John Orcsik
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John Orcsik (born 3 May 1946), credited also variously as Jon Orcsik, John Orschik, John Orscik and John Crosik, is an Australian television and film actor, screenwriter, director and producer of Hungarian descent, known for his television roles starting from the late 1960s, but also for the film version of the soap opera '' Number 96''. He was married to actress Paula Duncan.


Career

Orcsik, born in 1946 made his debut appearing in the rural drama soap opera '' Bellbird'', in 1967, subsequently he played various guest roles in the
Crawford Productions Crawford Productions is an Australian Media (communication), media production company, focused on radio and television production. Founded in Melbourne by Hector Crawford and his sister, actress and voice artist Dorothy Crawford, the company, a ...
police dramas ''
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 ...
'', ''
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 ...
'' and ''
Matlock Police ''Matlock Police'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for The 0-10 Network (now known as Network 10) between 1971 and 1976. The series focused on the police station and crime in the Victorian town of Ma ...
''. He had a role in serial Number 96 in 1972, and subsequently reprised that role in the feature-film version of the serial filmed in December 1973. He later reappeared in that series late in its run, briefly playing a different character and this time credited as ''John Crosik''. He also appeared in the film ''
Petersen Petersen is a common Danish patronymic surname, meaning ''"son of Peter"''. There are other spellings. Petersen may refer to: People In arts and entertainment * Adolf Dahm-Petersen, Norwegian voice specialist * Anja Petersen, German operatic ...
'' (1974), and played a brief role in action film '' The Man from Hong Kong'' (1975). After roles in other Crawford Productions programs '' Bluey'' (1976), and ''
The Sullivans ''The Sullivans'' is an Australian period drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran on the Nine Network from 15 November 1976 until 10 March 1983. The series tells the story of a fictional average middle-clas ...
'', and an appearance in '' Chopper Squad'' (1978), in 1978 he joined new Crawfords Productions police series ''
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 ...
'' early in its run as Det. Mike Georgiou, and quickly became one of the show's most popular cast members. He continued in the role until the end of the series in December 1983. He had married his ''Cop Shop'' co-star Paula Duncan in June 1982. They have since divorced although have subsequently worked together in fundraising activities, and later acted together in '' Paradise Beach''. After ''Cop Shop'' ended Orcsik worked as a television scriptwriter, contributing several scripts to the series ''
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 ...
''. He also continued acting and through the 1980s played several roles in television movies and miniseries, including '' Harvest of Hate'' (1979), '' The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro'' (1989), ''
Displaced Persons Forced displacement (also forced migration or forced relocation) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR defines 'forced displaceme ...
'' (1984), '' Dadah Is Death'' (1988), '' Kokoda Crescent'' (1989). Other roles of the 1980s include an appearance in television series '' Mission: Impossible'' (1988), and the film '' The Edge of Power'' (1987). With his swarthy, Mediterranean appearance, Orcsik was cast as Middle Eastern characters in many of these productions. He also had roles in such Australian television series such as ''The Zoo Family'' (1985), ''
Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip to Kangaroo Point, N ...
'' (1992), ''Paradise Beach'' (1993), '' Lift Off'' (1995), '' Pacific Drive'' (1996), and '' Medivac'' (1997). He directed the TV movie ''
Academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
'' (1996). Orcsik's more recent acting appearances include a cameo role as a doctor in miniseries ''
The Day of the Roses ''The Day of the Roses'' is a two-part Australian television mini-series, a docu-drama directed by Peter Fisk, based on the events of the 1977 Granville railway disaster. The film was made in 1998 and runs over 3.5 hours. Described as "a dra ...
'' (1998), a recurring role in serial ''
Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...
'' (1999–2002), roles in '' Stingers'' (2000), ''
Blue Heelers ''Blue Heelers'' is an Australian police drama series that was produced by Southern Star Group and ran for twelve years on the Seven Network, from 1994 to 2006. Although based around the policing of the town, the series generally depicted th ...
'' (2002), '' MDA'' (2002), ''
The Saddle Club ''The Saddle Club'' is an Australian-Canadian children's television series developed by Sarah Dodd, based on the books written by Bonnie Bryant. Like the book series, the scripted live action series follows the lives of three best friends in ...
'' (2003), ''
Always Greener ''Always Greener'' was an Australian television drama/comedy series that aired on the Seven Network which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new d ...
'' (2002 and 2003), '' Scooter: Secret Agent'' (2005) and Underbelly – The Man Who Got Away (TV Movie) (2011). He played the gypsy leader Alexandru Draghici in "Sorrow Song", S5:E2 of
The Doctor Blake Mysteries ''The Doctor Blake Mysteries'' (also ''The Blake Mysteries'') is an Australian television series that premiered on ABC TV on 1 February 2013 at 8:30 pm. The series stars Craig McLachlan in the lead role of Dr. Lucien Blake, who returns home to ...
(2019). After a request by industry professionals in Queensland, John started film and television acting studio The Australian Film & Television Academy (TAFTA) in 1994. He has since expanded to Melbourne and Sydney and continues to run classes online and in-person.


Filmography


Film


Television


References


Notes


TAFTA -Filmography





Marnie Hill: The actors' handbook: a guide to the Australian entertainment industry


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Orcsik, John 1945 births Living people Australian people of Hungarian descent Australian male film actors Australian male soap opera actors 20th-century Australian male actors 21st-century Australian male actors