# Simon Burke

Simon Gareth Burke AO (born 8 October 1961) is an Australian actor, active in films, television and theatre.

## Biography

Simon Burke began his career at the age of 12, starring in Michael Cove's Kookaburra (1974); a painful look at a dysfunctional working-class family, focusing particularly on an almost autistic young boy. Soon after at the age of 13, Burke starred in Fred Schepisi's acclaimed feature film The Devil's Playground for which he won the AFI Award for Best Actor at the Australian Film Institute Awards. He remains the youngest person ever to be honoured with this award. Since then he has enjoyed great success both in Australia and internationally in film, television, stage, concert appearances and cabaret.
In 2014, Burke starred in Matchbox Pictures/NBC-Universal's highly acclaimed miniseries Devil's Playground in which he reprised the role of Tom Allen that he created as a 13-year-old. He was the co-creator and executive producer of the project, and in the same year it won both the AACTA and Logie Award for Most Outstanding Telefeature or Miniseries.
He has since starred in numerous film, television and theatre productions in Australia and the UK. He starred as Captain Georg von Trapp in The Sound of Music at the London Palladium alongside Connie Fisher and then Summer Strallen. He also played the role of Mr Banks in Mary Poppins in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland.
Burke was Federal President of Actors Equity Australia (2004–14). He is currently a Vice President of the International Federation of Actors (FIA), a global federation of performers, trade unions, guilds and professional associations.
On 10 September 2015, at the Queens Birthday Honours ceremony presided over by the Governor of New South Wales, General David Hurley, Burke was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) with the following citation: For distinguished service to the performing arts as an actor, singer and producer, and through senior advocacy roles for performers' rights and access to professional development and education programs.
Simon Burke is also well remembered for his long term stint as a presenter on the children's television series Play School from 1988 to 2007 then 2013 and again in 2020.

