Michael Preston (born Jack Davies; 14 May 1938)[1] is an English international film and television actor, and singer, sometimes credited as Mike Preston.
Michael Preston | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jack Davies 14 May 1938 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1959–present |
Life and career
editPreston was born in Hackney, London, England.[2] He was a boxer and then became a singer.[3]
He appeared on Oh Boy! and his third record, "Dirty Old Town" (1959) was produced by Joe Meek.[4] He had three Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart, including reaching No. 12 with his cover version of "Mr. Blue" in November 1959,[3] before emigrating to Australia where he worked as a nightclub singer.
He then became a host on television, and also an actor. He was a regular host on In Melbourne Tonight in 1968, and in 1969 was a guest celebrity on the game show The Celebrity Game and went on to host the revival in 1976–1977.
His first ongoing starring role on television was in the long-running police drama series Homicide as Sen. Det. Bob Delaney from 1972 to 1973. He then had a recurring role in the soap opera Bellbird as Fr. John Kramer between 1974 and 1976. He later took a lead role in the prison-based soap opera Punishment (1981) but this series was short-lived. In 1984, he had an ongoing role in Hot Pursuit, as the character Alec Shaw.
Preston has made numerous guest appearances in television series, including The A-Team, Max Headroom, Airwolf, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Alien Nation, Ellen, and Highlander. He also made an appearance in the series Baywatch Nights.[5]
Preston has also acted in films. His first feature film was Surabaya Conspiracy (1969); other film roles included playing Pappagallo in Mad Max 2 (1981), his best-known role, and Jared-Syn in the science fiction B-movie Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983). He was nominated for the 1979 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in The Last of the Knucklemen[6] and he won two Logies for most popular male personality in Victoria.[7]
Selected TV and filmography
edit- Climb Up the Wall - (1960) - Himself, (singing next to the Albert Memorial)
- Surabaya Conspiracy (1969) - Steven Blessing
- Barney (1976) - O'Shaughnessy
- The Last of the Knucklemen (1979) - Pansy
- Maybe This Time (1981) - Paddy
- Mad Max 2 (1981) - Pappagallo
- Duet for Four (1982) - Ray Martin
- Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983) - Jared-Syn
- A Caribbean Mystery (1983, TV movie) - Arthur Jackson
- Blade in Hong Kong (1985, TV movie) - Charters
- J.O.E. and the Colonel (1985, TV movie) - Schaefer
- The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1986, TV movie) - David 'Dak' Anson Kola
- Hunter (1987) - Evans (as Mike Preston)
- Airwolf (1987, TV series) - Jack Ware
- Fame (1987, TV series) - Jack Ware
- Harry's Hong Kong (1987, TV movie) - Max Trumble
- The Long Journey Home (1987, TV movie) - Frank Mota
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake (1988, TV movie) - Waiter
- Exile (1990, TV Movie) - Rupe Murphy
- Superboy (1990) - 2nd Police Officer
- Alien Nation (1990) - Rigac
- Jake and the Fatman (1991) - Vorster
- Renegade (1995, TV series) - Nick Schneider
- Highlander: The Series (1995) - Terrence Kincaid
- Steel (1997) - Mr. Weston (uncredited)
- The Getaway (2002, video game) - Harry 'The Hat' (voice)
Discography
edit- "A House, A Car And A Wedding Ring" / "My Lucky Love" (1958) – (US No. 93, Aust No. 18) (Decca)
- "Why, Why Why" / "Whispering Grass" (1958)
- "In Surabaya" / "Dirty Old Town" (1959)
- "Mr. Blue" / "Just Ask Your Heart" (1959) (UK No. 12)
- "Too Old" / "A Girl Like You" (1960)
- "I'd Do Anything" / "Where Is Love" (1960) (UK No. 23)
- "Togetherness" / "Farewell My Love" (1960) (UK No. 41)
- "Marry Me" / "Girl Without a Heart" (1961) (UK No. 14)
- "Punish Her" / "From the Very First Rose" (1963)
- "Dear Heart" / "Wonderful, Wonderful World" (1968) (Aust No. 20 Kent chart, No. 34 Go-Set chart) (Spin Records)
- "Christmas Alphabet" (1968) (Aust No. 71 Kent chart) (Spin Records)
- "Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell" (1969) (Aust No. 64 Kent chart) (Spin Records)
- "Why" (1972) (Aust No. 70)[8] (Fable Records)[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Music birthdays in May". Bitter Suite band. Births & Deaths. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
- ^ "Michael Preston". bio. IMDb.com. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
- ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 1992/3. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ "Wolf". Fortune City. Greenfield. Archived from the original on 7 March 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
- ^ "Blues Boy". Baywatch Nights (TV). Season 1. Episode 9.
- ^ Kuipers, Richard. "The Last of the Knucklemen (1979)". Australian Screen. NFSA. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ Murphy, Jim (11 March 1981), "Mike hits the right note", The Australian Women's Weekly, p. 54
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 238. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London, UK: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 437. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.