Marshall Napier
James Marshall Napier (22 October 1951 – 14 August 2022) was a New Zealand-born character actor, playwright and graphic artist. He is known for a succession of strong supporting roles in Australasian films and television shows. He has also had a notable stage career.
Marshall Napier | |
---|---|
Born | James Marshall Napier 22 October 1951 Lower Hutt, New Zealand |
Died | 14 August 2022 70) Canberra, Australia | (aged
Occupation(s) | Actor, playwright, graphic artist |
Children | 3, including Jessica |
Relatives | James Napier Robertson (nephew) |
Biography
Napier grew up in the city of Lower Hutt and was educated at Hutt Valley High School. He is the father of James Reuben Napier, actress Jessica Napier, and Rose Napier. He is the uncle of film director James Napier Robertson.[1]
Before becoming an actor, Napier worked variously as a labourer, factory hand, and truck driver. He also spent a year studying graphic design at the Wellington Polytechnic. He landed his first professional acting job in 1975, at Wellington's Downstage Theatre.
In 1988, he moved with his wife and two young children to Australia, hoping to further his acting career. He soon became an established name in film, theatre, and television. His play Freak Winds has been performed in Australia, New Zealand, United States and Canada; other plays have been broadcast on Australia's ABC radio.
Death
Napier died from brain cancer on 14 August 2022 in Canberra at the age of 70.[2]
Theatre
A partial list of his theatre credits follows.
- The Present (2016–2017) (Chekhov's Platonov adapted by Andrew Upton) With: Cate Blanchett, Richard Roxburgh, Toby Schmitz, Jacqueline McKenzie. The production opened in Sydney and toured to Broadway.[3] – Ivan
- In the Next Room – Mr Daldry
- The Herbal Bed – Dr John Hall
- Simpatico – Carter
For Belvoir Theatre:
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2013)[4] – Big Daddy
- The Power of Yes – Various
- A View from the Bridge – Eddie Carbone
- Diving for Pearls – Den
For Melbourne Theatre Company:
- Frost/Nixon – Nixon
- The Birthday Party – Goldberg
For Old Fitzroy Theatre:
- Freak Winds – Ernest
- Angel City – Wheeler
- The Schelling Point – Kubrick
For Q Theatre:
- Waiting for Godot – Vladimir
For Darlinghurst Theatre:
- All My Sons – Joe Keller
For Griffin Theatre:
- Speaking in Tongues – Leon/Nick
- All Souls – Joe
Other:
- Marat/Sade – Jaques Roux
- The Duchess of Malfi – Ferdinand
- Twelfth Night – Sir Toby Belch
- The Dumb Waiter – Ben
- The Tooth of Crime – Hoss
- Ubu Roi – Captain MacNure
- Happy Birthday Wanda June – Colonel 'Looseleaf' Harper
His play Freak Winds was produced in 2006 in New York's Upper West Side.[5]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | Northspur | Summers | |
2021 | Doctor Doctor (Australian TV series) | Bill | 1 episode |
2020 | Earl's Town | Earl | Short |
Grey Nomads | Don Boyce | 6 episodes | |
2019 | Bellbird | Ross | |
Little Monsters | Army General | ||
2016 | The Light Between Oceans | Mr Couglan | |
Down Under | Graham Sheather | ||
Janet King (TV series) | Magistrate Schaffer | 1 episode | |
2014-15 | Love Child (TV series) | Greg Matherson | 8 episodes |
2014 | The Moodys[6] | Howard Benson | 3 episodes |
Auckland Daze | Arnold | 1 episode | |
2013 | Inside | The Visiting Doctor | Short |
2012 | Rake (Australian TV series) | Prosecution | 1 episode |
Jack Irish: Bad Debts | Father Gorman | TV Movie | |
2011 | Underbelly Files: Tell Them Lucifer Was Here | Chief Commissioner | TV Movie |
2011 | Panic At Rock Island | Paul Thorpe | TV Movie |
2010 | Griff The Invisible | Benson | |
2006-10 | City Homicide | Wilton Sparkes | 11 episodes |
2010 | The Clinic | Marvin | |
I Love You Too | Mechanic | ||
2009 | I'm Not Harry Jenson | Tom | |
Chandon Pictures | Basil | 1 episode | |
2007 | The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep | Sgt Strunk | |
2006-01 | McLeod's Daughters[7] | Harry Ryan | 87 episodes |
2004 | Sold Out | J. Edgar Crippen | Short |
Get Rich Quick | Turf O'Keefe | ||
2003 | Travelling Lights | Don Ferris | |
Bad Eggs | Doug Gillespie | ||
