Garry McDonald

He received a Gold Logie award for the television Norman Gunston Show in which he developed the character and is a Logie Hall of Fame inductee. He is also remembered for his role as the hapless Arthur Beare in the television sitcom Mother and Son, and numerous supporting roles in feature films. Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2003 for service to the community in the mental health field and to the arts as an entertainer, he has been a board member of the Australian mental health organisation Beyond Blue.

• Name — Garry McDonald • Birth Name — Garry George McDonald • Born — 30 October 1948 • Birthplace — Bondi, New South Wales, Australia • Occupation — * Comedian • TV host • actor • satirist • activist • Known for — Character of Norman Gunston • Years Active — 1967–present • Spouse — Diane Craig (m. 1971) • Education — National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA) • Awards — Gold Logie

McDonald was born in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi in 1948. He was educated at Cranbrook School. During his time at Cranbrook, McDonald developed an interest in acting and, despite family objections, went on to study at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), where he was awarded a Diploma in Acting in 1967.

It was while working on The Aunty Jack Show in 1973, that McDonald first performed the character for which he became best-known, the gauche and inept TV personality Norman Gunston. Gunston's first appearance was in a series of brief sketches which saw him reporting uncomfortably on a "sex-scandal drought" in Wollongong; a drought he eventually breaks by appearing naked on camera. McDonald further developed the character in the Norman Gunston Show, for which he won a Gold Logie. Gunston's trademark look included a comb over, makeup to make his face deathbed white, and bits of tissue drying on shaving nicks. The series, which satirised many aspects of Australian culture and show business, was a mixture of live and pre-recorded interviews, awkward musical segments – excruciatingly sung by Gunston himself in the broadest "strine" accent – and continuing comedy sketches such as "Norman's Dreamtime" (in which Norman read stories to a group of children, such as "Why Underpants Ride Up"). Using Gunston's gormless personality as a cover to break down the defences of his "victims", McDonald pioneered the satirically provocative 'ambush interview' technique which was used to great effect in interviews with Paul McCartney, Muhammad Ali, Keith Moon, Leif Garrett, Sally Struthers and Elton John. As Norman Gunston, McDonald also had a recording career, releasing a string of satirical pop parody records. Gunston's Top 40 hits included his interpretation of the Tom Jones classic "Delilah", the punk rock send-up "I Might Be A Punk But I Love You, Baby" and "KISS Army", a parody of the Kiss single "I Was Made For Loving You". He also appeared onstage with Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on 20 January 1976, playing harmonica on "The Torture Never Stops". This performance was later released on the 2002 live album FZ:OZ.

McDonald played Arthur Beare in the television series Mother and Son, starring alongside Ruth Cracknell over six seasons from 1984 until 1994. He won the 1994 Gold Logie for his role in the show.

McDonald joined the cast of the drama series Offspring in 2012 (season 3) and was a series regular. He played Doctor Philip Noonan.

Early in his career he met his wife, actress Diane Craig, during a production of Let's Get a Divorce. They married in 1971. They have two grown children and live in Berry on the New South Wales south coast. Suffering from both depression and anxiety, McDonald talks openly about his condition. He is an ambassador and former board director of Beyond Blue, an Australian national depression initiative. He also serves as patron of the New South Wales branch of the Anxiety Disorders Foundation of Australia. McDonald is quoted in the press discussing a link between his own anxiety and that of his grandfather and mother. McDonald's condition first came to the public's attention when he reached a crisis point after a short-lived attempt to revive the Gunston character in 1993. Then again in 1997, McDonald suffered a severe episode during the launch of a new series, Rip Snorters. McDonald's condition also caused him to withdraw from the 2003 production of Patrick Marber's Howard Katz.

