Ronald Blanchard (born 1945) is an Australian stage, television and film actor. He is best known as a character actor, and for his starring roles in five popular children's television series '' Breakfast-a-Go-Go'', ''

The Lost Islands ''The Lost Islands'' is an Australian television series which first aired in Australia on Network Ten. It later screened around the world, including the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Greece (and various other p ...

'', '' Alexander Bunyip's Billabong'', '' Watch This Space'' and '' Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin''. A well-known

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to ...

, Blanchard had numerous appearances on television series and films from the late 1960s up until the late 1990s, most especially, his recurring guest role as Lenny Sawyer on ''

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera which broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 5 November 1993, airing at 7:30 pm on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Altogether, 14 seasons and 1,058 episodes were p ...

'' but has since returned to theatre work. He made his film debut in a supporting role in ''

Caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support. Description A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with th ...

'' in 1976 and appeared in the 1997 film ''

Oscar and Lucinda ''Oscar and Lucinda'' is a novel by Australian author Peter Carey which won the 1988 Booker Prize and the 1989 Miles Franklin Award. It was shortlisted for The Best of the Booker. Plot introduction It tells the story of Oscar Hopkins, the D ...

''.

Biography

Blanchard got his first big break on the small screen when he appeared on the children's variety show '' Breakfast-a-Go-Go'' in 1969 as 'Witless Wonder', the comedic sidekick of new host Sue Smith. In 1972 he appeared as a guest star on the soap opera ''

Number 96 96 (ninety-six) is the natural number following 95 and preceding 97. It is a number that appears the same when turned upside down. In mathematics 96 is: * an octagonal number. * a refactorable number. * an untouchable number. * a semiperfect ...

'' and on the comedy series '' Snake Gully with Dad and Dave''. He continued working on-and-off for the next several years and, in 1976, Blanchard landed the part of the villainous Quell on the children's adventure series ''

''. As one of the show's main antagonists, the series provided his breakout role. As well as appearing on '' The Outsiders'', in the same year he also made his film debut with a supporting role in ''

''. He followed this with appearances on '' The Garry McDonald Show'' (1977), '' Alexander Bunyip's Billabong'' (1978), ''

Doctor Down Under ''Doctor Down Under'' was an Australian television comedy series based on a set of books by Richard Gordon about the misadventures of a group of doctors. The series follows directly from its predecessor ''Doctor on the Go'', and was produce ...

'' (1979) and, most notably, co-starring with

Paul Chubb Paul Dunford (14 January 1949 – 9 June 2002), professionally billed as Paul Chubb, was an Australian film, television and stage actor and scriptwriter primarily in genres of comedy and drama. Early life He was born in Arncliffe, a suburb of S ...

in the children's science fiction series '' Watch This Space'' (1982). He began to work more regularly during the early 1980s and had parts in the television movie '' Chase Through the Night'' (1983), miniseries ''

The Last Bastion ''The Last Bastion'' is a television mini-series which aired in Australia in November 1984. It is a docudrama telling the story of Australia's involvement in World War II, and its often strained relations with its two main allies, Great Britain ...

'' (1984) and films '' Silver City'' (1984), ''

Warming Up 'Warming up' is a part of stretching and preparation for physical exertion or a performance by exercising or practicing gently beforehand, usually undertaken before a performance or practice. Athletes, singers, actors and others warm up before s ...

'' (1985) and ''

Burke & Wills ''Burke & Wills'' is a 1985 Australian adventure film directed by Graeme Clifford, starring Jack Thompson and Nigel Havers. The film is based on the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition across Australia. The film follows Robert O'Hara Burke an ...

'' (1985). In January 1986, he joined former co-star

and Perry Quinton in a pantomime called ''Humpty Dumpty''. It featured the fictional characters of the '' Harry and Ralph Show'' at the Footbridge Theatre. In the same year, he starred in yet another children's television series, the popular but short-lived '' Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin''. After a supporting role in the thriller film ''

Dark Age The ''Dark Ages'' is a term for the Early Middle Ages, or occasionally the entire Middle Ages, in Western Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire that characterises it as marked by economic, intellectual and cultural decline. The conce ...

'' (1987), he returned to television acting with guest appearances in ''

Mother and Son ''Mother and Son'' is an Australian television sitcom that was broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 16 January 1984 until 21 March 1994. The show stars Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris. It ...

'' (1988), '' True Believers'' (1988) and '' G.P.'' (1991). That same year, he also had a minor role in the action film '' Gotcha'' (1991). Beginning in 1992, Blanchard had a recurring role as Lenny Sawyer on the television series ''

''. His last regular acting role was in the film '' Country Life'' (1994), although he made appearances in the television movie '' Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season'' (1996) and the romance film ''

'' (1997).Willis, John. ''Screen World 1998 Film Annual''. Vol. 49. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1999. (pg. 257) For the past 12 years, he has been travelling the world playing the role of an English butler for the famous Swedish illusionist Joe Labero.

Selected filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blanchard, Ron 1945 births Living people Australian male television actors