Trevor Kent

Trevor Kent (24 April 1940 4 November 1989) was an Australian theatre and television actor who achieved a level of public recognition in the 1980s.

Trevor Kent
Born(1940-04-24)24 April 1940
Queensland, Australia
Died4 November 1989(1989-11-04) (aged 49)
Melbourne, Australia
Occupation(s)Television and theatre actor

Biography

Kent initially worked as a primary-school teacher, teaching for three years in Nambour and Buderim in Queensland while acting in amateur theatre groups. Kent moved to Sydney to train as an actor with the Independent Drama School in the early 1960s, supporting himself during this time with teaching.

In Sydney, he understudied the role of Rolfe in the Tivoli Theatre's production of The Sound of Music, and acted in Becket and Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad with the Independent. After two years in Sydney he emigrated to the UK and spent ten years there.[1] In the UK Kent worked with Director Bil Keating and later with the Royal Shakespeare Company. On returning to Sydney in 1974, Kent played Frank'N'Furter in a stage production of The Rocky Horror Show.

Several appearances on Australian television followed, including roles in Rush, The Sullivans, Cop Shop and Carson's Law. He moved to Melbourne in 1984 and in 1984–1985 appeared in television soap opera Prisoner as the villainous Frank Burke for several months.

Kent, who was gay, learned he was HIV positive in the mid 1980s and at that time volunteered as a care-taker for people living with HIV and AIDS. He was public about his HIV status and directed two theatre productions for Out Theatre Company that addressed HIV and AIDS. One of these, Unnatural Acts, toured pubs, theatres and colleges in Melbourne and Sydney.

Death

Kent continued to work with the theatre group until a few weeks before his death in 1989. His final acting appearance was a scene with Meryl Streep in the film A Cry in the Dark (1988).

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1977 Straight Enough TV movie
1988 Evil Angels (aka A Cry in the Dark) Bomb Scare Policeman Feature film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1969 Theatre Date Giles Cadwallader TV series, 1 episode: "The Man Most Likely to ..."
1971 Scene Shop assistant TV series documentary, 1 episode: "Mates"
BBC Play of the Month Yakov, servant TV series, 1 episode: "Platonov"
1976 The Sullivans Allister McConnell TV series, 1 episode
Rush Vinnie TV series, 1 episode: "McKellar R.I.P."
1978 Case for the Defence The Rabbi TV series, 1 episode: "The Man Who Died Twice"
1981 Sporting Chance Eddie TV series, 1 episode: "Eating Dirt"
1981–83 Cop Shop Frank Gilmore TV series, 3 episodes: "Episode #1.281", "Episode #1.282" and "Episode #1.500"
1982 Der schwarze Bumerang Richard Duffy TV miniseries, 4 episodes
1983 / 1984 Carson's Law George Royston / Simpkins TV series, 7 episodes
1984 Special Squad Doggy Barker TV series, 1 episode: "Easy Street"
1984–85 Prisoner Frank Burke TV series, 33 episodes
1985 Colour in the Creek Brother Paul TV series, 2 episodes: "Return to Coorumbong Creek" & "Gold Fever"

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
The Sound of Music Rolfe Tivoli Theatre, Sydney
Becket
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad Independent Theatre
1974 The Rocky Horror Show Frank'N'Furter

References

  1. Atterton, Margot. (Ed.) The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz, Sunshine Books, 1984. ISBN 0-86777-057-0 p 123


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