# Nicholas Eadie

Nicholas Eadie (1958 – 22 January 2025) was an Australian television, film and theatre actor.

## Early life and education

Born in Sydney, New South Wales to actor and Australian Broadcasting Commission radio announcer Mervyn Eadie, he attended Waverley College from 1968 to 1976, studied Arts at University of New England for one year in 1977, and studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art from 1978 to 1980.

## Career
### Film and television

Eadie’s career began shortly after his graduation from NIDA, landing the role of Constable Sam Phillips on Cop Shop (1981–1982). He stayed on the series for two years. He then appeared in several films, including Undercover (1983), Kindred Spirits, Run Chrissie Run! (both 1984), and Jenny Kissed Me (1986). He gained further success in family drama series The Henderson Kids (1985) alongside Kylie Minogue and Ben Mendelsohn, playing the part of the protagonists' uncle, Mike Henderson.
He won the Australian Film Institute's Best Actor in Miniseries award in 1987 for Vietnam, in which he co-starred with Nicole Kidman and Barry Otto. In 1988, he played a rich would-be suitor in The Man from Snowy River II endeavouring to court Jessica Harrison (played by Sigrid Thornton). Eadie was nominated again for his 1988 portrayal of World War II Academy Award-winning cameraman Damien Parer in John Duigan's Fragments of War
Further notable television roles included a recurring role in medical drama Medivac (1996), as well as appearing in long-running series A Country Practice (1993). In 2002, Eadie was nominated for yet another AFI Award for Halifax f.p. (for one of two episodes he appeared in).
Eadie's final screen role was as Father John Brosnan in the 2011 TV film, Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away, the story of Australian drug smuggler David McMillan.

### Theatre

Eadie worked with all the major Australian theatre companies with over 45 credits to his name. He appeared in leading roles in plays as diverse as Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie as The Gentleman Caller in a highly acclaimed performance in 1985, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as Brick (opposite Victoria Longley as Maggie and Bud Tingwell as Big Daddy) in 1991. He played John Proctor in three separate productions of The Crucible (Royal Queensland Theatre Company in 1991, STC in 1993, and STCSA in 2002).
In Sydney’s Botanical Gardens, Eadie performed for three seasons as Oberon in Glenn Elston's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He played Sam in the original cast of Mamma Mia! in Australia for two years. He was in the world premiere productions of Michael Gow's Furious, Hannie Raison's Two Brothers, Tommy Murphy's Holding the Man and the highly acclaimed Myth, Propaganda and Disaster in Nazi Germany and Contemporary America by Stephen Sewell.
Further stage credits included Macbeth, Three Sisters, Summer of the Aliens, Two Weeks with the Queen, Furious, and Third World Blues.
Eadie's final acting role before his death was a 2015 stage production of Cock at the Old Fitzroy Theatre in Sydney.

## Personal life and death

In 2016, Eadie was robbed at knifepoint whilst on holiday in Barcelona, and was admitted to hospital for three days. In 2017, he was again in hospital for a major operation, resulting in a slow and difficult recovery, rendering him unable to return to acting on stage.
In his later years, Eadie worked as an Uber driver, which he claimed to love, enjoying the freedom of being 'his own boss' – while also stating he did not miss acting.
Eadie died in Sydney on 22 January 2025, at the age of 66. His death was announced by fellow actor Will Conyers on social media.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
| 1987 | Vietnam | AFI Award | Best Actor in a Miniseries | Won |
| 1988 | Fragments of War | AFI Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Telefeature | Nominated |
| 1989 | Vietnam | Logie Award | Popular Actor in a Telemovie / Miniseries | Won |
| | G.P. | Penguin Award | | Won |
| 2000 | Halifax f.p.: A Hate Worse than Death | AFI Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Telefeature or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2014 | Jerusalem | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor | Nominated |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | Undercover | Frank Bugden | |
| 1986 | Run Chrissie Run! | Toe | |
| 1986 | Jenny Kissed Me | Steve Anderson | |
| 1988 | The Man from Snowy River II | Alistair Patton Jr. | |
| 1989 | Celia | Ray Carmichael | |
| 1990 | Prisoners of the Sun | Sergeant Keenan | |
| 1990 | Aya | Frank | |
| 1995 | Dad and Dave: On Our Selection | Cyril Riley | |
| 2000 | Savage Honeymoon | Mickey Savage | |
| 2005 | Still Life | Ron | Short film |
| 2005 | Jewboy | Isaac | |

