Rod Mullinar

Rodney Mullinar (born 1942) is a British Australian former actor, noted for his roles on Australian television.

Early life

Mullinar was born in Hereford, Hertfordshire, England and emigrated to Australia in 1966, at the urging of an Australian friend in London, actor Bill Hunter. He relocated to Sydney with his first wife actress Liz Mullinar who was at that time also an actor but would soon become a well-known casting agent.

Career Mullinar appeared in theatre productions, firstly with the Australian Theatre for Young People and then with the Independent Theatre troupe in mid-1968 with whom he performed in the plays Wait Until Dark, Uncle Vanya, and Tango. He also had a major role in the controversial 1970 film The Set in which he plays Tony Brown, who has an affair with the film's protagonist, Paul, played by Sean McEuan. During the making of The Set, Mullinar, who was union shop steward for the film, was punched by another actor when Mullinar demanded to see his union card. The Sydney Morning Herald identified this actor as the female impersonator 'Kandy' Johnson, who was not a union member.

Mullinar took the leading role in Australian espionage drama Hunter late in the show's run in 1968, however he appeared in just eight episodes due to the cancellation of the series. He subsequently played the title role in television series Ryan (1973).

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1969 claimed that, before migrating to Australia, Mullinar had a small role in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball as well as appearing in the British TV series Z Cars and No Hiding Place. An article in the Melbourne Age in June 1972 also claimed that Mullinar was a graduate of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and had appeared in the film Wake in Fright, the aforementioned Z Cars and Thunderball as well as Softly, Softly: Task Force (as this show began in 1969, this seems unlikely, but he may have been involved in its predecessor, Softly, Softly). It stated that Mullinar had been shortlisted for the role of Frank Banner in Division 4, which was ultimately given to Gerard Kennedy.

Mullinar's other credits include: Cop Shop, Bellbird, Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police, Against the Wind, Breaker Morant, Prisoner, Five Mile Creek, All Saints, Stingers, Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback, Reef Doctors, The Lost World, and The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

Personal life Mullinar's second wife was actress Penny Ramsey. During publicity for Ryan, Mullinar and Ramsey chose to make their relationship public - they had a young daughter at this stage but were not yet married - under threat of exposure by persons unspecified.

Filmography

Film

+ Year Title Role 1969 It Takes All Kinds Policeman 1970 The Set Tony Brown 1971 Stockade Peter Lalor 1974 The Wanderer 1975 Down the Wind Reg 1977 Raw Deal Alex 1978 The Pyjama Girl Case Inspector Morris 1978 Patrick Ed Jacquard 1979 Thirst Derek 1980 Breaker Morant Major Charles Bolton 1980 ...Maybe This Time Jack 1981 The Coming 1982 Duet for Four Ken Overland 1982 Breakfast in Paris Michaels Barnes 1983 Now and Forever Geoffrey Bates 1987 The Surfer Hagan 1987 Echoes of Paradise Terry 1989 Dead Calm Russell Bellows 1989 The Humpty Dumpty Man Stewart Brax 2000 Muggers Marcus Browning 2013 Patrick Morris 2017 That's Not Me Summer Street "Len"

Television + Year Title Role Notes The Adventurers 1967 Contrabandits 1 episode 1967–1974 Homicide (various) 8 episodes 1968–1969 Hunter Gil Martin / Ted Cook 11 episodes 1969–1972 Division 4 Tony Todd / Ronny Raynor / Roger Downey / Brian Beetson / Tom Evans 5 episodes 1971 Dynasty Bob Campbell 1 episode 1971–1972 Matlock Police Jack Bowan / Lou Carter / Ward 3 episodes 1972 Over There Tom Bowden 1 episode 1972 Boney Frank Abbott 1 episode 1973–1974 Ryan Michael Ryan Regular role 1974 Rush Jim Hill 1 episode 1974–1975 Bellbird Scott Leighton Regular role 1975 Quality of Mercy Charlie 1 episode 1977 Beyond Reasonable Doubt Prosecutor TV miniseries 1977 Young Ramsay George 1 episode 1977 Bluey Swanson 1 episode 1978 The Geeks Martin TV movie 1978 Run From the Morning Spencer 6 episodes 1978 Against the Wind John MacCarthur TV miniseries 1978 Magee and the Lady Tom TV movie 1978–1980 Cop Shop Loan Shark / Rod Eastwood / Mitch Mitchell / Hal Kennedy / Patrick McCallum 13 episodes 1979 Skyways Geoff Blake 3 episodes 1979 The Sullivans Uncle Alf Donovan Regular role 1979 Taxi Leslie Armitage TV movie 1979–1980 Prisoner David Austin / Wayne Travers 12 episodes 1980 Water Under the Bridge Don Brandywine TV miniseries 1983 For the Term of His Natural Life Lt. Maurice Frere TV miniseries 1983–1985 Five Mile Creek Jack Taylor Regular role 1984 Eureka Stockade Frederick Vern TV miniseries 1986 The Flying Doctors Darcy Adams 1 episode 1987 Walter Dixon's Wombat Johnathon TV movie 1988 Rafferty's Rules Harry Bertie 1 episode 1989 Inside Running 1989 Mission: Impossible Conrad Drago 2 episodes 1989 The Magistrate Ian Walters TV miniseries 1992 Boney Selby 1 episode 1992 The Fremantle Conspiracy TV miniseries 1992 Cluedo Frederick Stokes 1 episode 1994 Newlyweds Kirby Hacker 2 episodes 1994 Halifax F.P. Melvin Lazar 1 episode 1997 Simone de Beauvoir's Babies Mick TV miniseries 1998 All Saints Professor Richard Craig 10 episodes 1999, 2002 The Lost World Bokra / Kayle/Zoth 2 episodes 2000 Tales of the South Seas TV miniseries. Episode: "Blackbirding" 2000 Shortland Street Max Dubrovsky 2 episodes 2000 On the Beach Admiral Jack Cunnington TV movie 2001 Shock Jock Basil Hannigan 13 episodes 2001 BeastMaster Chiuma Episode: "The Prize" 2001 Curse of the Talisman Father Eccleston TV movie 2002 MDA Dr. Nathan Tate 1 episode 2003 Welcher & Welcher Toby TV miniseries 2004 Stories from the Golf Richard 1 episode 2004 Stingers Colin Burns 1 episode 2007 Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback Judge TV movie 2007 City Homicide Olivier Braxton 1 episode 2007–2011 Dogstar Chester (voice) 4 episodes 2008 Very Small Business Dick Denyer 2 episodes 2008–2009 Satisfaction Jimmy Buraston 3 episodes 2009 Rush Gavin 1 episode 2011 Killing Time Judge Hart TV miniseries 2012 Lowdown Additional voices 1 episode 2013 Reef Doctors Sonny Ferrall TV miniseries 2014 The Flamin' Thongs King Rerpsies 1 episode 2015 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Jock Clement 1 episode 2015 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Wilbur Littleton 1 episode 2016 Comedy Showroom: Bleak 'Gates of Hell' Narrator (voice) TV movie 2016 Dogstar: Christmas in Space Commercial announcer TV movie 2017 House Husbands William Mitchell 1 episode 2017 Impossible Peace Narrator 2018–2019 True Story with Hamish & Andy Narrator Regular role 2019 Utopia Sunlink VO / Voice-Over 2 episodes 2019 Secret Bridesmaids' Business Dyson Novak 1 episode 2019–2020 Bloom Tommy Brydon 7 episodes