Bud Tingwell

Charles 'Bud' Tingwell AM (1923-2009), actor, became the youngest radio announcer in Australia when he was employed at Sydney radio station 2CH as a cadet. During the war he served in the Middle East as an RAF photographic reconnaissance pilot. His first lead film role was in the feature film Always Another Dawn (1948); his other films of early 1950s include Kangaroo, Captain Thunderbolt, The Desert Rats and Smiley. In 1956 Tingwell and his wife Audrey moved to London for seventeen years, during which he secured roles in television and radio series including An Enemy of the State (1965) and Catweazle (1970). He appeared in four Miss Marple films with Dame Margaret Rutherford , and acted in various theatre productions. He returned to Australia in 1973 when Hector Crawford offered him the lead role of Inspector Reg Lawson in the television series Homicide. A regular in the ABC series Certain Women (1973) he went on to produce and direct other major Australian television productions, including The Sullivans, Cop Shop, The Flying Doctors and Prisoner. His film credits include Petersen (1974) and Eliza Frazer (1976). In 1996, Rob Sitch, Tom Gleisner and Santo Cilauro offered him a role as a barrister in their immensely popular film The Castle (1997). Working Dog producer Sitch said Tingwell had told him one of his secrets of life was 'saying yes', because it led to new people and new experiences. His last completed role was playing Winston Churchill in the ABC TV movie Menzies and Churchill at War. Following Tingwell's death Prime Minister Kevin Rudd paid tribute to his role in defining the Australian character.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2011
© John Tsiavis