Lex Marinos

Alexander Francis Marinos (1 February 194913 September 2024) was an Australian actor and television director, radio personality and voice artist. He was most notable for his role as Bruno, in the 1980s television series Kingswood Country.

Early life Marinos was born on 1 February 1949 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, the son of a Greek immigrant father, Fotios ('Frank') Marinopoulos and Greek-Australian mother, Anne Karofilis, who was the daughter of Adonis ('Tony') Karofilis, a Greek migrant from Kasos, Greece and Minnie Matheson, an Australian of Scottish and English origin, with descent going back to Marinos's maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Samuel Bradley, a convict, and Marian Mortimer, a free emigrant, who arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, in the 19th century.

Marinos' maternal grandparents, Adonis and Minnie, owned Greek cafés in towns across the Riverina region of New South Wales, including Wagga Wagga and The Rock, and also in the town of Bogan Gate. Marinos moved to Sydney where he attended North Sydney Boys High School. He graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in Drama. He also studied with renowned American acting teacher, Stella Adler.

Career In the early 1970's Lex appeared as a Gunman in NUMBER 96 series, 1974 episode 599.

In the late 1970s, Marinos began presenting on the ABC youth radio station 2JJ, later becoming a presenter on ABC Local Radio, including the show Late Night Legends on ABC2. With Ted Robinson, he was also a presenter on radio station 2JJ (Double Jay), now Triple J, in the late 1970s. He has since worked as a radio presenter on various ABC and commercial networks. He had recurring roles in television series City West (1984), Embassy (1991–1982), miniseries The Slap (2011) and Fighting Season (2018). He also appeared in several films including Cathy's Child (1979), Hoodwink (1981), Goodbye Paradise (1983), Pandemonium (1988), The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992) and Backyard Ashes (2013).

Marinos acted in theatre productions with Nimrod, the APG, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Company B, Big hART.

He also directed numerous stage productions, including a 1980 tour of No Room for Dreamers across Australia, England, Scotland and Ireland. He co-founded the King O'Malley Theatre Company. He was also a member of the creative and production team for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, directing the segment 'Arrivals' about immigrants arriving in Australia. He was the director of 'Carnivale', NSW’s multicultural arts festival, from 1996 to 1999. He was executive producer of the Yeperenye Federation Festival, for the Centenary of Federation Celebrations in Alice Springs. He was a frequent speaker and writer on arts and cultural diversity. In 2008, he delivered the tenth annual Tom Brock Lecture, on the history of Australian immigration and rugby league. He was also guest tutor at several theatre and screen colleges. He was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001.

In 2012, the cast of The Slap, including Marinos, received the Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Mini-Series.

Personal life and death Marinos died in Sydney on 13 September 2024, aged 75, after a two-decade battle with leukemia. His family announced on social media that he died "peacefully... at home, at a moment of his choosing, surrounded by family and the sounds of Bob Dylan."

As director Year Title Role Notes 1979 The Hypothetical End of Bert Brecht Director Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1980 No Room for Dreamers Director England, Scotland & Ireland tour, Stables Theatre, Sydney, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney with AETT 1980 Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys Director Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company & NSW Theatre of the Deaf 1980 The Siege of Frank Sinatra Director Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company 1980; 1981 Porn: No Rape Trigger Director Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company & STC 1981 Drums Along the Diamantina Director Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company & STC 1984 Belly Busters Director Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 1985 Wet Dreams Director Cell Block Theatre, Sydney for Sydney Festival 1986 A Coupla White Chicks Director University of Sydney with The Gordon Frost Organisation 1988 Starkers Director Canberra Theatre 1988; 1989 Living in the Seventies Director Seymour Centre, Sydney, Studio Theatre, Melbourne for Sydney Festival 1990 Dynamite! Director University of Sydney with David Atkins Enterprises 1990 Fish Wednesday Director Belvoir, Sydney 1992 Stool Pigeon Director Seymour Centre, Sydney with Sydney Festival 1992 Dancin' Dynamite Director Hills Centre, Sydney 1992 A Slice of Life Director Hills Centre, Sydney 1993 Return to the Forbidden Planet Director Lyric Theatre, Brisbane 1994 On Tidy Endings Director Lookout Theatre for Sydney Festival 1994 A Slice of Saturday Night Director Hills Centre, Sydney 1999 The Wound Devisor / Director Enmore Theatre, Sydney with Sidetrack Performance Group 2000 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony Director (Arrivals) Sydney Olympic Park 2014 Legend! Slips Cordon - A Safe Pair of Hands Director Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Independent Theatre Company & Decorum