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{{Short description|Australian playwright, actor, and singer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| image =
| image =
| caption =
| caption =
|birth_name = Steven John Peter Spears
| birth_name = Steven John Peter Spears
| birth_date = 22 January 1951
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|1|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Adelaide]], South Australia, Australia
| birth_place = [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]], Australia
| death_date = 16 October 2007
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2007|10|16|1951|1|22}}
| death_place = [[Aldinga, South Australia]]
| death_place = [[Aldinga, South Australia]], Australia
| occupation = Playwright, writer, actor, singer
| occupation = {{hlist|Playwright|writer|actor|singer}}
}}
}}
'''Steve J. Spears''' (22 January 1951 – 16 October 2007) was an Australian playwright, actor, writer and singer. His most famous work was ''[[The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin]]'' (1976). He was cited as "one of Australia's most celebrated playwrights".<ref name="SMH_24Nov2002_SpearsvMurdoch">{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/13/1037080785714.html|title=Theatre yarn starts to unravel|last=Hornery |first=Andrew|author2=Ben Wyld |date=2002-11-24|publisher=www.smh.com.au [[Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=2009-02-07}}</ref>
'''Steven John Peter Spears''' (22 January 1951 – 16 October 2007) was an Australian playwright, actor, writer and singer. His most famous work was ''[[The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin]]'' (1976). He was cited as "one of Australia's most celebrated playwrights".<ref name="SMH_24Nov2002_SpearsvMurdoch">{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/13/1037080785714.html|title=Theatre yarn starts to unravel|last=Hornery |first=Andrew|author2=Ben Wyld |date=24 November 2002|publisher=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=7 February 2009}}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==


===Early life===
===Early life===
Spears was born in [[Adelaide]], South Australia in 1951 and, after his parents separated when he was very young,<ref name="www.footlights.net.au_obits_spears">{{Cite web|url=http://www.footlights.net.au/Obituaries/Steve%20Spears.htm|title=Steve J Spears 1951–2007 An Excellent Obit.|last=George|first=Rob|date=2008-11-28|accessdate=2009-02-07}}</ref> grew up with relatives in the suburb of [[Mile End, South Australia|Mile End]].<ref name="Austlit_Spears_SteveJ_MileEnd">{{Cite web|url=http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A$)k|title=AustLit Agent|publisher=www.austlit.edu.au|accessdate=2009-01-25}}</ref>
Spears was born in [[Adelaide]], South Australia in 1951 and, after his parents separated when he was very young,<ref name="www.footlights.net.au_obits_spears">{{Cite web|url=http://www.footlights.net.au/Obituaries/Steve%20Spears.htm|title=Steve J Spears 1951–2007 An Excellent Obit.|last=George|first=Rob|date=28 November 2008|access-date=7 February 2009}}</ref> grew up with relatives in the suburb of [[Mile End, South Australia|Mile End]].<ref name="Austlit_Spears_SteveJ_MileEnd">{{Cite web|url=http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A$)k|title=AustLit Agent|publisher=austlit.edu.au|access-date=25 January 2009}}</ref>
He studied Law at the [[University of Adelaide]], but through writing and performing student revues, was distracted into a career in the theatre.<ref name="www.footlights.net.au_obits_spears"/><ref name="Austlit_Spears_SteveJ_MileEnd"/>
He studied law at the [[University of Adelaide]], but through writing and performing student revues, was distracted into a career in the theatre.<ref name="www.footlights.net.au_obits_spears"/><ref name="Austlit_Spears_SteveJ_MileEnd"/> Spears moved to Sydney in the 1970s. In his own words, he was a "born-again Sydney-sider".<ref name="Spears_Book_InSearchoftheBodgie_WhyILoveSydney_p44">{{Cite book|last=Spears|first=Steve|title=In Search of the Bodgie|publisher=Imprint (Collins Publishers Australia)|location=Sydney|year=1989|pages=162|isbn=0-7322-2524-8 }}</ref>


