# John Meillon

John Meillon (/ˈmɛljən/ MEL-yon; 1 May 1934 – 11 August 1989) was an Australian character actor known for dramatic as well as comedy roles. He portrayed Walter Reilly in the films Crocodile Dundee and Crocodile Dundee II. He also voiced advertisements for Victoria Bitter beer. He appeared in several Australian New Wave films including Wake in Fright and The Cars That Ate Paris.

## Early life

Meillon was born in Mosman, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. His younger brother was director Bob Meillon (1943–2012).

## Career
### Acting

Meillon began his acting career at the age of eleven in the ABC's radio serial Stumpy, and made his first stage appearance the following year. He joined the John Alden Shakespeare Touring Company when he was sixteen.
He appeared in a number of early Australian TV plays.
Like many actors of his generation from 1959 to 1965, he worked in England, but while working in Britain he consciously steered away from Australian roles. Meillon claimed that he learned discipline while working in theatre, and that television was not a good medium for training.
Meillon had a recurring role in the television series My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?. In 1968 he featured in the spin off, Rita and Wally. He featured in two episodes of Skippy in 1968 and 1969, appearing as 'Nimble Norris'. In 1976, he won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role of 'Casey' in the film The Fourth Wish (1976).

### Voice-over

With his rich baritone, Meillon was used extensively in voice-over work – most famously in his work as the Victoria Bitter narrator who says "you can get it any old how".
Meillon was appointed an OBE in the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours, for service to theatre.

### Music

In 1977, Meillon released the single "Tap Tap"/"Picture Show Man", which peaked at number 80 on the Australian singles chart.

## Personal life

Meillon married Australian actress June Salter in 1958 and they had one son, John Meillon, Jr. Meillon and Salter were divorced in 1971. Meillon married actress Bunny Gibson on 5 April 1972; they also had a son.
In June 1980, Meillon's favourite pub, The Oaks at Neutral Bay, opened The John Meillon OBE Bar in his honour. He continued to frequent the bar over the following decade, including visiting in the week before his death.

## Death

Meillon died from cirrhosis at Neutral Bay, Sydney, on 11 August 1989. Meillon was posthumously awarded the Raymond Longford Lifetime Achievement Award.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Production | Role | Type |
| 1959: | On the Beach | Ralph Swain (ashore in San Francisco) | Feature film |
| 1960 | The Sundowners | Bluey Brown | Feature film |
| 1961 | The Long and the Short and the Tall | Private "Smudge" Smith | Feature film |
| 1961 | Watch It, Sailor! | Albert Tufnell | Feature film |
| 1961 | Offbeat | Johnny Remick | Feature film |
| 1962 | The Valiant | Bedford | Feature film |
| 1962 | Operation Snatch | Medical Officer | Feature film |
| 1962 | Billy Budd | Neil Kincaid | Feature film |
| 1962 | The Longest Day | Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk (uncredited) | Feature film |
| 1963 | Cairo | Willy | Feature film |
| 1963 | The Running Man | Jim Jerome | Feature film |
| 1964 | 633 Squadron | Flight Lieutenant Gillibrand | Feature film |
| 1964 | Guns at Batasi | Sergeant 'Aussie' Drake | Feature film |
| 1966 | They're a Weird Mob | Dennis | Feature film |
| 1971 | Wake in Fright (aka Outback) | Charlie | Feature film |
| 1971 | Walkabout | Man (the father) | Feature film |
| 1972 | Sunstruck (aka Education of Stanley Adams) | Mick Cassidy | Feature film |
| 1974 | The Dove | Tim | Feature film |
| 1974 | The Cars That Ate Paris | The Mayor | Feature film |
| 1975 | Sidecar Racers | Ocker | Feature film |
| 1975 | Inn of the Damned | George Parr | Feature film |
| 1975 | Ride a Wild Pony | Charles Quayle | Feature film |
| 1976 | The Fourth Wish | Casey | Feature film |
| 1977 | The Picture Show Man | Maurice 'Pop' Pym | Feature film |
| 1978 | Bit Part | Tommy | TV film |
| 1978 | Shimmering Light | | TV film |
| 1982 | Heatwave | Freddie Dwyer | Feature film |
| 1983 | The Wild Duck | Old Ackland | Feature film |
| 1984 | The Camel Boy | Voice | Animated feature film |
| 1986 | Crocodile Dundee | Walter Reilly | Feature film |
| 1986 | The Blue Lightning | | Feature film |
| 1987 | Bullseye | Merritt | Feature film |
| 1987 | Frenchman's Farm | Bill Dolan | Feature film |
| 1988 | The Everlasting Secret Family | The Judge | Feature film |
| 1988 | Crocodile Dundee II | Walter Reilly | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Production | Role | Type |
| 1961 | One Step Beyond | Henry Soames | TV series, episode: "Eyewitness" |
| 1962 | Edgar Wallace Mysteries | Ross Williams | TV series, episode: "Death Trap'" |
| 1963 | Man of the World | Major Teong | TV Series, episode: The Enemy |
| 1965 | Edgar Wallace Mysteries | Johnnie Gordon | TV series, episode: "Dead Man's Chest" |
| 1965 | Out of the Unknown | Dr. Sheffield | TV series, episode: "Sucker Bait" |
| 1966-68 | My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? | Wally Stiller | TV series |
| 1969-70 | Skippy | Nimble Norris | TV series |
| 1970 | The Link Men | Bert Whitman | TV series |
| 1972 | Lane End | Ray Dunlop | TV series |
| 1972 | The Far Country | | Miniseries |
| 1974 | The Fourth Wish | James Casey | TV miniseries |
| 1976 | Arena | Bernie Gold | TV miniseries |
| 1976 | The Outsiders | | TV series |
| 1983 | Scales of Justice | Barnes | TV miniseries |
| 1983 | The Dismissal | Sir John Kerr | TV miniseries |
| 1985 | The Dunera Boys | Brigadier Templeton | TV miniseries |

## Discography
### Singles

List of singles, with Australian chart positions :
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
| Year | Title | AUS |
| 1967 | "Hot Pie and Tomato Sauce" | - |
| 1977 | "Tap Tap"/"Picture Show Man" (with John Ewart) | 80 |
| 1987 | "The One That Got Away" (with Tommy Moeller) | - |

## Awards & honours

| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
| 1976 | The Fourth Wish | AACTA Awards | AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role | Won |
| 1979 | John Meillon | Queen's Birthday Honours | OBE for Service to Theatre | Honoured |
| 1989 | John Meillon | AACTA Awards | Raymond Longford Lifetime Achievement Award | Honoured |