Raymond Francis Meagher (born 4 July 1944) is an Australian actor, who has appeared in Australian film and television since the mid-1970s. He is notable as the longest continuing performer in an Australian television role, portraying Alf Stewart on Home and Away, having played the role since the first episode in 1988. Meagher won a Gold Logie Award for his role in Home and Away in 2010 and has currently played the role of Alf for over 37 years.

Early life

Meagher was born in Roma, Queensland and spent the early years of his life on Eidsvold Cattle Station while attending a Wondai convent school. At the age of nine, he moved to the Gold Coast to begin boarding school at Marist College Eagle Heights. where he became a keen sportsman at high school, representing the school at a number of sports including rugby union, a sport which he ultimately played at state level.

Meagher played at first five eighth for Queensland at senior level in the late 1960s, including playing against France.

Career

Film

Meagher played Sergeant Drummond in the 1980 war drama Breaker Morant, which he said was one of his favourite roles. His other film appearances include The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978), Newsfront (1978), My Brilliant Career (1979), The Shiralee (1987), Meagher became "a much in demand character actor", with his early television roles including Matlock Police, Ben Hall, Rush, Certain Women, Pig in a Poke, The Restless Years, Glenview High, The Oracle, Kingswood Country, Cop Shop, Skyways, Sporting Chance, Holiday Island, and Bellamy. Meagher liked playing "heavy" characters, who showed their lighter sides. Meagher also appeared in the 1988 children's series The True Story of Spit MacPhee, along with John Bach and Elspeth Ballantyne.

In September 2009, Meagher was the third-highest paid personality on Australian television, behind Eddie McGuire and Rove McManus.

Meagher won the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at the 2010 Logie Awards, where he was also nominated for "Most Popular Actor". Meagher subsequently won that Logie Award in 2018.

Stage

In 2007, Meagher took over the role of Bob the mechanic in Priscilla Queen of the Desert from Bill Hunter. From 30 September 2010, he took over the role of Bob in the West End production of Priscilla until March 2011. In June 2011, it was announced that Meagher would be returning to the West End production from October. He then rejoined the show for its New Zealand tour in 2016.

Meagher regularly travelled to the United Kingdom to take part in the traditional Christmas pantomimes. From December 1996 until early January 1997, he played Baron Hardup in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Cinderella. In December 2008, he played Abanazar in a production of Aladdin at the Anvil Theatre in Basingstoke and in 2009 he performed as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Filmography

Film

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|-

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1978

| The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

| Dud Edmonds

|

|-

| Newsfront

| Len's Second Brother

|

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 1979

| The Odd Angry Shot

| Range Corporal

|

|-

| My Brilliant Career

| Mailman

|

|-

| The Journalist

| Senior Investigator

|

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 1980

| Breaker Morant

| Sgt. Maj. Drummond

|

|-

| Mystery Island

| Policeman

|

|-

| A Piece of Cake

| Duty Sarglant

| Short film

|-

! scope="row" | 1981

| Hoodwink

| Shaw

|

|-

! scope="row" | 1982

| On the Run

| Joe Thompson

|

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1984

| On the Loose

| Russell Leech

|

|-

| The Fire in the Stone

| Dosh

|

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1985

| Relatives

| Herb Taylor

|

|-

| Bootleg

| Lawker

|

|-

! scope="row" | 1986

| Short Changed

| Marshall

|

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1987

| Dark Age

| Rex Garret

|

|-

| The Place at the Coast

| Uncle Doug

|

|-

! scope="row" | 1989

| Luigi's Ladies

| Lance

|

|}

Television

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|-

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1973

| Around Folk

| Host

|

|-

| Matlock Police

| Kurt Fisher

| Episode: "By Hook or by Crook"

|-

! scope="row" | 1976

| Do I Have to Kill My Child?

