husbands (as Lewis Crabb). He finished in the top 3 of Network 10’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2026, losing out to Concetta Caristo.

Early life Sweet attended Brighton High School in Adelaide. He later obtained a teaching degree and took up drama while at Sturt Teachers' College.

Career

Film and television Sweet's first role was in 1980 low-budget horror film Nightmares (also known as Stage Fright). In the early 1980s, he became recognisable through the ongoing role of Leslie 'Magpie' Maddern in the TV series The Sullivans, for which he won a Logie Award.

In 1984, Sweet had his first starring role as Donald Bradman in the miniseries Bodyline, the story of the 1932–33 Test cricket series between England and Australia, alongside Hugo Weaving. (in 1991 and 1992), the Variety Club Heart Award for TV Actor of the Year (1993), and a TV Week Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actor and Most Outstanding Actor (1994). Nine Network had considered a potential spin-off centred around Sweet's character, but decided not to go ahead with it. In June 2025, Sweet wrapped a six-week guest stint in Neighbours, which went to air later in the year, before the serial ended. He branded it "a bucket list moment".

In January 2026, Sweet participated as a contestant on the twelfth season of reality competition series I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, hosted by Robert Irwin and Julia Morris.

Theatre Sweet has also appeared in several stage productions, including The Club, and Tony McNamara's play The Recruit. He has appeared in the Frankie Valli-tribute musical Oh, What a Night, and in Trevor Ashley's musical comedy Little Orphan trAshley with Rhonda Burchmore.

Music Sweet dabbled in the Australian music scene with limited success in the early 1990s. Sweet released a cover of Billy Thorpe's "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" in 1994 through Polygram Records Australia. The single peaked at number 52 on the ARIA Charts, and spent seven weeks in the top 100.

Personal life Sweet married actress Lenore Smith on 7 November 1981 in his parents' garden in Warradale. The couple had met in a lift at Crawford Productions a little over five months beforehand. They divorced in 1983. From 1987 to 1993, Sweet was married to lawyer Jill Miller. They have two children, including Frank Sweet who became an actor.

In 2013, Sweet was criticised by some women's magazines after he admitted that he was "a five or six out of 10 dad" to his children. He is also a supporter of the Manly Sea Eagles rugby league club who play in the National Rugby League.

In 2004, Sweet become the public face of "The Performance Pack Initiative", an information campaign for men with impotence problems from Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline and Impotence Australia. Bans against direct advertising prescription medicines meant that Sweet was unable to directly mention the drug, Levitra, but this code was broken when Sweet mentioned Levitra on an Adelaide radio programme. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Media Watch reported that Sweet was being investigated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for possible breach of advertising codes.

On a 1 February 2026 episode of I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Sweet revealed that from birth, he was raised by his uncle and aunt, saying: "Phil and his wife were unable to have children. So when the baby was born, they (Bill and his wife) gave the baby to his younger brother, Phil. The baby was me… so my biological parents became my uncle and aunty, my sisters became my cousins… I've never, ever, ever told this story."

On 20 August 2026, Sweet was named in the cast of film Before You Leave.

Filmography

Film

Television

Podcast YearFilmRoleNotes 2021 The Orchard DJ Simes Miniseries (Audible)

Other appearances YearTitleRoleNotes 2006 Dancing with the Stars Contestant Season 5, 6 episodes. Placed 7th 2007 Things To Try Before You Die Co-host 1 episode 2008 Sudden Impact Narrator Documentary series 2010 Australian Druglords Presenter 10 episodes 2013 Commando Voice Documentary miniseries, 4 episodes 2022 Access All Areas: Erebus Motorsport Narrator Documentary miniseries, 8 episodes 2026 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Contestant Season 12 "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" 1994 52

Awards

Sweet has won several awards in his acting career, including two Logie Awards – one in 1982 for The Sullivans (Most Popular New Talent) and one in 1994 for Police Rescue (Most Popular Actor).

In 2011, Sweet was initiated into the Australian Film Walk of Fame on 13 March, as part of the closing night celebrations of the Australian Film Festival.

Awards YearAwardTitleStatus 1982 TV Week Logie Award Most Popular New Talent (The Sullivans) 1991 AFI Award Best Actor in a Lead Role in a TV Drama (Police Rescue) 1992 AFI Award Best Actor in a Lead Role in a TV Drama (Police Rescue) 1992 TV Week Logie Award Most Popular Actor (Police Rescue) 1993 Variety Club Heart Award TV Actor of the Year 1994 TV Week Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor (Police Rescue) 1996 TV Week Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor (Police Rescue) 2003 TV Week Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor (Stingers) 2004 TV Week Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor (Stingers) 2011 Australian Film Festival Australian Film Walk of Fame Inductee 2021 MEAA Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Miniseries / TV movie (Hungry Ghosts) 2021 MEAA Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (Mystery Road: Origins)