Martin Vaughan dies aged 91: Australian actor was known for Phar Lap and Power Without Glory
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Veteran actor Martin Vaughan – star of Aussie classics Phar Lap and Power Without Glory – dies aged 91
Beloved Australian actor Martin Vaughan has passed away.
Vaughan, a seasoned performer of stage, film and television with a career spanning 50 years, died last month at the age of 91. TV tonight.
Known for his signature Aussie accent and whimsical features, Vaughan rose to fame for starring in the classic ABC TV series Power Without Glory in 1976.
Australian actor Martin Vaughan has died aged 91. (Pictured: Vaughan, far left, as Harry Telford in the 1983 film Phar Lap, about the legendary racehorse)
He later earned credit for his role as horse trainer Harry Telford in the 1983 blockbuster Phar Lap, about the legendary racehorse.
Born in Brisbane in 1931, Vaughan took up acting late.
He scored his first major role in a theater show in Melbourne in 1963, when he was 32. He went on to act in more than 60 plays.
Before becoming an actor, he had earned a living as a postman, tram conductor and civil servant.
Known for his signature Aussie accent and whimsical features, Vaughan rose to fame for starring in the classic ABC TV series Power Without Glory in 1976 (pictured)
He was often cast as a ‘warrior’ and ‘ordinary dude’ in leading Australian TV series of the 60s and 70s, including Hunter, Spyforce, Division 4 and Homicide.
His breakthrough came when he played tough politician John West in Power Without Glory, a 26-episode ABC television series based on Frank Hardy’s classic Australian novel.
This performance earned Vaughan the Logie Award for Most Popular Actor in 1977.
Born in Brisbane in 1931, Vaughan didn’t start acting until age 32. His career began to coincide with the revival of Australian cinema in the 1970s and 1980s, and he appeared in one of the most important films of the era, Picnic at Hanging. Rock, in 1975
His career coincided with the revival of Australian cinema in the 1970s and 1980s.
A versatile actor, Vaughan starred in a number of major films of the era, including Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and We of the Never Never (1982).
He was nominated for Best Actor at the AACTA Awards for his role in Phar Lap in 1983. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Winds of Jarrah that same year.
Vaughan also had supporting roles on the ABC series Rake, his last TV appearance ever. He retired in 2013 and spent the last decade of his life writing.
A versatile actor, Vaughan has appeared in numerous Australian TV shows. (Pictured: Vaughan in a scene from H20: Just Add Water in 2006)