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Tony Bonner
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Anthony Frederick Bonner AM (born 23 November 1943)[1] is an Australian television, film, and stage actor and singer. Bonner became famous in the 1960s children's television series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, later moving on to lead roles in the dramas Cop Shop and Skyways.
Key Information
Early life and education
[edit]Anthony Frederick Bonner was born in Manly,[citation needed] a northern beach suburb of Sydney. His grandfather, James Bonner, was a former Mayor of Manly and founding President of the Manly Life Saving Club. His father, Frederick Bonner, was a musical comedy actor at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney.[citation needed] His mother was born Josephine Sheidow and was, a 1935 article announcing her engagement to Frederick Bonner claimed, 'well known in the swimming world.'[2] She was also known as a singer.[3]
After leaving school Bonner started work for a company supplying mannequins and other equipment for window dressing. He also worked part-time in his father's theatre as a wardrobe attendant, fostering his interest in acting.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]Acting
[edit]Bonner's first professional stage acting job was in 1961, aged 18. His first major role was as helicopter pilot Jerry King on the television series Skippy.[citation needed]
Bonner went on to appear in many Crawford Productions television series, including The Box, Matlock Police, Division 4, Cop Shop, Skyways, and Carson's Law.[4]
In 1970–71, he had a guest role in one episode of the UK-based ITC television series The Persuaders! starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore. He featured in an advertising campaign for the Ballajura real estate development in Western Australia in the late 1970s.[citation needed]
His notable film roles include Eyewitness (1970), You Can't Win 'Em All (1970), Creatures the World Forgot (1971), Inn of the Damned (1975), The Mango Tree (1977), Money Movers (1978)[5], The Man from Snowy River (1982), The Highest Honor (1983), Quigley Down Under (1990), Dead Sleep (1990), Hurricane Smith (1992), and Liquid Bridge (2003). He has twice portrayed Australian World War I soldier Murray Bourchier, to whom he bears a remarkable likeness, in the 1987 film The Lighthorsemen and a 1993 episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.[citation needed]
Bonner also starred in the 1985 TV mini-series Anzacs. He played Lieutenant (later Captain) Harold Armstrong, commanding officer of the 8th Battalion (Australia) of the First Australian Imperial Force in 1914, from the Gallipoli in 1915 to the Western Front.[citation needed]
Bonner has done advertising work, such as playing veteran burger-naming expert Ken Thomas in a 2007 McDonald's ad campaign.[citation needed]
In September 2008, Bonner sued Fauna Productions Pty Ltd, the production company for Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, seeking residuals from merchandising and DVD sales.[6]
He acted in William Kelly's War (2014) and Landfall (2017), both filmed and produced in Australia.[citation needed]
Music
[edit]Bonner recorded a cover version of the Bee Gees song "Wine and Women" in 1968. He later appeared with Barry Gibb on an episode of Bandstand.[citation needed]
Later in his career Bonner appeared in several stage musicals, including Annie Get Your Gun and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.[when?][citation needed]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Rusty Bugles | TV movie | |
| 1965 | Tartuffe | Valere | TV movie |
| 1966 | They're a Weird Mob | Lifesaver | Feature film |
| 1970 | Eyewitness | Tom Jones | Feature film |
| 1970 | You Can't Win 'Em All | Reese | Feature film |
| 1971 | Creatures the World Forgot | Toomak 'The Fair Boy' | Feature film |
| 1975 | La polizia accusa: il servizio segreto uccide (aka Silent Action) | Uncredited | Feature film |
| 1975 | Inn of the Damned | Trooper Moore | Feature film |
| 1976 | 2000 Million Years Later | Short film) | |
| 1977 | The Alternative | Peter | TV movie |
| 1977 | End of Summer | TV movie | |
| 1977 | The Mango Tree | Captain Hinkler | Feature film |
| 1978 | Money Movers | Leo Bassett | Feature film |
| 1978 | Image of Death | Karl | TV movie |
| 1989 | Players in the Gallery | TV movie | |
| 1980 | Hard Knocks | Bar Patron | Feature film |
| 1981 | Intimate Strangers | Jerome Hartog | TV movie |
| 1982 | The Man from Snowy River | Kane | Feature film |
| 1983 | The Highest Honor | Lieutenant W.G. Carey | Feature film |
| 1986 | The Last Frontier | Tom Hannon | TV movie |
| 1988 | The Tourist | John Ramsden | TV movie |
| 1987 | The Lighthorsemen | Murray Bourchier | Feature film |
