Nigel Lovell

Nigel Tasman Lovell (27 January 1916 – 13 December 2001) was an Australian stage, radio, film and television actor, and producer of opera and both stage and radio drama.

Early life Lovell was born in Sydney, the son of Tasman Lovell, Professor of Psychology and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sydney University, living at Honda Road, Neutral Bay. He was educated at 'Shore' (Sydney Church of England Grammar School) and studied law at Sydney University, graduating with a BA in 1938, and was an active member of the Sydney University Dramatic Society (SUDS), under director May Hollinworth. While with SUDS, he was spotted by the director of drama for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, Frank Clewlow, who gave him small roles in several radio plays.

Career In 1950, Lovell joined Sydney's Metropolitan Theatre under Hollinworth, and when she fell ill he took over production.

In 1951, Lovell won a Commonwealth Jubilee Arts Scholarship in Drama, a travelling scholarship awarded by the British Council to study production in England.

He continued acting for the ABC under producers Eric John and Frank Zeppel in the last decade of Australian radio drama, and in several ABC-TV historical plays.

In 1959, Lovell appeared as the main protagonist in the convict-themed Pardon Miss Westcott, which was the first Australian musical written specially for live television. That same year, he had a small role in feature film The Restless and the Damned.

Lovell was also a regular in Crawford Productions for commercial TV; notably as the avuncular spy chief on late 1960s series Hunter. During the 1970–1972 seasons of Crawfords' long-running Melbourne police series Homicide, he served as a line producer and television dialogue director, before it moved completely into being a fully-filmed program. In 1972 he returned to Sydney, joining the staff of ABC Radio as a producer of education programs.

Television Year Title Role Type Ref. 1957 A Fourth for Bridge Air Force Type TV movie 1959 One Bright Day Arthur Mitchell TV movie The Bodgie Robert Manning MP TV movie 1960 Stormy Petrel Major General George Johnston 8 episodes The Grey Nurse Said Nothing Reverend Light Episode of The General Motors Hour 1961 The Sergeant from Burralee Defence Counsel TV movie Whiplash Josie / Edwin Regnor / Wilfred Swan 3 episodes 1962 Off Centre Joe Hunter TV movie Consider Your Verdict Harold Rees 2 episodes The Patriots Dr Robert Wardell Miniseries, 10 episodes Jonah 1 episode 1963 Smugglers Beware Miniseries The Hungry Ones Surgeon John White 9 episodes Time Out Louis de Rougemont 1 episode The Land That Waited Narrator TV movie 1964 The Stranger Group Captain Ponsonby Miniseries, 1 episode Tribunal Bartolomeo Vanzetti 1 episode A Sound of Trumpets Geoff TV movie 1965 The Big Killing Charles Barcher TV movie Adventure Unlimited 1 episode 1965–1973 Homicide John Simpson / Supt. Tilley / Refinery Security Officer / Stranger / Senator Russell Watson / Thomas Burke / Graham Boyce / Prosecuting Counsel 8 episodes 1966 Point of Departure Clark TV movie The Nice Widow at Quinto Episode of Australian Playhouse 1967 Nice 'n' Juicy Mackay 1 episode Divorce Court 210 episodes 1967–1969 Hunter Charles Blake 65 episodes 1968 The Battlers Magistrate 1 episode Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Dr Martin 1 episode 1969 Riptide Inspector 1 episode 1969; 1970 Delta Ronnie / Major Brunning 2 episodes 1969–1971 Division 4 Judge / Ken Frost / Carl Glass on / Henry Morgan / Will Smyth 5 episodes 1970 Woobinda, Animal Doctor 1 episode The Rovers The Bank Manager / Dr Henry Micklejohn 2 episodes Strange Holiday TV movie 1972 The Lady and the Law TV movie The Spoiler Richards 1972–1973 Over There Captain Balfour 5 episodes 1973 Matlock Police Ted Jackson 1 episode Seven Little Australians The Doctor Miniseries, 1 episode 1974 Behind the Legend John Flynn 1 episode 1975 Last Rites Beecham TV movie 1976 Alvin Purple Dad 1 episode 1977 Born to Run (aka Harness Fever) Cantrell TV movie 1978 Case for the Defence The Judge 1 episode 1982 A Country Practice Bluey Ashdown 2 episodes

As producer Year Title Role Type Ref. 1970–1972 Homicide Producer 18 episodes

Theatre

As actor