• Year — Title — Role — Type • TBA — Fear of Life — Self — Documentary • 2022 — The ABC Of — Self — TV series • 2015–17 — Stop Laughing This is Serious — TV series, 5 episodes • 2012 — Rake — Lawrence Fenton — TV series, 1 episode • 2012 — Offspring — Phillip Noonan — TV series, 33 episodes • 2009 — Talking Heads — TV series • 2006 — Two Twisted — Norm — TV series, 1 episode • 2004 — Enough Rope with Andrew Denton — TV series • 2004 — The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant — Reverend Johnson — Miniseries, 2 episodes • 2002 — Bad Cop, Bad Cop — Howard Mayes — Miniseries, 1 episode • 2001–20 — Australian Story — Self / Norman Gunston — TV series, 5 episodes • 2000 — Love is a Four Letter Word — Tom Mattingly — TV series, 8 episodes • 1999 — All Saints — Dave Armstrong — TV series, 2 episodes • 1999 — Chuck Finn — Tony Rigatoni — TV series, 1 episode • 1999 — Halifax f.p. — Alex Goodson — TV series, Episode: Someone You Know • 1998 — Medivac — Ernie Sharp — TV series, 4 episodes • 1996 — Rip Snorters — Host — TV series • 1996 — Fallen Angels — Malcolm Lucas — TV series, 20 episodes • 1996 — Fire — Detective Mike Lucas — TV series, 2 episodes (Season 2) • 1994 — G.P. — Garry 'Gazza' Weller — TV series, 1 episode • 1993 — Woman in a Lampshade • 1992 — The Other Side of Paradise — Johnson — Miniseries, 4 episodes • 1991–93 — Eggshells — Frank Rose — TV series • 1989 — A Funny Thing Happened to Australian Comedy — Self — TV special • 1986 — Counting from Six • 1985 — News Free Zone — TV series • 1985 — Winners — Brooks — TV series, 1 episode • 1984–94 — Mother and Son — Arthur Beare — TV series, 42 episodes • 1984 — Five Mile Creek — Simon Galt — TV series, 1 episode • 1984 — Prime Time — TV series • 1984 — Onstage America — Norman Gunston / Self — TV series, 4 episodes • 1982 — Spring & Fall — Max Lawrence — TV series, 1 episode • 1981 — Gunston's Australia — Norman Gunston — TV series • 1981 — Jimmy Dancer • 1977 — The Of Show — Various characters — TV series, 7 episodes • 1977 — The Garry McDonald Show — Self, Norman Gunston, Various — TV series, 8 episodes • 1975–79 — The Norman Gunston Show — Norman Gunston — TV series, 18 episodes • 1975 — Wollongong the Brave — Kid Eager — Miniseries, 4 episodes • 1974–75 — Matlock Police — Stan Smith, Sid Hawkins, Donny Skinner — TV series, 3 episodes • 1974 — Flash Nick from Jindavick — Captain Magpie — Miniseries, 4 episodes • 1974 — Division 4 — Rev Gareth Davis — TV series, 1 episode • 1974 — Homicide — Davo — TV series, 1 episodes • 1973 — The Comedy Game — TV series, 2 episodes • 1973 — The Aunty Jack Show — Kid Eager / Norman Gunston — TV series, 8 episodes • 1973 — Over There — TV series 2 episodes • 1973 — A Brace and a Bit • 1972 — Snake Gully with Dad and Dave — Dave Rudd — TV series, 8 episodes • 1968 — Hunter — Ebeling — TV series, 1 episode • 1967 — You Can't See 'Round Corners — Young Man — TV series, 1 episode

• Year — Title — Role — Type • 2008–09 — Guys and Dolls — Nathan Detroit — Princess Theatre & Capitol Theatre, Sydney • 2010 — Halpern and Johnson — Dennis Johnson • 2011 — November — South Australian State Theatre Company • 2011 — Don's Party • 2010 — The Grenade • 2006 — The Give and Take • 2005 — Two Brothers • 2004 — Amigos — Stephen — Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House • 2002 — Laughter on the 23rd Floor • 2001 — Stones in His Pockets — Director • 2001 — Up For Grabs • 1998 — After the Ball • 1997 — Little Shop of Horrors • 1997 — Emerald City • 1994 — Hotspur • 1987 — Sugar Babies • Glengarry Glen Ross • Floating World • Uncle Vanya • Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Two portraits of McDonald have won awards at the Archibald Prize. In 1999 a portrait by artist Deny Christian won the Packing Room Prize and, in 2006, Paul Jackson's All the world's a stage won the Peoples Choice Award. In 2016, yet another painting of McDonald was a finalist in the Archibald Prize by Kirsty Neilson entitled There's No Humour in Darkness.

In 2003, McDonald was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia for service to the community by raising awareness of mental health issues and the effects of anxiety disorders and depression on sufferers and carers, and to the arts as an entertainer. His popularity among Australians is reflected in his being listed, after public nomination and vote, as a National Living Treasure, someone who has made an outstanding contribution to Australian society in any field of human endeavour. In 2015, he was a featured subject on the ABC documentary series Australian Story. In 2020, he appeared on a stamp in the Australia Post Legends of Comedy series.

• Year — Award — Category — Result — Work — Ref. • 1976 — Logie Award — New Talent — Won — The Norman Gunston Show • Gold Logie • 1991 — Sydney Film Critics Award — Best Actor — Won — Struck by Lightning • 1994 — Logie Award — Most Outstanding Actor — Won — Mother and Son • 1997 — National Trust of Australia — National Living Treasure — Awarded — Garry McDonald • Logie Award — Hall of Fame — Won • 2004 — Mo Award — Male Actor of the Year — Won