George Whaley

Early life Whaley was born in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia on 19 June 1934. He initially trained as an engineer, before studying acting with Eileen O’Keefe, who introduced him to the teachings of Stanislavski.

Career

Acting Whaley's first professional acting role was in John Osborne's Look Back in Anger in 1960. He went on to perform at Melbourne's Emerald Hill Theatre (which he opened with Wal Cherry in 1962). He performed (and directed) at all the major theatre companies including Melbourne Theatre Company, Nimrod Theatre Company, the Old Tote Theatre, the Griffin Theatre Company and the Belvoir Street Theatre. He notably played Galileo Galilei on stage in the 1980s and 1990s.

He co-founded Theatre ACT (Canberra), was founding Director of University Theatre at University of Melbourne, and Resident Director at Sydney's Old Tote Theatre.

He was also a noted TV director. He wrote and directed the miniseries The Harp in the South and its sequel Poor Man's Orange, as well as the film Dad and Dave: On Our Selection. He directed the film Dancing, produced by David Elfick, which was shown at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 1980. He also directed children's programs such as More Winners and Clowning Around.

Whaley worked extensively with Indigenous actors, including David Gulpilil, Jack Charles, Ivan Sen, Warwick Thornton and Erica Glynn.

He joined Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in Sydney as a directing consultant in the mid-1990s, later becoming Head of Directing - a role he held until 2002.

In his later years, Whaley moved to Dorroughby, in the Northern Rivers, where he taught Acting for Stage and Screen at Lismore Conservatorium. He employed Stanislavski's Method in his teachings.

Publications Whaley penned a 2009 biography about British actor Leo McKern - Leo McKern: the Accidental Actor.

Personal life Whaley met his wife-to-be Georgina in 1960. They married in 1966, and had two sons, Michael and Matthew, and five grandchildren.

Death In his final years, Whaley struggled with Parkinsons disease, and relocated to Feros Village in Bangalow, to receive medical care. He died in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, on 6 August 2019, aged 85.

Acting

Film Year Title Role Type 1969 To Australia with Love Short film 1971 Stork Businessman Feature film 1971 The Hot Centre of the World Short film 1973 Alvin Purple Dr. McBurney Feature film 1985 Bliss Vance Feature film 1990 The Crossing Sid Feature film 1992 Turtle Beach (aka The Killing Beach) Bill Feature film 1992 Daydream Believer (aka The Girl Who Came Late) Mike Feature film 1997 Retro Sheilas in Space Aliens Are Tooling Our Sheilas Prime Minister Keating Short film 1997 The Tower The Minister TV movie 2001 Rubberman Accepts the Nobel Prize Announcer Short film 2002 Mimi Auctioneer Short film

Television Year Title Role Type 1961 The Rivals Faulkland TV play 1963 Night Stop Eddy TV play 1963 A Piece of Ribbon TV play 1964 On Approval The Duke of Bristol TV play 1964 Barley Charlie TV series, 1 episode 1962-64 Consider Your Verdict Don Fraser / Stanley Naughton TV series, 3 episodes 1964 Corruption in the Palace of Justice TV play 1964 Luther TV play 1965 A Time to Speak John TV play 1965 Duet: The Face at the Club House Door and How Do You Spell Matrimony? TV play 1965 A Christmas Play TV play 1965 The Winds of Green Monday Welshman Jones TV play 1966 Jimmy Self TV series, 4 episodes 1966 Homicide Charles Steiner TV series, 1 episode 1966-67 Australian Playhouse Fenwick / Ralph Ellis TV series, 3 episodes 1967 Die Flederemaus TV play 1967 Hey You! Simpkins TV series, 2 episodes 1967 The Heat's On TV play 1967 Breakdown TV play 1972 A Time for Love TV series, 1 episode 1976 Matlock Police Emmanuel Bridger TV series, 1 episode 1981 Bellamy Lampani TV miniseries, 1 episode Division 4 TV series 1988 Australians TV miniseries, 1 episode 1988 The Fremantle Conspiracy TV miniseries 1989 Rafferty's Rules Patrick I'Connor TV series, 1 episode 1990 The Flying Doctors Mingo McTaggart TV series, 1 episode 1984 Bodyline Lord Hawke TV miniseries 1991 Ring of Scorpio Julio TV miniseries, 4 episodes 1992 A Country Practice Gil Tyler TV series, 2 episodes 1992 Bligh Thomas Bowlder TV series, 1 episode 1993 G.P. G.J. Harrison TV series, 2 episodes 1993 Stark Australian politician TV miniseries 1994 Mother and Son Doctor TV series, 1 episode 2008 All Saints Bill Blight TV series 2009 Dirt Game Tim Royce TV miniseries 2014 The Gods of Wheat Street Magistrate TV miniseries, 2 episodes

Stage Year Title Role Venue / Theatre Company 1960 Look Back in Anger 1968 The Crucible John Proctor 1981 Accidental Death of an Anarchist Nimrod Theatre Company 1983 Party Wall Nimrod Theatre Company

Radio Year Title Role Type 1969 Burke's Company Radio play

Directing

Film Year Title Role Type 1980 Dancing Director Film 1995 Dad and Dave: On Our Selection Writer / director Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1987 The Harp in the South Writer / director TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1987 Poor Man's Orange Writer / director TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1988 Australians Director TV series, episode 8: "Jack Davey" 1990 More Winners Director TV series, episode 3: "Mr Edmund" 1991 Clowning Around Director TV miniseries 1993 Clowning Around 2 Director TV miniseries 1999 The Adventures of Sam Director Animated TV series

Stage Year Title Venue / Theatre Company 1976 Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted Jane Street Theatre with National Institute of Dramatic Art 1977 The Hostage National Institute of Dramatic Art 1978 The Threepenny Opera National Institute of Dramatic Art 1979 On Our Selection Jane Street Theatre & Nimrod Theatre with National Institute of Dramatic Art 1979 Waiting for Godot Jane Street Theatre with National Institute of Dramatic Art 1980 The Women Pirates National Institute of Dramatic Art Mother Courage and Her Children More than a Sentimental Bloke The Perfectionist Old Times

Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Result 1968 The Crucible Best Actor 1987 The Harp in the South AFI Award for Best Direction in a Miniseries 1988 Poor Man's Orange AFI Award for Best Achievement in Direction in a Miniseries 1993 More Winners: Mr Edmund CableACE Award for Excellence International Children's Programming Special or Series 1995 Dad and Dave: On Our Seiection AFI Award for Best Adapted Screenplay