| 1990 | Quigley Down Under | Dobkin | Feature film |
| 1990 | Dead Sleep | Dr. Jonathan Heckett | Feature film |
| 1992 | Hurricane Smith | Howard Fenton | Feature film |
| 1992 | Academy | Jack Steele | Feature film |
| The Venus Factory | Roger Hammond | Feature film | |
| 2003 | Liquid Bridge | Bob McCallum | Feature film |
| 2008 | Punishment | Stephen Dunbar | Feature film |
| 2009 | Inseperable Coil | Dr Peterson | Short film |
| 2014 | William Kelly's War | Mr Kelly | Feature film |
| 2017 | Landfall | Trevor | Feature film |
| 2018 | Dots | The Doctor | Short film |
| 2018 | Beats | Pa | Short film |
| 2021 | Him | Reg | Feature film |
| 2023 | Handled | Don | Short film |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | My Brother Jack | TV miniseries, 1 episode) | |
| 1966 | My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? | Party Bloke | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1968-79 | Skippy | Jerry King | TV series, 207 episodes |
| 1970-71 | The Persuaders! | Jon | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | The Box | Monte | TV series |
| 1974 | The Evil Touch | Pilot / Tom Leeds | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1974 | Division 4 | Chris Rapp | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Marion | Joe | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Matlock Police | Graham Cotton | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Certain Women | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 1975 | Cash and Company | Titus Ruffler | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1975 | The Rise and Fall of Wellington Boots | TV series | |
| 1975-76 | Homicide | Denny Connell / Brett Chilton / Ric Parsons / Russell Craig | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1976 | Bluey | James Conder | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | Power Without Glory | Brendan West | TV miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 1977 | Chopper Squad | Frank | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977-78 | Cop Shop | Detective Snr Constable Don McKenna | TV series, 29 episodes |
| 1980 | Lawson's Mates | Joe Wilson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978-80 | Skyways | Paul MacFarlane | TV series, 83 episodes |
| 1981 | Outbreak of Love | Russell Lockwood | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | Special Squad | Carver | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1984 | Carson's Law | Chris Dalton | TV series, 25 episodes |
| 1985 | Anzacs | Lieutenant (later Captain) Harold Armstrong | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | First Secretary Henry Claymore | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Murray Bourchier | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992-93 | E Street | Roger Tate | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1996 | Pacific Drive | TV series | |
| 1999 | Home and Away | Roger Lansdowne | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 2000 | Pizza | SAS Captain | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2002 | Neighbours | Martin Cook | TV series, 15 episodes |
| 2015 | Shit Creek | Diamond Jack | TV miniseries |
Theatre
[edit]Bonner has had experience as a stage actor and director, including:[7]
As actor
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Three Musketeers | Playhouse, Melbourne | |
| 1996 | Only When I Laugh | Newcastle Civic Theatre, Regal Theatre, Perth | |
| 1996 | The Cellophane Ceiling | Twelfth Night Theatre | |
| 2001 | Are You Being Served? | Twelfth Night Theatre | |
| Annie Get Your Gun | |||
| How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying |
As director
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Director | Cavern Theatre Noosa, Cremorne Theatre |
Personal life
[edit]Bonner was married to Australian actress and model Nola Clark. One daughter, Chelsea Bonner, is the owner and director of a plus-size modelling agency.[8]
Bonner is patron of several charities including The Smith Family and the Wesley Mission suicide prevention program. He has also served on the board of the Variety Club and is Publicity Officer and past President of the Manly Life Saving Club.[citation needed]
In 2017 Bonner was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the performing arts as an actor, to surf lifesaving, and to the community through charitable organisations.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Tony Bonner".
- ^ 'Life of Sydney' Sydney Daily Telegraph 21 March 1935 p. 13
- ^ 'Amusements' Sydney Morning Herald 6 June 1934 p. 9
- ^ Tony Bonner at IMDb
- ^ "The Fluffer gets hot for The Money Movers". Filmink. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
- ^ "Actor sues for share of Skippy's profits". The Australian. 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2008.
