Ray Barrett

Ray Barrett studied at Brisbane State High School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is film, acting and television. Places of work recorded in the authority are Australia. Residence is recorded at Sydney. Distinctions recorded are AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Longford Lyell Award.

• Name — Ray Barrett • Birth Name — Raymond Charles Barrett • Born — 2 May 1927 • Birthplace — Brisbane, Queensland, Australia • Died — 8 September 2009 • Place of death — Southport, Queensland, Australia • Education — Brisbane State High School • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1957–2008 • Awards — AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (1982) Raymond Longford Award (2005) • Partner — Celia Sherman • Children — 3

Barrett was born on 2 May 1927 in Brisbane, Queensland and was educated at Windsor State Primary School and at Brisbane State High School. Fascinated by radio from an early age, he won an on-air talent competition in 1939 at the age of 12 for an eisteddfod that was broadcast on 4BH radio, with a musical monologue about a dog called "Paddy". This was to place him on a path different from his dream of becoming a boatbuilder. In 1949, Barrett was initiated into Freemasonry as an initiate and member of Empire Lodge #197 of the United Grand Lodge of Queensland.

Along with Tatjana Hitrina, Rosemary Stevenson and Betty Ross, Barrett was in the play Cockpit. The production, which ran from 18 June to 21 June 1952, was produced by Babette Stephens and ran at the Albert Hall in Brisbane.

Ray Barrett first appeared on radio in Brisbane, and later in Sydney, to where he moved in 1954. In 1957, he moved to Britain, where his background as a singer earned him a part in a revue alongside Beryl Reid, Patrick Wymark and Sheila Hancock. Owing to his supposedly tough look, Barrett was given character and tough guy roles from an unusually young age. In Britain, he played one of the lead roles in the TV series Emergency Ward 10 and later one of the main characters, the hard-nosed oil worker Peter Thornton, in the long-running BBC series The Troubleshooters. While Barrett mostly appeared in television, he also made several films including Hammer's The Reptile (1966). He also voiced characters in Gerry Anderson-produced "Supermarionation" series of the 1960s: Stingray (1964–65), as Commander Shore and Titan, and Thunderbirds (1965–66) as John Tracy, the Hood and various extras. Also in 1965, he appeared as Bennett/Koquillion in the Doctor Who serial The Rescue. He also appeared as a bankrupt businessman in a 1972 edition of Public Eye.

In later years, Barrett starred in film and TV roles in his native Australia, living on Stradbroke Island, Queensland during the 1970s. He appeared as the Prime Minister (a character who is assassinated) in Burn the Butterflies, and as a miner in Golden Soak. In 1980, he played the part of the controversial Australian historical figure Governor Bligh in the ABC Television production The Timeless Land. He had secondary roles in many other productions, including Something in the Air. He had the "role of a lifetime" as the lead in Goodbye Paradise. Barrett also appeared in such films as Don's Party and The Carmakers (about the 1973 release of the Leyland P76 car, co-starring Noel Ferrier and Nick Tate). In 2005, he received an Australian Film Institute Longford Life Achievement Award.

Barrett died on 8 September 2009 at the Gold Coast Hospital in Southport, Queensland, aged 82, after suffering a brain haemorrhage. His final acting appearance had been in the 2008 film Australia.

• Year — Title — Role — Type • 1957 — The Adventures of Long John Silver — Paul • 1959 — Educating Archie — Ray • 1960 — Armchair Mystery Theatre — Detective-Sergeant Cullen — Anthology series • 1960–1961 — Emergency Ward 10 — Dr. Don Nolan • 1960–1962 — Armchair Theatre — Alan Whint / Donnie / Ben — Anthology series • 1962 — Out of This World — Dr. Alan Whint • Man of the World — Charlie West • Scales of Justice: Moment of Decision — Anthology series, episode 3 • 1962–1963 — Edgar Wallace Mysteries — Henry Fraser / Sammy — 2 episodes: "Time to Remember", "To Have and to Hold" • 1962–1965 — Drama 61–67 — Captain Murchison — Anthology series • 1963 — The Avengers — Strong • Z-Cars — Len Wilson • ITV Playhouse — Larry Ransome — TV play • First Night — Frank Angelo • 1963–1964 — ITV Play of the Week — Sergeant Weston / Jack Bailey — TV play • Ghost Squad — Peter Clarke / Mr. Hicks • 1963–1965 — No Hiding Place — Johnny Crown / Larry Hobbs • 1964 — The Saint — Willie Kinsall • 1964–1965 — The Brothers Karamazov — Mitya Karamazov • Stingray — Commander Sam Shore / Sub-Lieutenant John Horatio Fisher / King Titan (voice) • 1964–1974 — Dixon of Dock Green — Phil Burgh / Nat Singer • 1965 — Doctor Who — Bennett / Koquillion • Thursday Theatre — Jacko — Anthology series • BBC Play of the Month — Knight — Anthology series • Blackmail — Patek • Gideon C.I.D. • 1965–1966 — Thunderbirds — John Tracy / The Hood / Lieutenant Burroughs / Various characters (voice) • 1965–1972 — Mogul — Peter Thornton • 1966 — The Spies — Walker • The Man in Room 17 — Al Gover • 1967 — Till Death Us Do Part — Self — Episode: "Till Closing Time Us Do Part" • 1969 — The Corbett Follies • 1972 — Public Eye — Melville Hayden-Peters — Episode: "The Bankrupt" • 1973 — Churchill's People — Leo Hennessey • 1974 — Barlow at Large — Johnny Duchene • The Adventures of Black Beauty — T. Otis Waygood • Colditz — Flt. Lt. Jack Collins • The Double Dealers — Geoffrey Burch • 1976 — Arena — Col Burrows — Miniseries • The Outsiders — Harry • 1976–1977 — Moynihan • 1978 — Run from the Morning — Detective Sergeant Grogon — Miniseries, 6 episodes • No Room to Run — Jack Deakin — TV movie • 1979 — Golden Soak — Alec Hamilton — Miniseries • Burn the Butterflies — Prime Minister — TV movie • 1980 — The Timeless Land — Governor Bligh — Miniseries • Departmental — TV movie • 1981 — Levkas Man — | — Miniseries • Sporting Chance — Robbo • The Last Bastion — Gen. Thomas Blamey — Miniseries • 1984 — Five Mile Creek — Harry • Waterfront — Sam Elliott — Miniseries • Conferenceville — TV movie • 1986 — The Flying Doctors — Frank Watson • Tusitala — Harry Moors — Miniseries • The Challenge — Robert McCullough — Miniseries • 1989 — G.P. — Rex Mitchell — 2 episodes • 1990 — The Paper Man — Maurice Grimm — Miniseries • 1995 — Correlli — Harry Powell • Bordertown — Colonel Forsythe — Miniseries • 1996 — Fire — Charles • 1997 — Medivac • 2000 — Something in the Air — Len Taylor • Stingers — Mr. Rafferty • 2003 — White Collar Blue — Barry Hill • After the Deluge — Old Cliff Kirby — Miniseries • 2004 — All Saints — Doc Connelly — 1 episode