Vale: Bruce Kerr

Veteran actor Bruce Kerr, who has a long career on stage and screen, has died, aged 87.

He died in hospital on Saturday surrounded by family.

British-born Kerr enjoyed a 50+ year career in performing in the UK and Australia.

In Television this included multiple roles, especially in Crawfords & Grundys dramas (often as several characters in the same drama): Division 4, Matlock Police, Homicide, Skyways, Cop Shop, Carson’s Law.

On Prisoner one role was as Gordon Humphrey, accusing Lizzie Birdsworth of having financial interests in his father, Sid Humphries. On Neighbours he played Neil Taylor, father to Scott Robinson’s girlfriend Kim.

He played Lieutenant Keogh on both Cash & Company and Tandarra, while other credits included Rush, Andra, I Can Jump Puddles, Ryan, McCloud, Power Without Glory, Bellbird, Bluey, Cornflakes for Tea, Anzacs, The Great Air Race, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, Correlli, Blue Heelers, Something in the Air, Bootleg, Bastard Boys, Valentine’s Day and film credits included The Man from Snowy River, Compo, Lex and Rory, Hostage to Fate and Remembering Nigel.

He was particularly prolific in the Melbourne theatre scene as actor, director and tutor, working with Melbourne Theatre Company, Playbox, La Mama, various productions for Edgley’s, JC Williamson’s and Cameron Mackintosh, earning 5 Green Room nominations.

Kerr kept working into his later years including with independent theatre such as HST Theatre in the Australian Premiere of Sam Shepard’s, ‘The Late Henry Moss’ as well as Stephen Adly Guirgis’,
‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’.

Friend and colleague, director David Myles told TV Tonight his legacy would be mentoring young theatre companies.

“His presence made them much better. A lot of younger actors are very grateful for the fact that he brought ‘old school’ professionalism,” he said.

“If he wasn’t acting there was something missing from his life. He took a lot of shows, that possibly weren’t up to what they should have been, but his objective was to help people along.”

Kerr landed the role he coveted most in “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett with John Flaus at La Mama -both were in their late 70’s at the time.