Terry Serio

Terry Serio (born 1956) is an Australian actor, director, musician and singer-songwriter.

Career Film and television Serio's breakout role was as the lead, Mike in the 1982 Australian culture action film Running on Empty, alongside Max Cullen and Penne Hackforth-Jones. Early roles in the film With Prejudice (1983) and TV films High Country (1983) and Rooted (1985) followed. In 1986 he played the lead in biographical miniseries Shout! The Story of Johnny O'Keefe (for which he received AFI nomination for Best Actor) and in 1987 he played Franco in miniseries Fields of Fire.

Numerous guest roles in television series followed, including Rafferty's Rules, The Flying Doctors, A Country Practice, Chances, Phoenix and Police Rescue. In 1995, he played the recurring role of Captain Sam Phillips in thirteen episodes of Ocean Girl, before taking on further guest roles in Heartbreak High, G.P., Flipper, Fallen Angels, Wildside, All Saints, Stingers and Blue Heelers.

Television guest appearances continued into the 2000s, with Halifax f.p., Farscape, Water Rats, The Secret Life of Us, Young Lions, McLeod's Daughters, Home and Away, Blue Water High and Stupid, Stupid Man. Later television credits have included Underbelly, Rake and The Letdown. He had recurring roles as Terry Renner in legal series Janet King and Carmine in drama series The Secret Daughter.

Serio's film roles have included 1995 thriller Back of Beyond, 1997 family adventure comedy Joey and 2001 comedy/drama He Died With a Felafel in his Hand, starring Noah Taylor. He also appeared in the TV movie Heroes' Mountain (2002) based on the true story of the Thredbo tragedy and survival of Stuart Diver, starring Craig McLachlan. The same year, he appeared in 2002 crime comedy Dirty Deeds opposite an all-star cast including Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, Sam Neill, Sam Worthington and John Goodman.

In 2005, Serio starred in Little Fish, alongside Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill and Hugo Weaving and in 2009, he appeared in the TV movie A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne, based on a true story. In 2010 he was in 33 Postcards, alongside Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan. His most recent film appearance was in the 2021 LGBTQIA film We All Lie My Darling.

Since 2011, Serio has been teaching Screen Acting at The Actors Pulse.

Theatre Serio has also worked in theatre, both nationally and internationally, with roles in Rasputin, Hair, The Threepenny Opera, Blasted, 4.48 Psychosis, Summer Rain, Concussion, Under Ice and Way to Heaven at the Griffin Theatre. He notably played the roles of former prime ministers Bob Hawke and John Howard in the Belvoir musical Keating!, earning him the 2007 Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

His radio show Stagefright on the cult radio station FBi 94.5FM has also been successful on the Sydney theatre scene.

Music Serio is also an accomplished musician and singer/songwriter. He was a member of The Elks from 1976 to 1978. They released several albums and performed throughout Sydney and Melbourne.

In 1991, he was part of a twelve-piece country band, The Honky Tonk Angels, with fellow actors Justine Clarke, Lo Carmen, Noah Taylor and Kym Wilson as well as Monica McMahon and musical director Peter Head (Carmen's father). Guest performers included Robyn Archer and Tex Perkins. They performed in Sydney and Melbourne and appeared live on Tonight Live with Steve Vizard, but disbanded in 1992 without recording.

More recently, Serio has played in the country band urban roots band Ministry of Truth, which he formed in Sydney's Surry Hills together with Jon Schofield from Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls. They performed at the Illawarra Folk Festival and Gulgong Folk Festival in 2014 and 2015, and have also recorded. The current sound and lineup was established early in 2010 and they still currently perform. He is also in Sydney band Oh Reach.

Personal life In 2016, Serio was the subject of a portrait by Clara Adolphs entered into the Archibald Prize.

