Spencer McLaren

Spencer McLaren (born 28 February 1973, Sydney) is an Australian theatre and television actor, best known for his role as Richie Blake on Australian television drama The Secret Life of Us.

Early life McLaren was born in Sydney,

McLaren's parents divorced when he was eleven, and around the age of 14, he moved to Melbourne, where he attended Werribee Tech and then Blackburn South High School. A visit to the US in 1990, as an exchange student saw him join a Glee-style school choir and perform in state competitions.

Career Television and film In 2000, after graduating from NIDA, McLaren was offered a six-week guest role in long-running soap opera Home and Away as Kieran Fletcher, a love interest for Sally Fletcher, played by Kate Ritchie.

McLaren then landed the part for which he is best known – his starring role as Richie Blake on Australian award-winning television drama, The Secret Life of Us. The series found success with audiences both in Australia and overseas in the UK, Ireland, Canada, NZ, France, Norway, South Africa, Russia and the Netherlands. In 2016, he appeared in a TV miniseries adaptation of John Marsden's Tomorrow When The War Began, playing the role of Daniel Maxwell. The series saw him reunited with his former Secret Life costars Deborah Mailman and Sibylla Budd.

In 2023, McLaren featured alongside Justine Clarke in 10-part ABC drama series, Turn Up the Volume. Inspired by the coming-of-age documentary No Time For Quiet. The following year, he had a recurring role in Paramount+ drama thriller miniseries Fake, starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham.

McLaren is set to appear in upcoming Netflix film You, Always, opposite Adrian Grenier and Jessica De Gouw. McLaren House, which has included theatre productions, TV series and both short and feature films.

McLaren produced children's series Dive Club for 10 Shake & Netflix, which was shot during the COVID pandemic in 2020. During this period, he also produced a number of films, including Swimming for Gold (2020), Sit. Stay. Love. (2021), Kidnapped (2021), Love in Bloom (2021), Romance on the Menu (2021), You, Me and the Penguins (2021), and This Little Love of Mine (2021).

McLaren was executive producer on LGBT romance film Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt) (2020), supernatural drama film Sweet River (2020) and The Art of Incarceration (2021).

In 2022, McLaren produced thriller The Infernal Machine, starring Guy Pearce, which was sold to Paramount Worldwide

McLaren's stage production credits include Strange Bedfellows (2010) at Sydney's Regent Theatre, a regional tour of Hoges: One Night Only! (2014), a stage adaptation of Mother and Son (2014–2015) and a Melbourne production of Midnight – The Cinderella Musical (2023). The second season premiered in January 2026, and reunited the cast of The Secret Life of Us for the 25-year anniversary of the show.

Filmography Film As actor Year Title Role Type 2008 Out of Order Jack Superstar Short film 2010 A Love Story Bartman Short film2011 Surviving Georgia James Feature film Brad in a Bottle Brad Short film 2013 Cliffy Race Official TV movie 2017 Ali's Wedding Tony Feature film 2020 Swimming for Gold Announcer Feature film

As producer

Television As actor

As producer Year Title Role Type 2021 Dive Club Producer 12 episodes 2022 La Brea Unit Production Manager / Assistant Unit Production Manager Attachment 4 episodes 2025 Ceebs Production accountant Miniseries

Podcasts Year Title Role Type Ref.

As actor Year Title Role Type Ref. Show Boat Nova Music Theatre 1997 Don's Party Mal NIDA Theatre, Sydney Glengarry Glen Ross 2001 Masterpiece – The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber Shanghai / Beijing tour Spencer McLaren Live at the Chapel Solo show Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne 2004 The Vegemite Tales Dan Old Red Lion, London with Algernon Productions 2004–2005 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Prince Sheffield Lyceum, Yorkshire 2007 Life's a Circus Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne Fully Committed Solo show / various characters Secret Bridesmaids' Business Guest groom Arts Centre Melbourne with Kay & McLean Productions 2014 Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne for Midsumma Festival

As producer / director Year Title Role Type Ref. Sunday in the Park with George Director The Looking Glass Theatre Company 2007 Fully Committed Producer

Awards and nominations Year Work Awards Category Result Ref. 2021 Dive Club AACTA Awards Best children's program

Personal life McLaren is gay. He married his partner of five years, Chris Wright in a commitment ceremony on 15 February 2014 at St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Melbourne.