===Sydney===
===Death===
Spears died in [[Aldinga, South Australia]], from brain cancer in 2007. He was 56.<ref name="SMH_17Oct2007_Spears_Death">{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/playwright-loses-his-cancer-struggle/2007/10/16/1192300766967.html|title=Playwright loses his cancer struggle|last=Morgan|first=Clare|date=17 October 2007|publisher=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=25 January 2009}}</ref>
Spears moved to Sydney in the 1970s. In his own words, he was a "born-again Sydney-sider".<ref name="Spears_Book_InSearchoftheBodgie_WhyILoveSydney_p44">{{Cite book|last=Spears|first=Steve|title=In Search of the Bodgie|publisher=Imprint (Collins Publishers Australia)|location=Sydney|year=1989|pages=162|isbn=0-7322-2524-8 |accessdate=2009-01-25}}</ref>


===Later life===
==Writing==
Spears died in [[Aldinga, South Australia]] from brain cancer in 2007, aged only 56.<ref name="SMH_17Oct2007_Spears_Death">{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/playwright-loses-his-cancer-struggle/2007/10/16/1192300766967.html|title=Playwright loses his cancer struggle|last=Morgan|first=Clare|date=2007-10-17|publisher=www.smh.com.au [[Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=2009-01-25}}</ref>


==Plays==
===Plays===
{|class="wikitable"
Spears' theatrical works include:
|-
* ''Africa: A Savage Musical'' (1974)
! Year
* ''People Keep Giving Me Things'' (1975)
! Title
* ''Roaring Boy'' (1975)
|-
* ''There Were Giants In Those Days'' (1975)
| 1974 || ''Africa: A Savage Musical''
* ''Young Mo'' (full title ''"The Resuscitation of the Little Prince Who Couldn't Laugh as Performed by Young Mo at the Height of the Great Depression of 1929"'') (1975), about the Australian comedian [[Roy Rene|Roy "Mo" Rene]]
|-
* ''[[The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin]]'' (1976), closely identified with the career of the actor [[Gordon Chater]].
| 1975 || ''People Keep Giving Me Things''
* ''When They Send Me Three and Fourpence'' (1976)
|-
* ''The Death of George Reeves'' (1978)
| 1975 || ''Roaring Boy''
* ''King Richard'' (1978)
|-
* ''The Time of the Bodgie'' (1980)
| 1975 || ''There Were Giants in Those Days''
* ''Froggie'' (1983)
|-
* ''Glory'' (1988)
| 1975 || ''Young Mo'' (or ''The Resuscitation of the Little Prince Who Couldn't Laugh as Performed by Young Mo at the Height of the Great Depression of 1929''). About Australian comedian [[Roy Rene|Roy "Mo" Rene]]
* ''Namatjira Park'' (1992)
|-
* ''A Little Theatre'' (1995)
| 1976 || ''[[The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin]]''
|-
| 1976 || ''When They Send Me Three and Fourpence''
|-
| 1978 || ''The Death of George Reeves''
|-
| 1978 || ''King Richard''
|-
| 1980 || ''The Time of the Bodgie''
|-
| 1983 || ''Froggie''
|-
| 1988 || ''Glory''
|-
| 1992 || ''Namatjira Park''
|-
| 1995 || ''A Little Theatre''
|-
| 1995 || ''The Dance Angelic''
|}
<ref name="DooleeCom_Spears_YoungMo_LongTitle">{{Cite web|url=http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsS/spears-steve-j.html|title=STEVE J SPEARS|publisher=Doollee.com, The Playwrights Database |access-date=20 January 2009}}</ref>


===Television===
His final theatre work was ''The Dance Angelic'' (1995).<ref name="DooleeCom_Spears_YoungMo_LongTitle">{{Cite web|url=http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsS/spears-steve-j.html|title=STEVE J SPEARS|publisher=Doollee.com, The Playwrights Database |accessdate=2009-01-20}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
|-
| || ''[[A Country Practice]]''
|-
| || ''[[Hey Dad..!]]''
|-
| 1991-93 || ''[[All Together Now (Australian TV series)|All Together Now]]''
|-
| || ''[[Neighbours]]''
|-
| || ''[[E Street (television show)|E Street]]''
|-
| || ''[[G.P.]]''
|-
| || ''[[Heartbreak High]]''
|-
| 1996-98 || ''[[The Genie From Down Under]]''<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817389/ IMDb filmography for "Steve J. Spears"] accessed 20 March 2011</ref> (including the first episode ''Wishing and Hoping'')
|-
| || ''The Greatest Tune on Earth''
|-
| 2001-02 || ''[[Fairy Tale Police Department]]''
|-
| || ''Gloria's House''
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Sky Trackers]]''
|}

