Tom Long (3 August 1968 – 4 January 2020) was an Australian film and television actor. He played court official and avid surfer Angus in the late 1990s TV series SeaChange and Brenden Abbott in the 2003 Australian TV movie The Postcard Bandit.[1]
Tom Long | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 August 1968 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | 4 January 2020 (aged 51) |
| Alma mater | National Institute of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television actor |
| Years active | 1992–2012 |
| Spouse | Rebecca Fleming (m. 2019) |
| Partner | Rachael Maza |
| Children | 1 |
Early life edit
Long was born on 3 August 1968 in Boston, Massachusetts, as his Australian parents were visiting there at the time.[2] On their return to Australia he grew up on a farm near Benalla, Victoria. He worked as a jackaroo and shearer after attending Geelong Grammar School, before going abroad, travelling to India, the United Kingdom, Los Angeles, and South Carolina.[3]
After returning to Australia, Long successfully auditioned for a place at the National Institute of Dramatic Art,[4] graduating in 1994.[3]
Career edit
Long appeared in several Australian television series, most notably the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) hit SeaChange (1998–2000) and the Nine Network police drama Young Lions (2002). He appeared in the Australian films Two Hands (1999) and The Dish (2000). Long played Brenden Abbott in the 2003 telemovie The Postcard Bandit and appeared in the film The Book of Revelation.[5]
He also appeared in The Last of the Ryans,[6] Doing Time for Patsy Cline,[7] Do or Die,[8] Risk,[9] Heroes' Mountain: The Thredbo Story,[10] Black Jack: Ghosts,[11] Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback,[12] and East of Everything,[13] and Woodley.[14]
Long stopped acting after he collapsed on stage during a performance of the play Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country at the Sydney Opera House in July 2012.[15]
Personal life edit
Long was in a long-term relationship with actress Rachael Maza, breaking up in 1998 just before the birth of their son, Ariel. The couple reunited in 2005, after Maza and Ariel survived a deadly car accident, albeit with serious injuries.[16]
Long married Rebecca Fleming in February 2019.[15]
Long was diagnosed in 2012 with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and received a stem cell transplant to treat the disease. In December 2018, Long was given an updated prognosis of 3–12 months to live.[15] In March 2019, Long travelled to Seattle, Washington to undergo a medical trial, after which he was pronounced "cancer free".[17][18]
On 4 January 2020, Long died of encephalitis at age 51.[1]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Country Life | Billy Livingstone | Feature film |
| 1997 | The Last of the Ryans | Peter Walker | TV movie[6] |
| 1997 | Doing Time for Patsy Cline | Brad Goodall | Feature film[7] |
| 1999 | Two Hands | Wally | Feature film |
| 1999 | Strange Planet | Ewan | Feature film |
| 2000 | Risk | Ben Madigan | Feature film[9] |
| 2000 | The Dish | Glenn Latham | Feature film |
| 2001 | Hildegarde (aka A Duck Down Under) | Tony | TV movie |
| 2002 | Heroes' Mountain: The Thredbo Story | Paul Featherstone | TV movie[10] |
| 2003 | The Postcard Bandit | Brenden Abbott | TV movie[19] |
| 2006 | The Book of Revelation | Daniel | Feature film |
| 2006 | Black Jack: Ghosts | Mike | TV movie[11] |
| 2007 | Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback | Tony Elliot | TV movie[12] |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Leaving of Liverpool | Ned | Miniseries (2 part) |
| 1995 | Echo Point | Dave Campbell | TV series |
| 1998-2000 | SeaChange | Angus Kabiri | TV series |
| 2001 | Do or Die | Michael Tyler / Joey | Miniseries[8] |
| 2002 | Young Lions | Det. Sr. Const. Guy 'Guido' Martin | TV series |
| 2006 | Two Twisted | Karl Wells | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008-09 | East of Everything | Vance Watkins | TV series[13] |
| 2012 | Woodley | Greg | TV series[14] (final appearance) |
References edit
- ^ a b "Australian actor Tom Long dies: report". Sydney Morning Herald. 5 January 2020.
- ^ Aveyard, Karina; Moran, Albert; Vieth, Errol (2017). Historical Dictionary of Australian and New Zealand Cinema (2nd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 159–160. ISBN 978-1-538-11127-7.
- ^ a b "SeaChange". Sea Change website. 23 June 2016. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ Much Ado About NIDA, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 7 November 2018, archived from the original on 15 April 2019, retrieved 15 April 2019
- ^ Colbert, Mary (7 September 2006). "Tom Long confronts his fears". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ a b "The Last of the Ryans (1997) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b Stratton, David (22 June 1997). "Doing Time for Patsy Cline". Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Do or Die (2001) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Risk (2001) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Heroes' Mountain - The Thredbo Story (2001) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b "BlackJack 2: Ghosts (2006) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Murder in the Outback (2007) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b "East of Everything series 1 (2007) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Woodley (2011) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Carmody, Broede (25 March 2019). "Australian actor Tom Long reveals he is living with incurable cancer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Year of living dangerously". The Age. 27 August 2006. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ Bond, Nick (25 March 2019). "Tom Long: SeaChange star has 'months to live'". www.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ "SeaChange actor Tom Long dead: reports". NewsComAu. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Postcard Bandit (2003) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 5 January 2020.