# Peter Phelps

Peter Phelps (born 20 September 1960 in Sydney) is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He is notable for his role as Trevor Cole in Baywatch. Phelps is also known for his roles in the internationally successful Australian series Sons and Daughters and Stingers and has appeared in feature films including Blackwater Trail with Judd Nelson. He is the brother of Professor Kerryn Phelps.

## Career

Phelps began his acting career in the early 1980s with an ongoing role in the Network Ten teen soap opera The Restless Years produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation. After the series ended he had a starring role in new Grundy soap opera Sons and Daughters. It was Phelps who came up with the 'Pat the Rat' moniker in the series.
In 1988, he had a brief role in the miniseries The Dirtwater Dynasty. Peter featured as David Eastwick, the first-born son of the main character Richard Eastwick, played by Hugo Weaving (who is fewer than six months older than Phelps).
From 1989 to 1990, Phelps played one of the lifeguards (Trevor Cole) in the first season of Baywatch, and had a minor role as a surfer in the film Point Break. He also had roles in A Country Practice and The Flying Doctors. In 1993, Phelps won an Australian Film Institute Best Actor Award for his role in the G.P. episode, "Exposed".
From 1998 until 2004, he starred in Stingers – a role that won him the 2002 Logie Award for Most Popular Actor.
Phelps also played a recurring role as doctor Doug 'Spence' Spencer on the medical drama All Saints, starting 4 October 2005.
In 2009, Phelps appeared in two television dramas – Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, playing Detective Inspector Joe Messina; and as Vince Marchello (Station Co-ordinator) in Rescue: Special Ops. The same year, he also had a role as a police officer in the film Stone Bros.
In 2009, he appeared in a new public awareness campaign by the NSW Rural Fire Service about the need to prepare for bushfires. The campaign included both television and radio advertisements and was subsequently adopted by the Tasmania Fire Service.
In 2021, Phelps appeared in Channel 7’s series Australia's Sexiest Tradie.
In 2023 Phelps appeared in Channel 7 soap Home and Away as Gary Morrow. Phelps also appeared in the theatre play La Cage aux Folles. Phelps in 2024 appeared in 7plus series Roast Night which was written by his co-star Rick Donald. Phelps was later announced to appear in ABC series Return to Paradise.

## Personal life

In 2015, Phelps was one of many victims who were scammed by financial advisor Brad Sherwin who stole more than $400,000 of Phelps' superannuation.