2002 | Stuffed Bunny | Priest | Short |
Black and White | Prison Warden | ||
New Skin | Captain Jip | ||
2001 | Stingers | Eddie Thomas | 1 episode |
Head Start | John Allott | 4 episodes | |
Farscape | General Grynes | 1 episode | |
1999-01 | All Saints (TV series) | Ian Hanrahan / Mick Mason | 3 episodes |
2001 | The Farm | Peter Collins | 3 episodes |
My Husband My Killer | John Radij | TV Movie | |
Jet Set | Mr Birkin | ||
2000 | The Shirt | Mike Hughes | |
Muggers | Charles Lawrence | ||
The Lost World | Drakul | 1 episode | |
1999 | Airtight | Norscrum | |
1999 | In A Savage Land | Geoffrey Hallerton | |
1999 | Strange Planet | Robert | |
1999-96 | Water Rats (TV series)[8] | Joe da Silva | 5 episodes |
1997-99 | Blue Heelers | John Scanlan / Jim Jamieson | 2 episodes |
1998 | 13 Gantry Row | Blake | TV Movie |
The Sugar Factory | Mr Berne | ||
Meteorites | Cass Cassidy | TV Movie | |
1997 | Diane & Me | Bank Manager | |
1996 | Twisted Tales | Tom | 1 episode |
Dead Heart | Sgt Oakes | ||
Children of the Revolution | Brendan Shaw | ||
The Beast | Commander Wallingford | 2 episodes | |
Race The Sun | Mr Cronin | ||
1995 | Blue Murder (miniseries) | Tony Eustace | 2 episodes |
Swimming Lessons | Jim | TV Movie | |
Snowy River: The Mcgregor Saga | Charlie Dunn | 1 episode | |
Babe (film) | Chairman of Judges | ||
Halifax f.p. | Dale | 1 episode | |
1994 | Spider & Rose | Henderson | |
Paperback Romance | George LePine | ||
1994-93 | Secrets | Gary O'Leary | 13 episodes |
1993 | Stark | Private Detective | 2 episodes |
Shotgun Wedding | Dave Green | ||
Seven Deadly Sins | Tom | 1 episode | |
Time Trax | Oscar | 1 episode | |
1992 | South Pacific Adventures | Captain Johnson | |
1989-92 | Police Rescue | Fred Catteau | 19 episodes |
1991-92 | G.P. | Stan Brodie | 2 episodes |
1992 | The Girl from Tomorrow | Daco | 12 episodes |
1991 | Flirting | Rupert | |
1990 | The Big Steal | Desmond Clark | |
1989 | Rafferty's Rules | Alex Reed | 1 episode |
Mission Impossible | Talbot | 1 episode | |
E Street | Bernie | 1 episode | |
1988 | The Grasscutter | Det Inspector Cross | TV Movie |
The Navigator | Searle | ||
Georgia | Frank le Mat | ||
The Clean Machine | Keith Reid | ||
Always Afternoon | Bill Kennon | 4 episodes | |
1987 | Starlight Hotel | Det Wallace | |
1986 | Dangerous Orphans | Hobbes | |
Adventurer | Mason | 12 episodes | |
Seekers | Wright | 1 episode | |
Footrot Flats | Hunk Murphy | ||
1985 | Roche | Snatch | 2 episodes |
Lie of the Land | Huddy | ||
Heart of the High Country | Hary | 1 episode | |
Came a Hot Friday | Sel Bishop | ||
1984 | Pallet on the Floor | Joe Voot | |
Inside Straight | 1 episode | ||
Mortimer's Patch | Lance Harris | 1 episode | |
1983 | Wild Horses | Andy | |
1982 | Carry Me Back | Airforce Guard | |
Battletruck | Driver | ||
1981 | Inside Every Thin Girl | TV Movie | |
Bad Blood | Trev Bond | ||
1980 | Beyond Reasonable Doubt | Wyllie | |
Goodbye Pork Pie | Police Driver | ||
1979 | The Neville Purvis Family Show | Larry Lucas | 6 episodes |
1977 | The Governor | Richard Seddon | 1 episode |
Activism
In 2002, he and his daughter, Jessica Napier, won $64,000 in the Australian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? for a South Australian animal rights group. Both are animal rights supporters and vegetarians.
References
- "Marshall Napier". Smurcher's Guide. Retrieved 12 April 2008.
- Cartwright, Lexie (15 August 2022). "McLeod's Daughters actor Marshall Napier dies aged 70". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- "The Present, Starring Cate Blanchett, Ends Broadway Run March 19". Playbill. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- Blake, Jason (22 February 2013). "No regrets as actor races to save day". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- Coultan, Mark (5 April 2006). "A little play's battle to make it in the Big Apple". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 April 2008.
- http://www.australiantelevision.net/the-moodys/cast.html
- http://www.australiantelevision.net/mcleod/mcleod.html
- http://www.australiantelevision.net/water_rats/series2.html