| Des

| TV film

|-

! scope="row" | 1977

| Number 96

| Fred Shrimpton

| Season 6

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 1978

| Glenview High

| Policeman

| Episode: "Accident"

|-

| Run From the Morning

|

|

|-

| Because He's My Friend

| Kevin

| TV film

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1979

| Skyways

| Sergeant Murphy

| Episode: "The Crated Crim"

|-

| Top Mates

|

| Miniseries

|-

! scope="row" | 1979–80; 1984; 1986

| Prisoner

| Geoff Butler / Ernest Craven / Kurt Renner

| Season 1–2<br>28 episodes

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1981

| Sporting Chance

|

|

|-

| Holiday Island

|

|

|-

! scope="row" | 1982–86

| A Country Practice

| Wally Stanley / Trev Bennett / Tom Skilton

| 6 episodes

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1982

| Mystery at Castle House

| Stakovich

| TV film

|-

| Runaway Island

|

| TV film

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1983

| The Weekly's War

| Frank Packer

| Miniseries

|-

| The Disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain

| Mr. Lowe

| TV film

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 1984

| Five Mile Creek

| Lightning Ridge

| Episode: "The Hangman's Noose"

|-

| Kingswood Country

| Keith Mitchell / Bank Manager

| 2 episodes

|-

| Mail Order Bride

| Kevin

| TV film

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 1985

| A Fortunate Life

| Bad Bob

| Miniseries.<br>Episode: "Starting Out (1897–1905)"

|-

| Mother and Son

| Geoff

| Episode: "The Card Game"

|-

| Colour in the Creek

| Clarrie

| 8 episodes

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="4" | 1986

| Land of Hope

|

| Miniseries

|-

| Five Times Dizzy

| The Red Headed Person

|

|-

| The Great Bookie Robbery

| Bob Temple

| Miniseries

|-

| The Blue Lightning

| Hale

| TV film

|-

! scope="row" | 1987

| The Shiralee

| Polkadot

| TV film

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="4" | 1988

| True Believers

| Tom Burke

| Miniseries

|-

| The True Story of Spit MacPhee

| Frank Arbuckle

| Miniseries

|-

| Vietnam

| Army Sergeant

| Miniseries

|-

| Spit MacPhee

| Frank Arbuckle

|

|-

! scope="row" | 1988–present

| Home and Away

| Alf Stewart

| Series regular

|-

! scope="row" | 2002

| Home and Away: Secrets and the City

| Alf Stewart

| Video special

|-

! scope="row" | 2003

| Home and Away: Hearts Divided

| Alf Stewart

| Video special

|}

Theatre

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|-

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

|-

! scope="row" | 1975

| The Floating World || || Nimrod Theatre Company

|-

! scope="row"| 1996–1997

| Cinderella

| Baron Hardup

| Chichester Festival Theatre

|-

! scope="row" | 2007

| Priscilla Queen of the Desert || Bob the mechanic || Regent Theatre, Melbourne

|-

! scope="row" | 2008

| Aladdin || Abanazar || Anvil Theatre in Basingstoke

|-

! scope="row" | 2009

| Peter Pan || Captain Hook || Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

|-

! scope="row" | 2010–2011

| Priscilla Queen of the Desert || Bob the mechanic || West End of London

|-

! scope="row" | 2016

| Priscilla Queen of the Desert || Bob the mechanic || New Zealand tour

|}

Awards and nominations

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year

! Association

! width=290"|Category

! Work

! Result

!

|-

| 1984

| Penguin Awards

| Best Actor

| Mail Order Bride

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| 2008

| Digital Spy Soap Awards

| Most Popular Actor

| rowspan="15"|Home and Away

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| 2004

| rowspan="6"| Inside Soap Awards

| Best Actor

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| rowspan="2"| 2006

| Best Actor

|

| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| Funniest Star

|

|-

| 2018

| Best Daytime Star

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| 2019

| Best Daytime Star

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| 2020

| Best Daytime Star

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| rowspan="2"| 2010

| rowspan="8"| Logie Awards

| Most Popular Personality on Australian Television

|

| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| Most Popular Actor

|

|-

| 2012

| Most Popular Actor

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| 2018

| Most Popular Actor

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| 2019

| Most Popular Actor

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| rowspan="2"| 2022

| Most Popular Personality on Australian Television

|

| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|

|-

| Most Popular Actor

|

|-

| 2023

| Most Popular Actor

|

| style="text-align:center;"|

|-

|}

References

  • Profile from UK TV channel Five