===Books===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
| 1990 || ''The Big Wish'' || Co-written with [[John Hepworth (writer)|John Hepworth]]. Published by Puffin (1990) {{ISBN|0140144625}}
|-
| 1989 || ''In Search of the Bodgie'' || An "anti-memoir"<ref name="Spears_Book_InSearchoftheBodgie_WhyILoveSydney_p44"/>
|-
| 2004 || ''Murder at the Fortnight'' || Detective novel planned as the first of a 13 part series, ''The Pentangeli Papers'', but only one more, ''Innocent Murders'' (2006) was published before Spears' death.<ref name="BiblioCom_Spears_Pentangeli_Papers">{{Cite web|url=http://www.biblio.com/author_biographies/10708534/Steve_J_Spears.html|title=Books by Steve J. Spears|publisher=biblio.com|access-date=25 January 2009}}</ref>
|}


==Acting work==
==Acting work==


===Television===
===Television===
{|class="wikitable"
Spears appeared in ''[[A Country Practice]]'' (1981), ''[[Hey Dad!]]'' (1988), ''[[G.P.]]'' (1989), ''[[Heartbreak High]]'' (2004).<ref name="www.footlights.net.au_obits_spears"/><ref name="IMDB_Spears">{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817389/#actor|title=Steve J. Spears|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]|accessdate=2009-01-25}}</ref>
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Type
|-
| 1981 || ''[[A Country Practice]]'' || || TV series
|-
| 1988 || ''[[Hey Dad!]]'' || || TV series
|-
| 1989 || ''[[G.P.]]'' || || TV series
|-
| 1997-98 || ''[[Magic Mountain (television series)|Magic Mountain]]'' || Lion (voice) || TV series
|-
| 2004 || ''[[Heartbreak High]]''|| || TV series<ref name="www.footlights.net.au_obits_spears"/><ref name="IMDB_Spears">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817389/#actor|title=Steve J. Spears|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]|access-date=25 January 2009}}</ref>
|}


===Film===
===Film===
{|class="wikitable"
Among other roles, Spears played the lead in ''[[Temperament Unsuited]]'' and "The Mechanic", a wheelchair-using paraplegic, in ''[[Mad Max 2]]''.<ref name="Spears_Book_InSearchoftheBodgie_WhyILoveSydney_p44"/><ref name="IMDB_Spears"/>
|-

! Year
===Voice work===
! Title
Spears also supplied the voice of Lion in the popular children's TV series ''[[Magic Mountain (television series)|Magic Mountain]]'' for [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC TV]], [[Southern Star Entertainment]] and [[China Central Television]].
! Role
! Type
|-
| 1979 || ''[[Temperament Unsuited]]''|| Mark || Short film
|-
| 1981 || ''[[Mad Max 2]]''|| The Mechanic || Feature film<ref name="Spears_Book_InSearchoftheBodgie_WhyILoveSydney_p44"/><ref name="IMDB_Spears"/>
|-
| 1983 || ''[[Going Down (1983 film)|Going Down]]'' || Trendy at party || Feature film
|-
| 1985 || ''[[The Empty Beach]]'' || Manny || Feature film
|-
| 1997 || ''[[Those Dear Departed]]'' || Dangerman || Feature film
|-
| 1988 || ''[[Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train]]'' || Singer || Feature film
|-
| 1989 || ''[[Afraid to Dance]]'' || Garage Man || Feature film
|}


