Beloved soap icon with 75-year career dies weeks before birthday
Brian Wenzel was famous for his role in A Country Practice (Picture: Getty)
Brian Wenzel has died at the age of 94.
The iconic TV star, who was best known for his role as Sgt Frank Gilroy in A Country Practice, died peacefully in a nursing home just weeks before he would turn 95.
‘Brian’s wife of almost 70 years, Linda, phoned this morning to relay the news of his passing, saying he died peacefully,’ reported Woman’s Day magazine.
Brian, who had more than 75 years experience in the entertainment industry, landed his first acting role at the age of 17, appearing in a stage comedy show.
Throughout the 60s, he appeared a variety of TV programmes, including Matlock Police, Homicide and The Young Doctors.
But his biggest role came in 1981 when he landed the part of Sgt Frank Gilroy in A Country Practice, appearing regularly over the subsequent 12 years – which proved to be majority of the much-loved serial’s run.
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For his work on the soap, which transmitted on ITV in the UK, Brian earned himself a Silver Logie Award for Best Actor.
A Country Practice was, at the time, the longest-running Australian TV drama. It was cancelled by Seven Network in 1993 though was revived by Network Ten the following year.
The reboot, however, featured an almost entirely new cast, with Brian not appearing as Frank at all. It lasted a single season.
A Country Practice ran from 1981 to 1993, with a brief revival in 1994 (Picture: Facebook / A Country Practice)
Following the conclusion of A Country Practice, Brian subsequently appeared in Neighbours – which later became Australia’s longest running TV drama – playing Gordon ‘Flakey the Clown’ Orchard, in 1995.
Neighbours remains on air to this very day, despite having been axed twice in its 39-year run.
The much-loved Aussie soap came to an end for what was thought to be the final time two years ago but it was subsequently rescued by Amazon Freevee, with new episodes streaming daily.
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