## Personal life

In 2016 he publicly identified himself as being gay.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | The Devil's Playground | Tom Allen | |
| 1978 | The Irishman | Michael Doolan | |
| 1982 | The Clinic | Paul | |
| 1987 | Slate, Wyn & Me | Wyn Jackson | |
| 1999 | Passion | Herman Sandby | |
| 2000 | Pitch Black | Greg Owens | |
| 2003 | Preservation | Mr. Crewe | |
| 2003 | Travelling Light | Ray Sugars | |
| 2006 | Shuffle | Edgar | Short |
| 2015 | Super Awesome! | Jack Simpson | |
| 2017 | Dirt Tin | Burko | Short |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973 | Matlock Police | Davey Evans | Episode: "Sky High" |
| 1977 | The Sullivans | Peter Robinson | Episode:,"1.37" |
| 1977 | The Restless Years | Stephen Moran | |
| 1979 | The Young Doctors | David McAllister | |
| 1980 | Slippery Slide | Steve | Television film |
| 1982 | A Country Practice | Roger Morrison | Episode: "The Push: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 1983 | Scales of Justice | Probationary Constable Leonard "Spider" Webber | Episode: "The Job" |
| 1987 | The Flying Doctors | Daryl Stokes | Episode: "Keeping Up Appearances" |
| 1988–2007, 2013 | Play School | Presenter | TV series |
| 1988 | Great Performances | John McCormack | "Melba" |
| 1988 | Always Afternoon | Tom | |
| 1991 | Brides of Christ | Jack Delahunty | Episode: "Paul" |
| 1991 | Heroes II: The Return | Capt. Ellis | Television film |
| 1992 | Six Pack | | Miniseries |
| 1996 | The One That Got Away | Stan | Television film |
| 1997 | Water Rats | Det. Sgt. 'Mac' Phillips | Episode:,"Blood Trail", "Dead or Alive" |
| 1998 | Murder Call | Guy Searle | Season 2, episode 14: "Menu for Murder" |
| 2001 | South Pacific | Harbison | Television film |
| 2001 | Blue Heelers | Mick Boyce | Episode: "Blood" |
| 2002 | Heroes' Mountain | Euan Diver | Television film |
| 2002 | Young Lions | Rob Watson | Episodes: "Boy School Bullies", "Asylum Seekers", "Nursing Home" |
| 2003 | Grass Roots | Tony Ludovic | Episode: "Egomania" |
| 2003 | The Postcard Bandit | Thomas | Television film |
| 2003 | After the Deluge | Michael | Television film |
| 2004 | The Alice | Patrick | Television film |
| 2005–2006 | The Alice | Patrick | Main role |
| 2006 | Small Claims: The Reunion | Jon | Television film |
| 2007 | All Saints | Brad Douglas | Episode: "Balancing Act" |
| 2009 | Hustle | Nick | Episode: "The Road Less Travelled" |
| 2010 | Rescue: Special Ops | Warren Thompson | Episode: "Enemy Mine" |
| 2011 | I Shouldn't Be Alive | Mike Dillon | Episode: "Left for Dead on Everest" |
| 2013 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Nicholas Mortimer | Episode: "Murder Under the Mistletoe" |
| 2014 | Devil's Playground | Tom Allen | Miniseries |
| 2016 | Rake | Warwick Dormann | Episode "4.1" |
| 2016 | Deep Water | Simon Mawbrey | Miniseries |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | Kookaburra | | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1979: | Romeo and Juliet | | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1980 | Pirates at the Barn | | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1981 | The Choir | | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1983 | Are You Lonesome Tonight? | | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1985 | Jonah Jones | Waxy | Wharf Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1986 | Jonah Jones | Jonah Jones | Wharf Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1986 | Company | Harry | Sydney Opera House for Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1987–88 | Les Misérables | Marius | Theatre Royal |
| 1989–90 | Anything Goes | Billy Crocker | Australia/New Zealand tour - won Green Room Award for Best Actor in a Musical |
| 1992-93 | The Phantom of the Opera | Raoul | Her Majesty's Theatre, London |
| | Leonardo the Musical: A Portrait of Love | Leonardo | Old Fire Station Oxford |
| | Cabaret | Cliff | Crucible Theatre, Sheffield |
| | The Life of the World to Come | | Almeida Theatre |
| | The Wild Party | Burrs | |
| | Take Flight | George Puttnam | |
| 1994: | Nosferatu the Vampire | The Innkeeper | Concept cast recording |
| 1994 | Jeffrey | Steve | London premiere at Greenwich Theatre |
| | They're Playing Our Song | Vernon | |
| 1994 | Falsettos | Whizzer | Sydney Opera House, then tour of Victoria, Hobart & Canberra for Sydney Theatre Company - nominated Best Musical Performance Sydney Theatre Critics’ Circle Awards |
| 1996 | A Little Night Music | Carl-Magnus | Royal National Theatre with Dame Judi Dench |
| 1998 | The Herbal Bed | Rafe Smith | Sydney Theatre Company interstate tour |
| 1999 | She Stoops to Conquer | | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1999–2000 | Chicago | Billy Flynn | Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Singapore, Hong Kong |
| 2001 | Up for Grabs | Gerry | World premiere at Sydney Opera House for Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2002 | Mr. Kolpert | Bastian | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2004 | High Society | CK Dexter Haven | State Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre for The Production Company |
| 2005–06 | Three Furies – Scenes from the Life of Francis Bacon | Francis Bacon | Sydney Festival, Perth Festival & Adelaide Festival - nominated Best Actor Sydney Theatre Awards 2006 |
| 2007 | Company | Harry | Theatre Royal for Kookaburra Musical Theatre |
| 2007 | October | Detective Dick | World premiere for Griffin Theatre Company |
| 2007 | The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom | Mr Lizard / Baby Koala | Theatre Royal |
| 2007–08 | The Sound of Music | Captain Georg von Trapp | London Palladium |
| 2009 | When the Rain Stops Falling | Joe | Almeida Theatre, European premiere |
| | Australia Plays Broadway | Host / Performer | Carnegie Hall |
| | Take Me Out | Mason Marzac | Australian premiere for Melbourne Theatre Company |
| | Satango | | World premiere for Griffin Theatre Company |
| 2009 | La Cage aux Folles | Georges | Playhouse Theatre, London |
| 2010 | The Sound of Music | Captain Georg von Trapp | Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto |
| 2010 | Holding the Man | Dick Conigrave | Trafalgar Studios, London |
| 2010–12 | Mary Poppins | Mr Banks | Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland |
| 2013 | Mrs. Warren's Profession | Praed | Wharf Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2014 | La Cage aux Folles | Georges | Victorian Arts Centre for The Production Company |
| 2017 | The Homosexuals, or Faggots | Warren | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2017 | Noises Off | Lloyd Dallas | Queensland Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 2018 | Strangers in Between | Peter | Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne |
| 2019 | Mary Stuart | Amias Paulet | Kate Mulvany's adaptation at Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2020–21 | Pippin | Charlemagne | Sydney Lyric Theatre |
| 2021–24 | Moulin Rouge! The Musical | Harold Zidler | Regent Theatre, Melbourne, Capitol Theatre, Sydney, QPAC Brisbane) - winner of Sydney Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Supporting role in a Musical 2022 |
| 2024 | Wicked | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | Australian Tour |