===Stage===
===Stage===
{|class="wikitable"
Spears played "Eddie" and "Doctor Scott" in a 1981 Sydney production of [[Jim Sharman]]'s ''[[The Rocky Horror Show]]''.<ref name="Spears_Book_InSearchoftheBodgie_WhyILoveSydney_p44"/><ref name="RockyHorror_FanSite_RockyMusic_1981OriginalCast_Soundtrack_Spears">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockymusic.org/album/austr-81.php|title=The Rocky Horror Show (Australian Cast) (1981) |publisher=www.rockymusic.org|accessdate=2009-01-25}}</ref>
|-

! Year
==Writing==
! Title
Over his career, Spears wrote prolifically for television. His credits include:
! Role
*episodes of:
! Ref
:''[[A Country Practice]]''
|-
:''[[Hey Dad..!]]''
| 1981 ||''[[The Rocky Horror Show]]''|| Eddie / Dr Scott || <ref name="Spears_Book_InSearchoftheBodgie_WhyILoveSydney_p44"/><ref name="RockyHorror_FanSite_RockyMusic_1981OriginalCast_Soundtrack_Spears">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockymusic.org/album/austr-81.php|title=The Rocky Horror Show (Australian Cast) (1981) |publisher=rockymusic.org|access-date=25 January 2009}}</ref>
:''[[All Together Now (Australian TV series)|All Together Now]]''
|}
:''[[Neighbours]]''
:''[[E Street]]''
:''[[G.P.]]''
:''[[Heartbreak High]]''
:the children's series ''[[The Genie From Down Under]]''<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817389/ IMDb filmography for "Steve J. Spears"] accessed 20 March 2011</ref> (including the first episode ''Wishing and Hoping'')
:the children's animated series ''The Greatest Tune on Earth'' for the [[Australian Children's Television Foundation]] and [[Seven Network]].
*''The Big Wish'' for the [[Australian Children's Television Foundation]]
:which, with co-writer [[John Hepworth (writer)|John Hepworth]] was published by Puffin (1990) ISBN 0140144625
Spears wrote an "anti-memoir"<ref name="Spears_Book_InSearchoftheBodgie_WhyILoveSydney_p44"/> "In Search of the Bodgie", published in 1989

In 2004, Spears' [[detective novel]] "Murder at the Fortnight" was published. It was planned as the first of a thirteen part series, "The Pentangeli Papers", but only the second, "Innocent Murders" (2006) was published before his death.<ref name="BiblioCom_Spears_Pentangeli_Papers">{{Cite web|url=http://www.biblio.com/author_biographies/10708534/Steve_J_Spears.html|title=Books by Steve J. Spears|publisher=www.biblio.com|accessdate=2009-01-25}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 79: Line 166:


==External links==
==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0817389|name=Steve J. Spears}}
*{{IMDb name|0817389|Steve J. Spears}}
* Penelope Debelle, Obituary, ''[[The Age]]'', 22 October 2007, p.&nbsp;11
* Penelope Debelle, Obituary, ''[[The Age]]'', 22 October 2007, p.&nbsp;11
* [http://www.footlights.net.au/Obituaries/Steve%20Spears.jpg Picture of Spears in his University of Adelaide years]
* [http://www.footlights.net.au/Obituaries/Steve%20Spears.jpg Picture of Spears in his University of Adelaide years]

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2010}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME =Spears, Steve J.
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian actor
| DATE OF BIRTH =22 January 1951
| PLACE OF BIRTH =[[Adelaide]], South Australia, Australia
| DATE OF DEATH =16 October 2007
| PLACE OF DEATH =[[Aldinga, South Australia]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spears, Steve J.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spears, Steve J.}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
Line 101: Line 177:
[[Category:Australian male film actors]]
[[Category:Australian male film actors]]
[[Category:Australian male television actors]]
[[Category:Australian male television actors]]
[[Category:Australian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Australian male voice actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer]]
[[Category:Australian male dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Australian television writers]]
[[Category:Australian male television writers]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Australia]]
[[Category:People from Adelaide]]
[[Category:People from Adelaide]]
[[Category:Cancer deaths in South Australia]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in South Australia]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian screenwriters]]

