Martin Colin Sacks (born 16 October 1959) is an Australian actor who is chiefly known for his 12-year role on ''

Blue Heelers ''Blue Heelers'' is an Australian police drama series that was produced by Southern Star Group and ran for 12 years on the Seven Network, from 1994 to 2006. Although based around the policing of the town, the series generally depicted the ever ...

'' from 1993 to 2005.

Life and career

Sacks was born in Sydney. He got into acting after a bit part in an episode of ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...

'' when it was filming in the Pacific. His first role came about in the series ''

The Restless Years ''The Restless Years'' is an Australian soap opera which followed the lives of several Sydney school-leavers and the drama and relationships faced by young adults. It was created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for N ...

'' in the early 1980s, which started him on the television circuit in Australia. He emigrated to Hollywood in the 1980s, guest starring in series such as ''

thirtysomething ''Thirtysomething'' is an American drama television series created by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz for United Artists Television (under MGM/UA Television) and aired on ABC from September 29, 1987, to May 28, 1991."The 'don't trust anyo ...

'', but preferred Australia, and so he returned there after a few years. Also had guest appearances in: Love in Limbo, Encounters, Irresistible Force, Fields of Fire III, All the Way, Touch the Sun: Princess Kate, Slate, Wyn & Me, Tricheuse, La, Emoh Ruo, Stock Squad and The City's Edge. Also Jake & The Fatman. Sacks took the role of Detective P.J. Hasham in the 1993 series ''

''. The show rocketed him to fame, most notably his 7-year "will-they-or-won't-they" relationship with Constable Maggie Doyle (

Lisa McCune Lisa McCune (born 19 February 1971) is an Australian actress, known for her role in TV series ''Blue Heelers'' as Senior Constable Maggie Doyle, and in ''Sea Patrol'' as Lieutenant Kate McGregor RAN. She has won four Gold Logie Awards. McCune ...

) which ended with her death in the programme's seventh season. During the time he starred on the show, Sacks married Kate and had two children, Jack and Ned and had leading roles in two major Australian

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

: '' Do or Die'' and '' My Husband My Killer'' (both 2001). After playing P.J. for twelve years, and being one of only three original cast still on the show in the twelfth season, Sacks left ''Blue Heelers'' in August 2005. Sacks asked the producers not to kill his character, so that he could return for a guest spot in the future. He did not get the chance, however: the show was cancelled in early 2006. Sacks is also a director, having directed episodes of ''Blue Heelers'', '' All Saints'' and a short film called ''Crushed''. Sacks also starred in the 2008 Australian TV hit, ''

Underbelly Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society. This term could refer to: Business * ...

'', portraying

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

loanshark A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. Description Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...

Mario Condello Mario Rocco Condello (12 April 1952 – 6 February 2006) was an Italian-Australian organised crime figure. Condello, once a lawyer, was a member of the Carlton Crew, and is believed to have been a money launderer for Melbourne's Calabrian mafi ...

. In 2010, Sacks guest starred in three different shows – ''

City Homicide ''City Homicide'' is an Australian television drama series that aired on the Seven Network between 27 August 2007 and 30 March 2011. The series was set on the Homicide floor of a metropolitan police headquarters in Melbourne. The main characte ...

'', '' Rescue: Special Ops'' and ''

Sea Patrol ''Sea Patrol'' is an Australian television drama that ran from 2007 to 2011, set on board HMAS ''Hammersley'', a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The series focused on the ship and the lives of its crew members. Despi ...

''. In 2013 he appeared in ''

Wentworth Wentworth may refer to: People * Wentworth (surname) * Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth (1873–1957), Lady Wentworth, notable Arabian horse breeder * S. Wentworth Horton (1885–1960), New York state senator * Wentworth Miller (born 1 ...

''.

Filmography

As Actor

As Director

Awards

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sacks, Martin 1959 births Australian male film actors Australian male television actors Living people Logie Award winners Male actors from Sydney 20th-century Australian male actors 21st-century Australian male actors