- ^ "Tony Bonner". AusStage. 12 January 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Scott, Leisa; Armstrong, Rebecca (5 May 2024). "How modelling agent Chelsea Bonner is taking on artificial intelligence to avoid 'cataclysmic step backwards' for industry". ABC News. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia (A-L)" (PDF). 2017 Australia Day Honours List. Office of the Governor-General of Australia. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
External links
[edit]- Tony Bonner at IMDb
Tony Bonner
View on GrokipediaEarly life and education
Family background
Anthony Frederick Bonner was born on 23 November 1943 in Manly, a northern beach suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.[10] His grandfather, James Bonner, served as Mayor of Manly and was the founding president of the Manly Life Saving Club, instilling in the family a strong sense of community involvement and local pride.[6] Bonner's father, Frederick Bonner, was a prominent musical comedy actor who performed baritone leads at Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney, exposing the young Tony to the world of stage performance from an early age.[11] His mother, Josephine Sheidow, was a concert soprano as well as a champion pool swimmer and calisthenics competitor, blending artistic talent with athletic prowess in the family dynamic.[3][12] Growing up in a theatrical household, Bonner was immersed in an environment rich with performance and creativity, where his parents' professions naturally sparked his early interests in singing, dancing, and acting.[4] This familial atmosphere provided foundational inspiration for his future pursuits in the performing arts, though he initially faced personal challenges like asthma that contrasted with his siblings' achievements.[12]Early career pursuits
After leaving school, Tony Bonner took up employment in Sydney's retail sector as a window dresser, working for a company that supplied mannequins, materials, and equipment for department store displays.[6] In the early 1960s, he was specifically tasked with dressing windows at the Bebarfalds department store, where his eye for symmetry and balance proved advantageous.[13] Inspired by his family's involvement in the performing arts—his father, Frederick Bonner, was a musical comedy actor at Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney—Bonner pursued initial opportunities in theatre, including participation in amateur productions during the early 1960s.[3] He gained practical entry into the professional theatre world by working as a dresser, assisting wardrobe for performers in evening shows at Her Majesty's Theatre, while studying singing and dance during the day.[13] Bonner's professional acting debut occurred on stage in 1961, when he was 18 years old, beginning with minor appearances that built on his on-the-job experience and familial ties to the industry.[6] Without formal drama school training, he honed his skills through these hands-on roles and connections via his father's established presence in Sydney's theatre scene.[3] By the mid-1960s, Bonner shifted toward television opportunities, securing guest spots on Australian programs and laying the groundwork for his screen work.[6]Career
Acting
Tony Bonner's acting career began in the early 1960s and has spanned over six decades, showcasing his versatility in both leading and supporting roles across Australian television, film, and occasional international productions.[4] His breakthrough came with the role of park ranger Jerry King in the children's adventure series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (1968–1970), where he appeared in all 91 episodes, propelling him to national and international fame as a charismatic lead in Australian youth-oriented television. The series, filmed in the bushland near Sydney, highlighted Bonner's rugged appeal and established him as a household name, with the show's global syndication amplifying his early stardom.[14] Throughout the 1970s, Bonner solidified his television presence with authoritative roles in police and aviation dramas. In Cop Shop (1977–1978), he portrayed Senior Detective Don McKenna across 26 episodes, embodying the no-nonsense law enforcement archetype in this long-running procedural series set in a fictional Victorian town.[15] He followed this with the part of airport manager Paul MacFarlane in the airport soap opera Skyways (1979–1981), featuring in 83 episodes and demonstrating his ability to anchor ensemble casts in high-stakes, everyday scenarios. Transitioning to film in the 1980s, Bonner took on memorable supporting roles that underscored his range in period and genre pieces. In the iconic Australian Western The Man from Snowy River (1982), he played the stern station overseer Kane, contributing to the film's epic portrayal of frontier life and its status as a cultural touchstone. His international exposure came with a guest appearance as the enigmatic First Secretary Henry Claymore in the episode "One White Rose for Death" of Murder, She Wrote (1986), marking a rare foray into American television amid Cold War intrigue.[16] In his later career, Bonner experienced a resurgence through independent Australian films, often portraying paternal or authoritative figures. He appeared as the family patriarch Mr. Kelly in the World War I drama William Kelly's War (2014), a role that drew on his established gravitas to anchor the story of brothers enlisting in the Great War. This was followed by the thriller Landfall (2017), where he played Trevor, the reclusive father in a storm-ravaged coastal home invaded by fugitives, adding depth to the film's tense survival narrative. More recently, Bonner featured in the short film Handled (2023), a New York-set drama exploring relational conflict, continuing his engagement with concise, character-driven stories.[17] As of November 2025, no major new projects have been announced. Throughout these phases, Bonner's work has emphasized his adaptability in Australian media, from adventurous leads to nuanced supports, sustaining a prolific output over more than 60 years.[4]Music
