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.

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.

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.

Napier died from brain cancer on 14 August 2022 in Canberra at the age of 70.

Theatre

A partial list of his theatre credits follows.

For Sydney Theatre Company:
*''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. – 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) – 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.

Partial filmography

Movies

*'' Goodbye Pork Pie'' (1981) – Police Officer
*'' Beyond Reasonable Doubt'' – Gerald Wylie
*'' Bad Blood'' – Trev Bond
*'' Came a Hot Friday'' (1985) – Sel Bishop
*''Pallet on the Floor'' (1986) – Joe Voot
*'' Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale'' (1986) – Hunk Murphy (''voice'')
*''Starlight Hotel'' (1987) – Det Wallace
*'' The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey'' (1988) – Searle
*''Georgia'' (1988) – Frank Le Mat
*'' The Big Steal'' (1990) – Desmond Clark
*''Flirting'' (1991) – Rupert Elliot
*''Shotgun Wedding'' (1993) – Det Dave Green
*'' Spider and Rose'' (1994) – Henderson
*'' Babe'' (1995) – Chairman of Judges
*'' Dead Heart'' (1996) Sgt Oakes
*'' Muggers'' (2000) – Prof Charles Lawrence
*'' Bad Eggs'' (2003) – Doug Gillespie
* '' Travelling Light'' (2003) – Don Ferris
* ''Get Rich Quick'' (2004) – Turf O'Keefe
* '' The Water Horse'' (2007) – Sgt Strunk
* '' I'm Not Harry Jenson'' (2009) – Tom
* '' Griff the Invisible'' (2010) – Benson
* '' The Clinic'' (2010) – Marvin
* ''Down Under'' (2016) – Graham Steather
* '' Little Monsters'' (2019) – Army General
* ''Bellbird'' (2019) – Ross
* ''Earl's Town'' (2020) – Earl
* ''Northspur'' (2022) – Ted Summers

Television series

* ''The Neville Purvis Show'' – Larry Lucas
* ''Adventurer'' – George Mason
*'' The Clean Machine'' (1988) – Keith Reid
*'' Always Afternoon'' (1988) – Bill Kennon
* '' Mission Impossible'' (1989) – Talbot
*''Police Rescue'' (1989–92) – Sgt. Fred 'Frog' Catteau is daughter, Jessica Napier, played his character's daughter
*''Seven Deadly Sins'' (1993) – Tom
*'' Secrets'' (1993–1994) – Gary O'Leary
* '' Blue Murder'' (1995) – Tony Eustace
*'' Halifax f.p.'' (1995) – episode ''"Lies of the Mind"'' – Dr. Dale Counahan
*''Swimming Lessons'' (1995 TV movie) – Jim Sadler
*'' The Beast'' (1996) – Commander Wallingford
*''Twisted Tales'' (1996) – Tom
*'' Water Rats'' (1996–1999) – Joe Da Silva
* ''Meteorites'' (1998) – Mayor Cass Cassidy
*''Airtight'' (1999) – Norscrum
*''The Lost World'' (2000) – Drakul
* '' All Saints'' – Mick Mason
* '' Head Start'' (2001) – John Allott
* '' Stingers'' (2001) – Eddie Thomas
*''McLeod's Daughters'' (2001–2006) – Harry Ryan
*''Farscape'' – " ...Different Destinations" – General Grynes
*'' The Girl from Tomorrow Part II: Tomorrow's End'' – Draco
*''City Homicide'' (2007–2008) – Wilton Sparkes City Homicide: Meet the Cast – Marshall Napier
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*'' Chandon Pictures'' (2009) – Basil
*'' Panic at Rock Island'' (2011) – Paul Thorpe
* ''Jack Irish'' (2012) – Father Gorman
* '' The Moodys'' (2014) – Howard Benson
* '' Love Child'' (2015) – Greg Matheson

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

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Napier, Marshall James
1951 births
2022 deaths
Australian male television actors
Deaths from brain tumor
New Zealand emigrants to Australia
New Zealand male television actors
Australian dramatists and playwrights
People from Lower Hutt