Adrian Wright (1 July 1947 – 28 November 2015) was an English-Australian actor known for his roles in the 1970s children's television series ''

Freewheelers ''Freewheelers'' is a British television series made by Southern Television between 1968 and 1973 for the ITV network. It was created by the television producer Chris McMaster, who was aware of the popularity of adult action series such as '' ...

'' and the Australian serial ''

Prisoner A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...

'' in which he played male nurse Neil Murray.

Early life

Wright was born in

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Thames, which at this point forms the border with Buckinghamshire. In the 2021 Census, ...

, England, to Matvyn and Kay Wright. He was one of four brothers, including Martyn, Gareth and Gavyn. His father Matvyn was an artist and animator, best known for illustrating the British

Andy Pandy ''Andy Pandy'' is a British children's television series that aired on BBC Television in 1950. Originally live, a series of 26 filmed programmes was shown until 1970, when a new series of 13 episodes was made. This series was the basis for a co ...

children's books. His brother Gavyn is a violinist and orchestra leader who has worked with artists including

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...

and

Simply Red Simply Red are an English soul music, soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. Band leader, singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall was the only original member left by the time Simply Red initially disbanded in 2010. They have released thir ...

Career

Wright first appeared as an actor in repertory theatres in England and Wales. He subsequently moved to Australia where he continued his career. He appeared as Mike Hobbs in the British children's television series ''

'' from 1979 to 1982, and was known for his role in the Australian prison drama series ''

'' from 1979 to 1982, in which he played male nurse Neil Murray, after having previously played a minor guest role as a policeman; Detective Graham Lang in episodes 10-12. He also played the recurring role of Phillip Garrick in ''

Carson's Law ''Carson's Law'' is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Ten Network between 1983-1984. The series was a period piece set in the 1920s and starred Lorraine Bayly as progressive solicitor Jennifer Carson. The e ...

'' in 1984. Later in his career, he played Lieutenant Jean Morlais in all 22 episodes of '' Tales of the South Seas'' from 1998 to 2000. He also had guest roles in many prominent television series throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including ''

Division 4 ''Division 4'' is an Australian television police drama series broadcast by the Nine Network and created by Crawford Productions airing between 1969 and 1975 for 301 episodes. Synopsis The series was one of the first to follow up on the enor ...

'', ''

Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

'', '' Bluey'', '' Chopper Squad'', ''

Skyways Skyways may refer to: *Skyway A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways ver ...

'', '' Bellamy'', ''

Cop Shop ''Cop Shop'' is a long-running Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that ran for seven seasons between 28 November 1977 and 23 July 1984. It comprised 582 one-hour episodes. Synopsis The show revolved arou ...

'', ''

Five Mile Creek ''Five Mile Creek'' is a western television drama series adapted from Louis L'Amour's novel ''The Cherokee Trail'' and produced in Australia. It starred Liz Burch, Louise Caire Clark, Rod Mullinar, Jay Kerr, Michael Caton, Peter Carroll, ...

'' and '' Mission: Impossible''. In the 1990s he guested in ''

Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (''Ianu ...

'', ''

Halifax f.p. ''Halifax f.p.'' is an Australian television crime series produced by Nine Network from 1994 to 2002. The series stars Rebecca Gibney as Doctor Jane Halifax, a forensic psychiatrist (f.p.) investigating cases involving the mental state of suspe ...

'' and '' Snowy River: The McGregor Saga''. He also appeared in several miniseries including ''

Tandarra ''Tandarra'' is an Australian television series which screened on the Seven Network in Australia in 1976 and on ITV (including the London Weekend Television and Anglia regions) in the UK. It was a follow-up series to ''Cash and Company'' which ...

'' (1976), '' Against the Wind'' (1978), '' Water Under the Bridge'' and '' The Last Outlaw'' (both 1980), ''

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January *January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 * ...

'' (1982) and ''

All the Rivers Run ''All the Rivers Run'' is an Australian historical novel by Nancy Cato, first published in 1958. It was inspired by the life of Pearl Wallace, Australia's first river boat Skipper. It was adapted as a 1983 Australian television miniseries sta ...

'' (1983). Wright's most notable film credits include thriller ''

End Play ''End Play'' is a 1975 Australian thriller film directed by Tim Burstall and starring George Mallaby, John Waters and Ken Goodlet. It was an adaptation of the 1972 novel ''End Play'' by Russell Braddon. It was made by Hexagon Productions.Moran ...

'' (1975), mystery '' Summerfield'' (1977) both of which he appeared in alongside

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

, World War I film '' The Lighthorsemen'' (1987), thriller ''

Gross Misconduct ''Gross Misconduct'' is the second album from crossover thrash metal band, M.O.D. It was released in 1989 on Megaforce Records and Noise International and follows 1988's extended play '' Surfin' M.O.D.'' It was three years until the band rel ...

'' (1993) alongside

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. Known for her work predominantly in independent films with dark or tragic themes, she has received various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, a Primetime ...

and sci-fi comedy horror '' Body Melt'' (also 1993). Wright performed in the theatre with productions for Russell Street Theatre,

St Martins Theatre St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre which has staged the production of ''The Mousetrap'' since March 1974, making it the longest continuous run of any show in the world. The theatre is located in West Street, near Shaftesbury Avenue, in ...

and La Mama, including ''

Travesties ''Travesties'' is a 1974 play by Tom Stoppard. It centres on the figure of Henry Wilfred Carr, Henry Carr, an old man who reminisces about Zürich in 1917 during World War I, the First World War, and his interactions with James Joyce when he w ...

'', ''

Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a 1937 novella written by American author John Steinbeck. It describes the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant worker, migrant ranch workers, as they move from place to place in California ...

'' and ''

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''. He also performed in ABC Radio plays.

Personal life and death

Wright was married to Australian actress and singer

Abigail Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death (1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's third wife, after Ahinoam and Saul's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later married to ...

until his death. In 2011, ''

Today Tonight ''Today Tonight'' was an Australian current affairs television program produced by the Seven Network. It aired from January 1995 to November 2019 in Adelaide and Perth. Editions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were previously produced be ...

'' reported that Abigail and Wright were living as squatters in a derelict church. The following evening, '' A Current Affair'' correctly reported that they had in fact been living there temporarily, with permission, while their home that had been damaged in the

2011 floods Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number) * One of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *''Eleven'', a 1970 collection of short stories by Patricia Highsmith *''Eleven'' ...

was being rebuilt. Wright died on 28 November 2015.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Radio

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Adrian 1947 births 2015 deaths Australian male television actors English emigrants to Australia English male television actors Logie Award winners Actors from Maidenhead Male actors from Berkshire