Guess who? Rarely seen Aussie actor goes incognito as he uses leaf blower outside Sydney home
Peter Phelps was spotted on the tools outside his Sydney home on Monday looking a far cry from his heartthrob status of yesteryear.
The 64-year-old actor became a household name in the ’80s thanks to his starring role as John Palmer in the iconic soap opera Sons and Daughters.
He later starred in Baywatch, Stingers, Point Break, Wonderland and Ned Kelly.
Phelps started his week by using a leaf blower and garden hose to create some hardscape gardens on the facade of his North Sydney estate.
The beloved TV star wore a navy Under Armor T-shirt and shorts as he did his chores.
He added loafers to his look and sunglasses, and appeared to drown out the noise with a pair of noise-canceling earphones.
Peter Phelps was spotted on the tools outside his Sydney home on Monday looking a far cry from his heartthrob status of yesteryear. Pictured
The 64-year-old actor became a household name in the ’80s thanks to her starring role as John Palmer in the iconic soap Sons and Daughters
Phelps blended in with the suburbs with a thick gray beard and mustache.
Rewind 20 years and the Sydney father-of-two couldn’t have done this without attracting a crowd of excited fans.
According to the outpouring of comments on a recent post in the Facebook nostalgia group ‘Memory Lane – Growing up in Australia’, the prolific ’80s star is still a hit.
“Absolute Aussie legend, what a piece,” one person wrote. “He’s never experienced anything that he wasn’t excellent at. From S&D to Stingers, All Saints and Police Rescue – is there an Australian show he hasn’t been in?’
“He was a real hot Aussie spunk at the time,” chimed in another woman. ‘Beautiful blue eyes.’
He later starred in Baywatch, Stingers, Point Break, Wonderland and Ned Kelly
‘I loved him then and love him now. Still looking good!’ defended one fan, while yet another commented ‘wishing’ he would make more home and away appearances.
“When he came to Perth for Telethon, I stood behind him in the “Thank-you Very Much For Your Kind Donation-Conga Dance,” one group member wrote. “I had to chase away a few women who tried to take my ‘conga’ position.”
“In 1984 I went to Sydney to buy a 2002 BMW coupe,” one man noted. “When I went to the seller’s lovely home in the suburbs of North Sydney, it was Peter Phelps. He then starred in Sons and Daughters.
‘My girlfriend went to see Jelly when he got in the car for the test drive. He was as nice and unpretentious as he seems.”
The veteran Australian actor sent Home and Away fans into a frenzy earlier this year when he appeared on set in leaked film photos.
Phelps has played recurring character Gary Morrow since 2022, but his history with Australia’s longest-running soap goes back to 2007, when he directed 20 episodes of the series and originally starred as Alan.
Gary usually only reappears in Summer Bay around major storylines.
Phelps is still acting and recently appeared in an episode of the TV miniseries Plum and Roast Night, as well as an episode of Return to Paradise.
The 64-year-old actor became a household name in the ’80s thanks to her starring role as John Palmer in the iconic soap opera Sons and Daughters. Pictured on the far left
Phelps played Australian lifeguard Trevor Cole in one season of Baywatch in 1989
In 2017, Sons and Daughters star Rowena Wallace (right) revealed she was 35 years old when she enjoyed a night of passion with Peter, who was 13 years her junior, and her son starred in the show.
In 2017, Sons and Daughters star Rowena Wallace revealed she was 35 years old when she enjoyed a night of passion with Peter, who was 13 years her junior, and her son starred on the show.
“We actually ended up all the way to the northern beaches, where Peter lived alone in an apartment near the surf,” she said.
‘We were on the beach after having a few drinks when Pete suggested we go for a late night swim, I stripped down to my knickers.’
At the time, Rowena was at the peak of her career, with her role in the series earning her a Gold Logie and four Silver Logies in 1984 – so she kept quiet about their one-night stand.
Phelps played Phil North in Heartbreak High, Jose Messina in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, Abo Henry in Blue Murder, Peter Church in Stingers, Vince Marcello in Rescue Special Ops and Alan Henderson in his first stint on Home and Away.
He lives with his wife Donna Fawkes, whom he married in 2000, and their daughters.