Arthur Dignam (9 September 1939 – 9 May 2020) was an Australian actor.

Early life

Dignam was born on

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Port ...

. He attended

Newington College Newington College is a multi-campus Independent school, independent Uniting Church in Australia, Uniting Church Single-sex education, single-sex and Mixed-sex education, co-educational Pre-school education, early learning, Primary school, primar ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

as a boarder in 1955 and 1956 and then the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

Career

He was best known for one of his early roles, that of Brother Francine in

Fred Schepisi Frederic Alan Schepisi ( ;Pauline Kael, Kael, Pauline (1984). ''Taking It All In''. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. p. 55. born 26 December 1939) is an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. His credits include ''The Cha ...

's '' The Devil's Playground'' (1976). While he worked mainly in film and television, he also worked in theatre, including musical theatre. He played

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

in the Australian production of ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

'' in 1972–73, and appears on the original Australian cast recording.Original Program During 1980, Dignam was part of ''A Shakespeare Company'', funded by a one-off grant from the

Australia Council Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

, and worked with actors

Ruth Cracknell Ruth Winifred Cracknell AM (6 July 1925 – 13 May 2002) was an Australian character and comic actress, comedian and author. Her career encompassed all genres, including radio, theatre, television, and film. She appeared in many dramatic as wel ...

, Ron Haddrick and others on two texts for six months and then presented them at the Seymour Centre.

Personal life

His son together with Bobbie Gledhill – actor Nicholas Gledhill was born in Sydney in 1975.

Death

Dignam died of a heart attack on 9 May 2020, in Sydney at the age of 80.

Theatre

As actor

As producer

Filmography

Film

Television

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dignam, Arthur 1939 births 2020 deaths Australian male film actors Australian male stage actors Australian male television actors People from Lord Howe Island People educated at Newington College 20th-century Australian male actors 21st-century Australian male actors