# Martin Sacks

Martin Colin Sacks (born 16 October 1959) is an Australian actor who is chiefly known for his 12-year role on Blue Heelers from 1993 to 2005.

## Life and career

Sacks was born in Sydney. He got into acting after a bit part in an episode of The Love Boat when it was filming in the Pacific. His first role came about in the series The Restless Years in 1977, which started him on the television circuit in Australia. He emigrated to Hollywood in the 1980s, guest starring in series such as thirtysomething, but preferred Australia, and so he returned there after a few years. Also had guest appearances in: Love in Limbo, Encounters, Irresistible Force, Fields of Fire III, All the Way, Touch the Sun: Princess Kate, Slate, Wyn & Me, Sentiments, Emoh Ruo, Stock Squad and The City's Edge. Also Jake and the Fatman.
Sacks took the role of Detective P.J. Hasham in the 1993 series Blue Heelers. The show rocketed him to fame, most notably his 7-year "will-they-or-won't-they" relationship with Constable Maggie Doyle (Lisa McCune) which ended with her death in the programme's seventh season.
During the time he starred on the show, Sacks married Kate and had two children, Jack and Ned and had leading roles in two major Australian miniseries: Do or Die and My Husband, My Killer (both 2001).
After playing P.J. for twelve years, and being one of only three original cast still on the show in the twelfth season, Sacks left Blue Heelers in August 2005. Sacks asked the producers not to kill his character, so that he could return for a guest spot in the future. He did not get the chance, however: the show was cancelled in early 2006.
Sacks is also a director, having directed episodes of Blue Heelers, All Saints and a short film called Crushed.
Sacks also starred in the 2008 Australian TV hit, Underbelly, portraying underworld loanshark Mario Condello. In 2010, Sacks guest starred in three different shows – City Homicide, Rescue: Special Ops and Sea Patrol. In 2013 he appeared in Wentworth.
In 2025, Sacks was named in the cast for the upcoming Netflix series The Survivors.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | The City's Edge | Youth at Party | Feature film |
| 1985 | Stock Squad | Ric Santana | TV movie |
| 1985 | Emoh Ruo | Des. Tunkley | Feature film |
| 1987 | Slate, Wyn & Me | Slate Jackson | Feature film |
| 1988 | Touch the Sun: Princess Kate | Greg Mathieson | TV movie |
| 1993 | Irresistible Force | Bomb Squad Officer | Feature film |
| 1993 | Love in Limbo | Max Wiseman | Feature film |
| 1993 | Encounters | Martin Carr | Feature film |
| 2001 | My Husband, My Killer | Andrew Kalajzich | TV movie |
| 2011 | The Cup | Neil Pinner | Feature film |
| 2011 | This Dog’s Life | Father | Short film |
| 2012 | Bait 3D | Todd | Feature film |
| 2012 | Jack Irish: Black Tide | Steve Levesque | TV movie |
| 2012 | Island | Chris | Short film |
| 2012 | Rise of the Underdog | Bridges | Short film |
| 2012 | Blackbuster | Graham | Short film |
| 2013 | Absolute Deception | Hank | Feature film |
| 2013 | Cliffy | Syd | TV movie |
| 2014 | Breath | Father | Short film |
| 2014 | Rise | Jimmy Cove | Feature film |
| 2015 | Truth | Robert Strong | Feature film |
| 2016 | Hitch | The Man | Short film |
| 2016 | Land to Vale | Narrator | Short film |
| 2017 | The Kindness of Strangers | Man | Short film |
| 2017 | Don't Tell | Tony | Feature film |
| 2018 | The Second | The Brother | Feature film |
| 2019 | Ride Like a Girl | Owner #2 | Feature film |
| 2020 | Sweet River | John Drake | Feature film |
| 2021 | Buckley's Chance | Cooper | Feature film |
| 2022 | Bosch & Rockit | Derek | Feature film |
| 2025 | With or Without You | Stevo | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | The Restless Years | Adam Lee | TV series |
| 1982–84 | A Country Practice | Craig Thompson/Philby | TV series. 6 episodes |
| 1987 | Sentiments | Jeff | TV series |
| 1988 | All the Way | Alan Scott | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1989 | Fields of Fire III | Rinaldo | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1990 | thirtysomething | Assistant Director | TV series, Season 3, episode 22 |
| 1990 | Jake and the Fatman | Halsey Reed | TV series, Season 4, episode 5 |
| 1993 | Police Rescue | Lloyd Cooper | TV series, Season 3, episode 4 |
| 1993–2005 | Blue Heelers | Senior Detective Patrick Joseph "P.J." Hasham | TV series, 484 episodes |
| 1997 | Oz Encounter: UFOs in Australia | Host | Documentary |
| 1999 | Carols in the Domain | Host | TV special |
| 2001 | Do or Die (aka The Rubicon) | Jimmy Grattan | Miniseries |
| 2008 | Underbelly | Mario Condello | TV series, 11 episodes |
| 2008 | The Strip | Keith Boswell | TV series, Season 1, episode 5 |
| 2009 | East of Everything | Toby Ferrani | TV series, Season 2, episode 7 |
| 2010 | Lowdown | Tony Marino | TV series, Season 1, episode 7 |
| 2010 | City Homicide | Daniel Worthington | TV series, Season 3, episode 22 |
| 2010 | Sea Patrol | Derek Cavanaugh | TV series, Season 4, episode 16 |
| 2010 | Rescue Special Ops | Charles Howard | TV series, Season 2, episode 12 |
| 2010 | Offspring | Colin Soriel | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2012 | The Straits | Howard Reeman | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Reef Doctors | David | Miniseries, Episode: "Episode #1.9" |
| 2013 | Air Rescue | Narrator | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 2014-15 | Wonderland | Callan Beaumont | 14 episodes |
| 2012, 2014 | Rake | Roger Cross | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 2013–18 | Wentworth | Derek Channing | TV series, 17 episodes |
| 2013–14, 2017 | A Place to Call Home | Itzaak Goldberg | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 2014 | The Gods of Wheat Street | Bobby Blackman | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2015 | The Doctor Blake Mysteries | Martin O’Brien | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2016 | Brock | Geoff Brock | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2017 | The Laps Tasmania | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2018 | Sisters | | Online miniseries |
| 2022 | Irreverent | Victor | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Darby and Joan | Doug Malcolm | TV series: guest |
| 2025 | The Survivors | Julian Gilroy | TV series |

## Director

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2005-2006 | Blue Heelers | 4 episodes |
| 2006-2008 | All Saints | 6 episodes |
| | Crushed | Short film |

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
| 1996 | Logie Award | Most Popular Actor | Blue Heelers | Nominated |
| 1997 | Logie Award | Most Popular Actor | Blue Heelers | Won |
| 1998 | Logie Award | Most Popular Actor | Blue Heelers | Won |
| 1999 | Logie Award | Most Popular Actor | Blue Heelers | Won |
| 2000 | Logie Award | Most Popular Actor | Blue Heelers | Won |
| 2001 | Logie Award | Most Popular Actor | Blue Heelers | Won |