Latest revision as of 22:26, 20 March 2024

Steve J. Spears
BornSteven John Peter Spears
(1951-01-22)22 January 1951
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died16 October 2007(2007-10-16) (aged 56)
Aldinga, South Australia, Australia
Occupation
  • Playwright
  • writer
  • actor
  • singer

Steven John Peter Spears (22 January 1951 – 16 October 2007) was an Australian playwright, actor, writer and singer. His most famous work was The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin (1976). He was cited as "one of Australia's most celebrated playwrights".[1]

Biography

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

Spears was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1951 and, after his parents separated when he was very young,[2] grew up with relatives in the suburb of Mile End.[3] He studied law at the University of Adelaide, but through writing and performing student revues, was distracted into a career in the theatre.[2][3] Spears moved to Sydney in the 1970s. In his own words, he was a "born-again Sydney-sider".[4]

Death

[edit]

Spears died in Aldinga, South Australia, from brain cancer in 2007. He was 56.[5]

Writing

[edit]

Plays

[edit]
Year Title
1974 Africa: A Savage Musical
1975 People Keep Giving Me Things
1975 Roaring Boy
1975 There Were Giants in Those Days
1975 Young Mo (or The Resuscitation of the Little Prince Who Couldn't Laugh as Performed by Young Mo at the Height of the Great Depression of 1929). About Australian comedian Roy "Mo" Rene
1976 The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin
1976 When They Send Me Three and Fourpence
1978 The Death of George Reeves
1978 King Richard
1980 The Time of the Bodgie
1983 Froggie
1988 Glory
1992 Namatjira Park
1995 A Little Theatre
1995 The Dance Angelic

[6]

Television

[edit]
Year Title
A Country Practice
Hey Dad..!
1991-93 All Together Now
Neighbours
E Street
G.P.
Heartbreak High
1996-98 The Genie From Down Under[7] (including the first episode Wishing and Hoping)
The Greatest Tune on Earth
2001-02 Fairy Tale Police Department
Gloria's House
1995 Sky Trackers

Books

[edit]
Year Title Notes
1990 The Big Wish Co-written with John Hepworth. Published by Puffin (1990) ISBN 0140144625
1989 In Search of the Bodgie An "anti-memoir"[4]
2004 Murder at the Fortnight Detective novel planned as the first of a 13 part series, The Pentangeli Papers, but only one more, Innocent Murders (2006) was published before Spears' death.[8]

Acting work

[edit]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Type
1981 A Country Practice TV series
1988 Hey Dad! TV series
1989 G.P. TV series
1997-98 Magic Mountain Lion (voice) TV series
2004 Heartbreak High TV series[2][9]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Type
1979 Temperament Unsuited Mark Short film
1981 Mad Max 2 The Mechanic Feature film[4][9]
1983 Going Down Trendy at party Feature film
1985 The Empty Beach Manny Feature film
1997 Those Dear Departed Dangerman Feature film
1988 Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train Singer Feature film
1989 Afraid to Dance Garage Man Feature film

Stage

[edit]
Year Title Role Ref
1981 The Rocky Horror Show Eddie / Dr Scott [4][10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hornery, Andrew; Ben Wyld (24 November 2002). "Theatre yarn starts to unravel". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  2. ^ a b c George, Rob (28 November 2008). "Steve J Spears 1951–2007 An Excellent Obit". Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  3. ^ a b "AustLit Agent". austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d Spears, Steve (1989). In Search of the Bodgie. Sydney: Imprint (Collins Publishers Australia). p. 162. ISBN 0-7322-2524-8.
  5. ^ Morgan, Clare (17 October 2007). "Playwright loses his cancer struggle". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  6. ^ "STEVE J SPEARS". Doollee.com, The Playwrights Database. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
  7. ^ IMDb filmography for "Steve J. Spears" accessed 20 March 2011
  8. ^ "Books by Steve J. Spears". biblio.com. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  9. ^ a b "Steve J. Spears". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  10. ^ "The Rocky Horror Show (Australian Cast) (1981)". rockymusic.org. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
[edit]
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