Geoff Paine

Geoff Paine is an Australian television and theatre actor from Melbourne. He is known for his a role as doctor Clive Gibbons on the soap opera Neighbours, as well as A Country Practice, Nine Network children's television series Pig's Breakfast and ABC3's Mal.com.

Early life Paine studied drama at Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) for three years from 1983 to 1985. Directly following his studies, he was approached by the Neighbours casting department to audition for the series, after they watched him perform in a play at the Victorian Arts Centre.

Career

Television In 1986, Paine secured the role of Clive Gibbons in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. This was his first television acting role after he had graduated.

In November 1986, TV Week reported that Paine had quit the series but would remain on-screen until early 1987. In a 1988 interview, Paine stated that he feared he would become typecast in the role and did not regret leaving. Clive became popular with viewers and this return was scripted to set up a spin-off series, City Hospital. A pilot was made, but it was not picked up by any television networks. Paine moved to London briefly before returning to live in Australia. Neighbours had achieved success in the United Kingdom and he was often approached by fans in the street. Paine began appearing in the sketch show The Comedy Company when it returned for its 1990 season. In 1996, Paine secured the guest role of Roman in Blue Heelers. He found the role "interesting" because Roman "is not what he seems." On 13 November 1997, he appeared in an episode of State Coroner as a farmer, Barry Davis who is murdered. In 1999, Paine secured the role of newsreader Malcolm Wilson in the Nine Network children's television series Pig's Breakfast. He reprised the role for the show's second series.

Other acting credits include guest roles in The Games, The Adventures of Lano and Woodley, Stingers, The Wedge, City Homicide, Wilfred and The Doctor Blake Mysteries. Paine's film roles include The Craic (1999), The Wog Boy (2000) and The Wedding Party (2010).

In early 2011, Paine took the role of Malcom Mann in Mal.com. The show was created for a young audience and Malcom is a television host who is also secretly a robot. The show debuted via ABC3 on 28 October 2011. In 2013, he secured a presenting role on Spontaneous Saturday which featured theatresport-type games. The two episode pilot was produced for the SBS network.

In 2017, Paine reprised his role of Clive in Neighbours, twenty-eight years after he had last been on the show. Paine's return came after he made an enquiry to the Neighbours production team via his agent. He had been asked to return previously, but was unable to because of family and other work commitments. Paine remained with Neighbours on a recurring basis, filming episodic blocks while also working in a university. The role saw him working with Colette Mann, with who he had previously co-starred in theatre work. Paine also secured a guest role in an episode of Nine Network's Bad Mothers. In 1987, he played Michael in The Hope at the Victorian Arts Centre. In 1991, Paine appeared in the stage version of Hair at the Melbourne Athenaeum. He went on to secure a main role in the 1992 Australian tour of Up 'n' Under. In 1993, Paine secured the role of Terry Legge in the production of Big Toys which was held at the Playbox Theatre, Melbourne. That year Paine was appearing in the theatrical comedy titled "Shear Madness", alongside Colette Mann. In May 1997, Paine joined his former Neighbours colleague Annie Jones in the production of Effie – Exposed.

In April 2000, Paine starred in the stage production of The Linda Blair Witch Project at the Melbourne Town Hall. He then appeared in theatre production of It's a Dad Thing! for its Australian tour. In 2011, he wrote and acted a play show titled Unpack This, which debuted at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The show was based on Paine's own experience attending a one day anger management work shop following a dispute with a neighbour. His show then went on tour around Victoria. In 2019, Paine and Mann worked together again creating their own improvisational show Mann Up and Take the Paine. The show, which also served as an acting class, played during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Other jobs include time as a consultant for ABC and the Seven Network. He also created his own independent production company producing corporate communications for retail, government and non-profit organisations.

Personal life Paine is the youngest of six children. Paine is the father of twins.

As writer / director Year Title Role Venue / Co. 2006 It's a Dad Thing! Writer / Director Australian tour with TML Entertainment 2011 It's a Dad Thing! Writer State Opera Studio, Adelaide for Adelaide Fringe Festival 2011; 2014 Unpack This! Writer / Director Melbourne Fringe Festival & Victorian tour, Mt Compass War Memorial Hall with Redskin Productions 2019 Mann Up and Take the Paine Creator Melbourne International Comedy Festival Sources: