# Spencer McLaren

Spencer McLaren (born 28 February 1973, Sydney) is an Australian theatre and television actor, most well known for his starring role on the Australian television drama, The Secret Life of Us, as Richie Blake; a role he played for 66 episodes during the show's first 3 series.

## Early life

McLaren is a 1999 NIDA graduate.

## Career
### Television

McLaren has had recurring roles on other popular programmes such as Home and Away as Kieran Fletcher and British soap opera Family Affairs as gay backpacker Brett Owen
He has made guest appearances in All Saints, McLeod's Daughters . He also lended his voice work to Doctor Who audio adventure Scaredy Cat.
In 2016 he appeared in a TV adaptation of John Marsden's Tomorrow When The War Began, which aired on ABC3.

### Producing

McLaren'a producing career began by forming McLaren House – a production company that has included theatre productions, TV series, and both short and feature films.

## Filmography
### Film
#### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 2008 | Out of Order | Jack Superstar | Short film |
| 2010 | A Love Story | Bartman | Short film |
| 2011 | Surviving Georgia | James | Feature film |
| 2011 | Brad in a Bottle | Brad | Short film |
| 2013 | Cliffy | Race Official | TV movie |
| 2017 | Ali's Wedding | Tony | Feature film |
| 2020 | Swimming for Gold | Announcer | Feature film |

#### As producer

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 2008 | Out of Order | Producer | Short film |
| 2011 | Surviving Georgia | Producer | Feature film |
| 2016 | Spirit of the Game | Producer | Feature film |
| 2017 | Riptide | Line Producer | Feature film |
| 2019 | Fragmentary | Executive Producer | Film |
| 2020 | Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt) | Executive Producer | Feature film |
| 2020 | Swimming for Gold | Producer | Feature film |
| 2020 | Romance on the Menu | Producer | Feature film |
| 2020 | Sweet River | Executive Producer | Feature film |
| 2021 | Kidnapped | Producer | Feature film |
| 2021 | The Green House | Executive Producer | Feature film |
| 2021 | This Little Love of Mine | Producer | Feature film |
| 2021 | Sit. Stay. Love. | Producer | Feature film |
| 2021 | The Art of Incarceration | Executive Producer | Feature film |
| 2022 | Love and Penguins | Producer | Feature film |
| 2022 | Love in Bloom | Producer | Feature film |
| 2022 | The Infernal Machine | Producer | Feature film |

### Television
#### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1992 | Chances | Glenn Patterson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left | Law Enforcer | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1994 | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | Young Matildan | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Home and Away | Kieran Fletcher | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 2000 | The Lost World | Qinaq's Mate | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2001 | Rove Live | Self | TV series |
| 2001–03 | The Secret Life of Us | Richie Andrew Blake | TV series, seasons 1–3, episodes 1–66 |
| 2002 | Andrew Lloyd Webber: Masterpiece | Self | TV special |
| 2005 | Family Affairs | Brett Owen | TV series, 29 episodes |
| 2006 | Green Wing | Jonny | TV series |
| 2006 | Blue Heelers | Gary Harding | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2007 | McLeod's Daughters | Sam Nugent | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008 | City Homicide | Kevin Stockton | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008 | All Saints | Evan | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2016 | Tomorrow When The War Began | Daniel Maxwell | TV miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Dive Club | Hotel Pool Attendant | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2023 | Turn Up The Volume | Dad | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Fake | Tovey | TV series |

#### As producer

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 2021 | Dive Club | Producer | TV series |
| 2022 | La Brea | Unit Production Manager / Assistant Unit Production Manager Attachment | TV series, 4 episides |

### Podcasts

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 2005 | Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures | Bronik | Podcast series, 1 episode: "Scaredy Cat" |

## Theatre
### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1991 | Chess | Chorus | National Theatre, Melbourne with Festival Theatre Company |
| 1992 | Oklahoma! | Dancer | Deakin University with Whitehorse Musical Theatre |
| 1994 | Kismet in Concert | First Beggar / Bangleman | Victorian Arts Centre with Victorian State Opera |
| 1994 | Cats | | Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney with Really Useful Productions, Production |
| 1995 | West Side Story | Mouthpiece | Capitol Theatre with Victorian State Opera |
| 1995–96 | Beauty and the Beast | Chorus | Princess Theatre Melbourne with Michael Edgley International |
| 1997 | Don's Party | Mal | NIDA Theatre |
| 1998 | Being Friends | Oliver | NIDA Studio |
| 1998 | A Cry from the City of Virgins | | UNSW Parade Theatre |
| 1998 | Julius Caesar | Brutus | NIDA Studio |
| 1998 | A Chaste Maid in Cheapside (or Carry on Chaste Maid) | Uncle Touchwood / Servant | NIDA Theatre |
| 1999 | Twelve Angry Men | Juror # 4 | UNSW Parade Theatre |
| 1999 | Cloud Nine | Joshua / Edward | UNSW Parade Theatre |
| 1999 | The Libertine | Etherege / Huysmans | UNSW Parade Theatre |
| 2000 | Call Me Madam | Kenneth Gibson | State Theatre, Melbourne, Arts Centre Melbourne with The Production Company |
| 2003 | Footloose | Ren McCormack | Capitol Theatre with SEL & The Gordon Frost Organisation |
| 2003 | Songs for a New World | | Dunstan Playhouse with Adelaide Art Orchestra & Caucasian Rhythm Kings |
| 2003–04 | Bye Bye Birdie | Conrad Birdie | State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company |
| 2007 | Life's a Circus | | Chapel Off Chapel |
| 2007 | Fully Committed | | Melbourne Athenaeum for Melbourne Fringe Festival |
| 2008 | Broadway Concert: Musical Melodies in the Park | Singer | Ardrie Park, Melbourne |
| 2012 | 8 - The Play | | Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Town Hall |

### As producer

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 2010 | Strange Bedfellows | Producer | Regent Theatre, Sydney |
| 2014 | Hoges: One Night Only! | Producer | Australian regional tour |
| 2014–15 | Mother and Son | Producer | Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Brisbane |
| 2023 | Midnight - The Cinderella Musical | Producer | Comedy Theatre, Melbourne |

## Personal life

McLaren is openly gay. He married his partner of five years, Chris Wright in a commitment ceremony on 15 February 2014 at St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Melbourne.