Vale: Ronald Falk

Veteran Australian actor Ronald Falk, who has a long list of stage and screen credits, has died, aged 80.

Falk continued to work in his senior years, only this month appearing in Foxtel’s Secret City and was much-loved as Norm, one of the three rascally bar-flies at the Jack Irish ‘Prince of Prussia.’

In recent years he had also appeared in The Doctor Blake Mysteries, House Husbands and Winners and Losers.

His career began at the Union Theatre in Melbourne with the late Monica Maughan and Barry Humphries. He spent two years at Melbourne’s National Theatre before heading to the UK.

His first TV roles were in UK productions such as Z Cars, Boyd Q.C., Festival and A Man of our Times.

Other Aussie TV credits include Delta, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Ryan, Division 4, Winner Take All, The John Sullivan Story, Skyways, Bellamy, The Flying Doctors, The Last Man Hanged, A Country Practice, The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, Police Rescue, Roar, MDA, The Brush-Off, Blue Heelers, and All Saints.

Last year he appeared in Holding the Man. Other film credits included Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Red Hill, Codgers, A Cry in the Dark, Lonely Hearts, My First Wife and A Dangerous Summer.

His stage career includes over 10 years working in the UK, experimental theatre in The Netherlands and a raft of stage credits with the Old Vic, The English Stage Company at The Royal Court, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir Street, Melbourne Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of South Australia. He also broadcast for twenty years with ABC Radio’s ‘The Science Show.’

Jack Irish Producer Ian Collie said, “Not everyone gets to be an actor through to a ripe old age – but he did – and that’s some achievement. Old actors are a special breed, the carriers/ bearers of all that history – cultural and personal.”

Writer Matt Cameron sad, “Thank you Ron for bringing Norm to life – sadly the day has always been coming that one of the three wise monkeys would fall off their bar stool.”

Producer Penny Chapman said in a statement to TV Tonight, “Ron gave a profoundly moving performance as the father of Kim Gordon in Secret City. It was always an honour to work with him. He was witty and true and he brought subtlety and nuance to every role. He was also a darling man with a wicked sense of humour.”

He once told Theatre People, “Doing what I’m doing, I’ve never really been in a year’s run, which is wonderful. The most I’ve done is about three months. You never really get bored.”

Updated: Funeral arrangements have been made in accordance with Ron’s wishes. The Service will be held at Quinn Funerals AT Wesley Place 15 Skene Street Colac Victoria July 15th at 11am. No flowers. Prospective attendees can contact 0459 983 001 for further instruction. There will be no other services or memorials held in accordance with Ron’s wishes