Awards Year Title Award Category Result 1986 Shout! The Story of Johnny O'Keefe AFI Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role 2007 Keating! Helpmann Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1982 Running on Empty Mike Feature film 1983 With Prejudice Paul Alister Feature film 1993 Say a Little Prayer Song Mimer Feature film 1993 A Divinity of Sorts Rock Security 1 Short film 1995 Back of Beyond Lucky Dave Feature film 1997 Joey TV Director Feature film 1998 The Venus Factory Angelo Dmitri Feature film 1999 In the Red Jack Hand Feature film 2001 He Died with a Felafel in His Hand Sydney Policeman #1 Feature film 2002 Dirty Deeds Danny Feature film 2005 Little Fish Busker Feature film 2007 The Final Winter Panel Member Feature film 2009 Wall Boy Pimp Short film 2009 Polly and Me Boyfriend Short film 2010 33 Postcards Fletch Feature film 2010 1MC: Something of Vengeance Ted Walker Feature film 2011 Cocks Gay Short film 2012 Isolate Dad Feature film 2012 Great Western Chris Short film 2012 Leech Mr Leech Short film 2013 The Telling Javier Short film 2013 Mask Short film 2014 The Evil Within Sony Manager Short film 2014 Backwards Showgirl Variation Peter Short film 2016 Gangster Drag Frank Short film 2018 Hot Mess Greg Feature film 2020 Unsound Brett Feature film 2020 On Halloween Whaa Feature film 2021 We All Lie My Darling Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1983 High Country Dave Baxter TV movie 1985 Rooted Gary TV movie 1986 Shout! The Story of Johnny O'Keefe Johnny O’Keefe Miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 Fields of Fire Franco Miniseries, season 1, 2 episodes 1987; 1988 Rafferty's Rules Bomber Clayton – Police Prosecutor TV series, season 2, 4 episodes 1989 The Flying Doctors The Bantam Season 5, episode 10: "The Instrument" 1989 A Country Practice Carl Bailey Season 9, 2 episodes 1990 Fresh Start Dennis Episode 12 1991 Chances Bruce Parker Season 1, episode 35 1992 Phoenix Barney Season 1, episode 11: "Hair of the Dog" 1993 Police Rescue Chicka Season 3, episode 19: "The Last to Know" 1994 Law of the Land Greg Rodwell Season 3, episode 10: "A Matter of Inches" 1995 Ocean Girl Captain Sam Phillips Season 2, 13 episodes 1995 Heartbreak High Tim Beckett / Jim Scully Season 3, 3 episodes 1994; 1996 G.P. Michael / Billy Walker 2 episodes 1995–2000 Blue Heelers Mick Doyle / Paul Reynolds 9 episodes 1996 Flipper Henchman Season 2, episode 1: "The White Dolphin" 1997 Fallen Angels Cosimo Mazzoni 2 episodes 1998 Wildside John Depusa Season 1, episode 18 1999 All Saints Greg Costello Season 2, 3 episodes 1999 Stingers Frampton Season 2, episode 8: "White Lies" 2000 Halifax f.p. Detective Harry Davenport Season 5, episode 3: “A Hate Worse than Death” 2001 Farscape Colonel Lennok Season 3, episode 5: "...Different Destinations" 1996–2001 Water Rats Various roles 5 episodes 2001 The Secret Life of Us Producer Season 1, episode 15: "The Gap" 2002 Heroes’ Mountain Shane Butler TV movie 2002 Young Lions Detective Shane Wesson 3 episodes 2002 Bad Cop, Bad Cop Bruno Rocco Miniseries, episode 7: "A Joint Venture" 2003 Grass Roots Stevens Rantzen Season 2, episode 3: "Garbage" 2003 Snobs Graeme Miniseries, episode 5 2004 McLeod’s Daughters Vin Riley Season 4, episode 22: "For Love or Money" 2005–2006 Home and Away Dudley Shepherd 4 episodes 2006 Blue Water High Surf Shop Owner Season 2, episode 8 2006 BlackJack: At the Gates Police Investigator TV movie 2007–2008 Stupid, Stupid Man John Hunt Season 2, 2 episodes 2009 A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne Paul Jacob TV movie 2012 Underbelly: Badness Terry Falconer Season 5, episode 1: "Thy Will Be Done" 2014–2017 Janet King Terry Renner Season 1, 8 episodes 2015 Shit Creek Mr Motherfucker Miniseries 2016 Rake Rance Petrie Season 4, episode 5 2017 The Letdown Counsellor Season 1, episode 3: "Trivial Pursuits" 2016–2017 The Secret Daughter Carmine Seasons 1–2, 11 episodes 2019–2020 Reckoning Rooster Miniseries, 3 episodes 2020 Dick Slider Don Uts Season 2, episode 1: "Squad" 2020 Bondi Slayer Christopher 2 episodes

Theatre

As actor Year Title Role Type 1983 Trafford Tanzi Dean Seymour Centre, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1984 Beach Blanket Tempest Frankie Australian tour with New Moon Theatre Company 1986 No Worries Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC for Sydney Festival 1986 Pearls Before Swine Ram Bovine Belvoir Theatre Company, Seymour Centre, Sydney, Universal Theatre, Melbourne 1987 Rasputin: The Musical Revolution Prince Felix Yussopov State Theatre, Sydney 1989 The Mound Builders Bondi Pavilion, Sydney with Underground Theatre Productions 1989 Kid Stakes Bondi Pavilion, Sydney with Underground Theatre Productions 1990 Favourite Son Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1991–1992 Hair - The Tribal Love Rock Musical Berger Australian national tour with Elston, Hocking & Woods 1993 A Rare Jewel Newcastle Civic Theatre 1994 Villain of Flowers NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney 1998 The Present Stables Theatre, Sydney 2003 The Threepenny Opera Tiger Brown Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney 2004 Blasted Ian Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney 2004 4.48 Psychosis Stables Theatre, Sydney 2005 Bones Reg Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney 2005 Summer Rain Barry Doyle Sydney Theatre with STC 2006 7 Blowjobs Seymour Centre, Sydney with B Sharp 2006–08 Keating! Bob Hawke / John Howard Australian national tour with Belvoir Won 2007 Helpmann Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical 2009 Concussion Caesar Wharf Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company & STC 2009 Under Ice Paul Niemand Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 2010 Way to Heaven Gottfried Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 2010 Fool for Love Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney 2011 The Seagull Shamrayev Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney 2011 Mongrel Newtown Theatre, Sydney for Sydney Fringe Festival 2012 Rapid Write: Hollywood Ending Don Stables Theatre, Sydney with Theatre503 & Griffin Independent 2013 Machinal Adding Clerk Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 2014 The Young Tycoons CEO Donald Mayes Eternity Playhouse, Sydney with Darlinghurst Theatre Company 2014 The Winter’s Tale Antigonus / Autolycus Bell Shakespeare 2015 Of Mice and Men The Boss Seymour Centre, Sydney, Canberra Theatre Centre with Sport For Jove Theatre Company 2015 A Riff on Keef: The Human Myth Keef Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 2019 The Sentimental Bloke Mr Capper and others Hayes Theatre Company, Sydney with Neglected Musicals 2021 After the Afterglow Presenter / Self (solo show) Bakehouse Studio Theatre, Adelaide with Adelaide Fringe Festival 2022 Dubbo Championship Wrestling Des Hayes Theatre Company, Sydney

As director Year Title Role Type 2005 Kiss of the Alien Director Newtown Theatre, Sydney for Short+Sweet 2021 The Twins Director Holden Street Theatres for Adelaide Fringe