Drew Forsythe (born 23 August 1949) is an Australian actor, singer, writer, and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage, and television, as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programs.

Early life

Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Forsythe attended Atherton Primary School, far north

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Career

The title roles of the heroic Tonino and the foolish Zanetto in the

Nick Enright Nicholas Paul Enright AM (22 December 1950 – 30 March 2003) was an Australian dramatist, playwright and theatre director. Early life Enright was born on 22 December 1950 to a prosperous professional Catholic family in East Maitland, New So ...

/ Terence Clarke musical, '' The Venetian Twins'', were written for Forsythe. He originated these dual roles for

Nimrod Theatre Company The Nimrod Theatre Company, commonly known as The Nimrod, was an Australian theatre company based in Sydney. It was founded by in 1970 by Australian actor John Bell, Richard Wherrett and Ken Horler, and gained a reputation for producing more "go ...

in the first

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in The Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Thea ...

season in 1979, and subsequently in two revivals. Other stage appearances include the

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

comic operas ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, whic ...

'' and ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'' for

Essgee Entertainment Essgee Entertainment is a professional performing and publishing company formed in 1981 in Australia. Its founder and chief executive officer is entertainer Simon Gallaher. History Essgee began by financing and producing recording artists and reco ...

, receiving a Melbourne

Green Room Award The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne. The awards were started in 1982 when Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy formed the Green Room Awards A ...

as Ko-Ko in ''

'' in 1995. For the film ''

Caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support. Description A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the ...

'', Forsythe received the 1976

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role is an award in the annual Australian Film Institute Awards. It has been awarded annually since 1974. Previous winners ReferencesAfi.org.au — AFI Award Winners {{Australia ...

. His television appearances include ''

The Miraculous Mellops ''The Miraculous Mellops'' is an Australian sci-fi/comedy television series, created by Karl Zwicky and Margarita Tassone and produced by Film Australia and Millennium Pictures in association with the Network Ten. Aimed at children, the first ...

'', ''

The Dingo Principle ''The Dingo Principle'' is an Australian satirical comedy series created by Patrick Cook and Phillip Scott which was produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1987. In addition to Cook and Scott, the show's cast ...

'', and ''Three Men and a Baby Grand'', satirical sketch television comedy programs for which he was a writer/performer with Phillip Scott and

Jonathan Biggins Jonathan Martin Biggins (born 14 September 1960) is an Australian actor, singer, writer, director and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage and television as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programmes. He was born in Newcast ...

. The 'Three Men' team started in revue at the Tilbury Hotel, and much of the thematic material from these revues has been revisited and developed in the Sydney Theatre Company's '

Wharf Revue The Wharf Revue is a series of musical comedy revues presented by the Sydney Theatre Company. Each show features four comedians – usually Jonathan Biggins, Phillip Scott (actor), Phillip Scott and Drew Forsythe, accompanied by a female performer ...

' series. Forsythe provided the anonymous, uncredited voice of David Tench, a computer-animated host on

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...

's short-lived comedy talk show '' David Tench Tonight''. He also voiced several characters on the Australian award-winning animated series I Got a Rocket. Forsythe is credited with singing the theme song for the ABC's long-running Sunday morning radio program, ''

Australia All Over ''Australia All Over'' is a long-running Australian weekly Sunday morning radio program produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The show airs each Sunday morning from 5:30 am until 10:00 am on the ABC Local Radio network and has been ...

'', hosted by

Ian McNamara Ian McNamara , commonly known as "Macca", is an Australian radio presenter, singer-songwriter and producer, best known for hosting the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's long running radio program '' Australia All Over'' on the ABC Local Rad ...

. For more than thirty years when over 2 million listeners spanning every corner of Australia tune in from 5.30 am on Sunday mornings to listen to 'Macca' they are greeted by Forsythe singing - "Macca on a Sunday Morning".

Personal life

Forsythe's son,

Abe Forsythe Abraham Forsythe (born 26 July 1981) is an Australian film and television actor, director, writer and producer. He is the son of actor and comedian Drew Forsythe. Career He first appeared on the TV series '' The Miraculous Mellops''. He has sinc ...

, is an actor and director.

References

External links

* 1949 births Living people Australian operatic baritones Australian male comedians Australian male film actors Australian male singers Australian male musical theatre actors Australian male stage actors Australian male television actors Australian male voice actors Musicians from Sydney Blinky Bill Male actors from Sydney {{australia-singer-stub