## Acting credits
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981–1982 | The Restless Years | Kevin Ryan | 6 episodes |
| 1981–1993 | A Country Practice | Chris / Hector / Jeff | 10 episodes |
| 1982–1984 | Sons and Daughters | John Palmer | 421 episodes |
| 1984 | The Cowra Breakout | Terry Moyes | Miniseries, 5 episodes |
| 1986 | Prime Time | | TV series |
| 1986–1987 | The Challenge | Will Baillieu | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Australians | Les Darcy | Anthology series, episode 1: "Les Darcy" |
| 1988 | The Dirtwater Dynasty | David Eastwick | Miniseries, 5 episodes |
| 1988 | Rock 'N' Roll Cowboys | Eddie | TV movie |
| 1989 | Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier | Trevor Cole | TV movie |
| 1989–1990 | Baywatch | Trevor Cole | 21 episodes |
| 1990 | Rafferty's Rules | James Frederick | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Chances | David Hensen | 1 episode |
| 1992 | The Young Riders | Hack Wilkins | 1 episode |
| 1993 | G.P. | Sam Hill | 1 episode |
| 1993–1994 | R.F.D.S | Dennis Taylor | 13 episodes |
| 1994 | Heartbreak High | Phil North | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Fire | Nick Connor | 13 episodes |
| 1995 | Blue Murder | Graham 'Abo' Henry | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Police Rescue | Alex Willis | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | The Feds: Betrayal | Brian Petrie | TV movie |
| 1997 | One Way Ticket | Mick Webb | TV movie |
| 1997 | Reprisal | Borodin | TV movie |
| 1998 | Water Rats | Jimmy Formica | 3 episodes |
| 1998–2004 | Stingers | Peter Church | 192 episodes |
| 2005–2007 | All Saints | Doug Spencer | 16 episodes |
| 2006 | Small Claims: The Reunion | Paul Lloyd | TV movie |
| 2007 | Chandon Pictures | Eddie Connolly | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities | Detective Inspector Joe Messina | 13 episodes |
| 2009–2011 | Rescue: Special Ops | Vince Marchello | 48 episodes |
| 2012–2025 | Home and Away | Alan Henderson / Gary Morrow | 28 episodes |
| 2013 | Mr & Mrs Murder | Paul Craven | 1 episode |
| 2013–2015 | Wonderland | Warwick Wilcox | 23 episodes |
| 2014 | Modern Family | Wise Australian | 1 episode |
| 2014 | Old School | Malcolm Dwyer | 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Blue Murder: Killer Cop | Graham 'Abo' Henry | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Blue Water Empire | Commanding Officer | TV series |
| 2019 | Les Norton | Mick Matthews | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Drunk History Australia | Lee Robinson / Olympic Crowd | 1 episode |
| 2021 | Australia's Sexiest Tradie | Boss Man Wayne | 6 episodes |
| 2024 | Roast Night | Wayne Turner | 6 episodes |
| 2024 | Return to Paradise | Vince | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2024 | Plum | Mo Hanlon | 2 episodes |
| 2025 | Optics | Rob Ryan | TV series |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | Undercover | Theo | |
| 1986 | Playing Beatie Bow | Judah Bow / Robert Bow | |
| 1987 | The Lighthorsemen | Dave Mitchell | |
| 1987 | Starlight Hotel | Patrick | |
| 1988 | Breaking Loose: Summer City II | Ross Cameron | |
| 1989 | Maya | Peter | |
| 1991 | Point Break | Aussie Surfer | |
| 1993 | Merlin | John Pope | |
| 1995 | Rough Diamonds | Dozer Brennan | |
| 1995 | Blackwater Trail | Frank | |
| 1996 | Zone 39 | Leo Megaw | |
| 2001 | Lantana | Patrick Phelan | |
| 2002 | Teesh and Trude | Rod | |
| 2003 | Ned Kelly | Constable Lonigan | |
| 2006 | Footy Legends | Billy Major | |
| 2007 | Without Warrant | The Buyer | |
| 2008 | The Square | Jake | |
| 2008 | Forever Strong | Referee | |
| 2009 | Stone Bros. | The 'New Age' Copper | |
| 2010 | Caught Inside | Skipper Joe | |
| 2016 | Embedded | Cassidy | |
| 2016 | Drone | Blake | |
| 2019 | Locusts | Sgt Harvey | |
| 2021 | Beverley | | Short film |
| 2021 | Him | Neil Espers | |

### Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983–1985 | The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby | Master Percy Crummles / Alphonse / Westwood | Theatre Royal Sydney, State Theatre, Melbourne, Festival Theatre, Adelaide with The Australian Opera, STC, MTC & J. C. Williamson's |
| 1985 | The Club | | Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 1992 | The Sum of Us | Jeff Mitchell | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 1995 | Miranda by Stephen Sewell | Frank | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with East Coast Theatre Company |
| 2004 | Twelve Angry Men | Juror 4 | Playhouse, Brisbane, Sydney Theatre, Melbourne Athenaeum with Adrian Bohm Presents & Arts Projects Australia |
| 2005 | Love Letters | Andrew Makepeace III | NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney |
| 2011 | Stainless Steel Rat | Film Producer | Seymour Centre, Sydney with Wayne Harrison's Cheep |
| 2012 | Let the Sunshine | Ron | NSW & SA regional tour with HIT Productions & Playing Australia |
| 2014 | Cruise Control | Darren Brodie | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 2014 | A Conversation | Uncle Bob | The Concourse, Sydney |
| 2023 | La Cage aux Folles | Edouard Dindon | Playhouse, Melbourne with David M. Hawkins & Arts Centre Melbourne |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Category | Award | Series | Result |
| 1993 | AFI Award | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a TV Drama | G.P. | Won |
| 2002 | FCCA Award | Best Male Supporting Actor | Lantana | Nominated |
| 2002 | Logie Awards | Most Popular Actor | Stingers | Won |
| 2014 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Wonderland | Nominated |

## Writings
### Books

* Sex without Madonna: The True Confessions of a Hired Gun in Tinseltown (autobiography), Pan Macmillan Publishers Australia, 1994
* The Bulldog Track: A grandson's story of an ordinary man's war and survival on the other Kokoda trail, Hachette Australia, 2018

### Magazine contributor

* Harper's Bazaar