### TV series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981–1982 | Cop Shop | Constable Sam Phillips | 138 episodes |
| 1984 | Kindred Spirits | Ben | TV movie |
| 1984 | Special Squad | | |
| 1985 | The Henderson Kids | Uncle Mike Henderson | 24 episodes |
| 1985 | The Lancaster Miller Affair | Bill Lancaster | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Frontier | James Stephen | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Vietnam | Phil Goddard | Miniseries, 10 episodes |
| 1988 | Australians | Folland | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Fragments of War: The Story of Damien Parer | Damien Parer | TV movie |
| 1989; 1996 | G.P. | Dennis Harper / Emile | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Yellowthread Street | Finn | Episode 4: "Middleman" |
| 1992 | Tracks of Glory | Floyd MacFarland | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Embassy | Edward Logan | Season 3, episode 9: "Man of Straw" |
| 1993 | A Country Practice | Dave Carmody | Season 13, 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Over the Hill | Don Spencer | |
| 1994 | Halifax f.p.: Words Without Music | Ian Moffat | TV movie, season 1, episode 2 |
| 1996 | Medivac | Dr. Red Buchanan | 15 episodes |
| 1997 | Frontier | | Miniseries |
| 1997 | Adrenalin | Cyril Riley | TV movie |
| 1998 | A Difficult Woman | Peter MacFarlane | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2000 | The Lost World | Kaysan | Season 1, episode 21: "Prophecy" |
| 2000 | Halifax f.p.: A Hate Worse Than Death | Ian Laser | TV movie, season 5, episode 3 |
| 2000 | BeastMaster | Arkon | Season 2, episode 9: "Heart Like a Lion" |
| 2006 | The Society Murders | Damian Wales | TV movie |
| 2011 | Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away | Father John Brosnan | TV movie |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | The Three Sisters | | Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA |
| 1979 | The Caucasian Chalk Circle | The Easter Revolution – Architect / The Story of Grusha – Merchant / The Story of Azdak – Farmer | Sydney Opera House with STC & NIDA Jane Street Company |
| 1979 | The Fire Raisers | | NIDA Theatre, Sydney |
| 1979 | Saved | | Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA |
| 1980 | The Women Pirates Ann Bonney and Mary Read | Jack Rackham | NIDA Theatre, Sydney, University of Newcastle, Playhouse, Canberra with NIDA |
| 1980 | Strife | William Scantlebury | NIDA Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 1982 | Macbeth | | Sydney Opera House |
| 1983 | True West | | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1983 | The Sentimental Bloke | | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1983 | In Duty Bound | | Marian Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 1984 | Extremities | Raul | St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Melbourne, Space Theatre, Adelaide with Playbox |
| 1985 | The Glass Menagerie | The Gentleman Caller | Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 1985 | Pride and Prejudice | | RQTC |
| 1986 | And a Nightingale Sang | Soldier | Sydney Opera House with Gary Penny Productions |
| 1988 | Othello | Cassio | Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney with Dramaturgical Services |
| 1988 | Death of a Salesman | | Glen Street Theatre, Sydney with Peter & Ellen Williams & Forest Theatre Company |
| 1988 | Don's Party | Don | Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Athenaeum with Gary Penny Productions, Hocking & Woods, & Kinselas Productions |
| 1990 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Brick | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1990 | Three Sisters | | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 1990 | Present Laughter | Morris Dixon | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1991 | The Crucible | John Proctor | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane with RQTC |
| 1991; 1994 | Furious | | Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Space Theatre, Adelaide with STC |
| 1992 | Away | | Blackfriars Theatre with STC |
| 1992; 1993 | Two Weeks with the Queen | Dad / Uncle Bob / Griff / Doctor | Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Adelaide, Ford Theatre, Geelong, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat, Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with STC & MTC |
| 1993; 1995; 1996 | A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Oberon | Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney with ASC |
| 1993 | The Crucible | John Proctor | Canberra Theatre with STC |
| 1993 | Summer of the Aliens | The Father | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 1997 | Third World Blues | | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 1997 | Gulls | | Playhouse, Adelaide with STSCA |
| 1997 | Gary's House | | Adelaide Festival Centre with STSCA |
| 1997–1998; 1999 | The Taming of the Shrew | | Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney with ASC |
| 1999 | Big Hair in America | | The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with HotHouse Theatre |
| 2000 | How I Learned to Drive | | Space Theatre, Adelaide with STSCA |
| 2001 | Dinner with Friends | | Marian Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 2001 | Mamma Mia! | Sam | Princess Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2002 | The Crucible | John Proctor | STSCA |
| 2003 | Myth, Propaganda and Disaster in Nazi Germany and Contemporary America | Talbot | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with Playbox & STSCA |
| 2004 | What the Butler Saw | Dr Prentice | Belvoir, Sydney |
| 2004 | Scenes from a Separation | Matthew Molyneux | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 2005 | Two Brothers | Tom | Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Glen Street Theatre, Sydney, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre with STC, MTC, CTC & Merrigong Theatre Company |
| 2006 | The Night Heron | | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Scorch Theatre & Stablemates |
| 2006 | Holding the Man | Neil Armstrong / Scarecrow / Dick Conigrave / Bob Caleo / Derge / Woody / Franco / Doctor 1 / Theatre Director / NIDA Actor | Stables Theatre, Sydney, Sydney Opera House, Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Brisbane Powerhouse, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Griffin Theatre Company |
| 2010 | Orestes 2.0 | Menelaus | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Cry Havoc & Griffin Independent |
| 2010 | Macbeth | Macbeth | Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney |
| 2013 | Jerusalem | Rooster Byron | New Theatre, Sydney |
| 2014 | Scandalous Boy | Hadrian | The Street Theatre, Acton, Canberra |
| 2015 | Cock | Boyfriend's father | Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney with Red Line Productions |