Tony Bonner's early exposure to music stemmed from his family's theatrical background, with his mother serving as a concert soprano who influenced his singing abilities from a young age.[4] This foundation led to his initial forays into performance during the 1960s, including appearances on the Australian television program Bandstand, where he shared the stage with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees.[6] In 1968, capitalizing on his rising fame from the role of Jerry King in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Bonner released his debut album Introducing Australia's Tony Bonner on Festival Records, featuring a cover of the Bee Gees' "Wine and Women" alongside tracks like "Skippy" and "Fisher's Ghost." That same year, he issued a solo single, "Mystery Man," also on Festival Records, though neither achieved significant commercial success.[18] His discography remained limited, with additional recordings including demo tracks for Apple Records, but no further major solo albums followed.[18] Bonner's vocal talents found greater expression in musical theatre, where he leveraged his singing skills in several productions. He began in the chorus of Annie Get Your Gun under J.C. Williamson Productions, a role that highlighted his early stage presence, and later took featured parts in shows like How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.[13] These performances, along with occasional live music segments on television, underscored his versatility as a singer complementary to his acting career, though music remained a secondary pursuit.[6]Directing and teaching
Bonner made his directorial debut in 2008, helming a Sydney production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for Jally Productions at Cremorne Theatre, in which he also starred.[19][18] He draws on skills honed during his acting career to guide performers in such behind-the-scenes capacities. For over two decades, Bonner has served as a teacher and mentor, conducting acting workshops, classes, and mentoring sessions in locations including Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast.[20][21] These privately held programs focus on training and motivating aspiring actors and models, leveraging his more than 60 years of professional experience in the performing arts.[6][11] As of 2025, he continues to offer these educational opportunities regularly through his independent practice.[20]Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Eyewitness | The Assassin | Richard L. Franklin |
| 1970 | You Can't Win 'Em All | Josh Corey | Peter Collinson |
| 1971 | Creatures the World Forgot | David | Don Chaffey |
| 1975 | Inn of the Damned | Greg Sullivan | Terry Bourke |
| 1977 | The Mango Tree | Mark Davies | Kevin James Dobson |
| 1978 | Money Movers | Bluey | Bruce Beresford |
| 1982 | The Man from Snowy River | Kane | George T. Miller |
| 1987 | The Lighthorsemen | Major Murray Bourchier | Simon Wincer |
| 1990 | Quigley Down Under | Dobkin | Simon Wincer[22] |
| 1992 | Dead Sleep | Dr. Jonathan Heckett | Alec Mills |
| 1992 | Hurricane Smith | Howard Fenton | Colin Budds |
| 2003 | Liquid Bridge | Bob McCallum | Reuben Freeman[23] |
| 2014 | William Kelly's War | Mr. Kelly | Anthony M. Wilkinson |
| 2017 | Landfall | Brian | Brenton Spak |
| 2018 | Beats | Pa | Jenna Sutch |
| 2022 | A Bird on the Balcony (short) | Paul | SuzanMarie |
| 2023 | Handled (short) | Don | Glenn Fraser |
| 2025 | Kennedy | John Sadleir | Darren K. Hawkins[24] |
Television
Tony Bonner's television work primarily featured lead and recurring roles in Australian drama series during the 1960s to 1990s, alongside select guest appearances in international productions. His early breakthrough role established him as a prominent figure in Australian broadcasting, leading to a series of high-profile engagements with production companies like Crawford Productions and Fauna Productions. Bonner's contributions to television emphasized character-driven narratives in adventure, police, and soap opera genres, often portraying authoritative or heroic figures.| Year(s) | Title | Role | Episodes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–1970 | Skippy the Bush Kangaroo | Jerry King | 91 | Lead role as a park ranger and helicopter pilot; the series aired on Nine Network in Australia and achieved international syndication.[25] |
| 1971 | The Persuaders! | Jon | 1 | Guest appearance in the ITC Entertainment series co-starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore; filmed in the UK. |
| 1977–1978 | Cop Shop | Detective Senior Constable Don McKenna | 26 | Regular role in the police drama produced by Crawford Productions for Network Ten. |
| 1977 | Chopper Squad | Frank | 1 | Role in the pilot episode of the rescue drama series inspired by real-life NSW ambulance services.[18] |
| 1979–1980 | Skyways | Paul MacFarlane | 83 | Central role as airport manager in the soap opera produced by Crawford Productions for Seven Network.[26] |
| 1985 | Anzacs | Lieutenant Harold Armstrong | 5 | Supporting role in the World War I miniseries co-produced by Nine Network and Channel 4 UK.[27] |
| 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | First Secretary | 1 | Guest lead in the episode "One White Rose for Death" on CBS in the US.[28] |
| 1999 | Home and Away | Roger Lansdowne | 5 | Recurring guest role in the long-running soap on Seven Network. |
| 1999 | The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones | Bouchier | 1 | Guest role in the episode "Daredevils of the Desert," produced by Lucasfilm for ABC.[29] |
| 2000 | Pizza | S.A.S. Captain | 1 | Guest appearance in the comedy series on SBS. |
| 2002 | Neighbours | Martin Cook | 15 | Recurring role in the soap opera on Network Ten. |