# Ken Shorter

Kenneth Shorter (1945 – November 2024) was an Australian actor.
Shorter's career spanned theatre, television and film, but he was best known for starring opposite Mick Jagger in a film adaptation of Ned Kelly (1970), as the title character in the cult biker film Stone (1974) and in American fantasy film Dragonslayer (1981).

## Early life

Shorter was born in 1945, and worked as a police officer and truck driver before becoming an actor.

## Career

In 1967, he commenced playing the character of Frankie McCoy on the Seven Network series You Can't See 'Round Corners. He later reprised the role for the 1969 theatrical film adaption.
It was announced in 1969 that Shorter had been cast as Aaron Sherritt in the film Ned Kelly, in which he starred alongside Mick Jagger.
In the early 1970s, Shorter was a member of Sydney's Old Tote Theatre Company and appeared in several of the company's productions including Lasseter, The Man of Mode, The Government Inspector and The Legend of King O'Malley. Shorter also starred in numerous theatre productions throughout the UK from 1972 to 2010.
In 1974, Shorter was cast in his best known role as the title character in the low-budget cult biker film Stone, which has often been cited as inspiration for the Max Max series. That same year, he played a fictional New South Wales rugby league player called Frank Scully in The Forward Pack which was written by Robert Caswell and was one of four Sunday night television plays broadcast by ABC TV. In 1975, he appeared in the outback drama film Sunday Too Far Away as Frankie Davis. And in 1981, he played a henchmen guard in the American fantasy film Dragonslayer. He was also part of the cast for the 2000 Hollywood film Dragonheart: A New Beginning.
Shorter's many Australian television credits included a regular role (as Duncan Ross) in Bellbird (1968), a presenter role on children's series Play School (1969–1982) and a recurring role in Number 96 (1977). He also had guest roles in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Homicide, Matlock Police, Riptide, Boney, Division 4 and G.P..
In the UK, he appeared in The Bill, Casualty, Holby City and the TV movie Persuasion.

## Death

After a health decline, Shorter retired from acting in 2018. He died in November 2024, aged 79.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1969 | You Can't See 'round Corners | Frankie McCoy | |
| 1970 | Ned Kelly | Aaron Sherritt | |
| 1974 | Moving On | Alan | |
| 1974 | Stone | Stone | |
| 1975 | Sunday Too Far Away | Frankie Davis | |
| 1980 | Maybe This Time | Alan | |
| 1981 | Dragonslayer | Henchman | |
| 1981 | 4D Special Agents | Eddie | |
| 1982 | Scrubbers | Rex | |
| 1983 | The Ploughman's Lunch | Squash Coach | |
| 1998 | Praise | Male Nurse | |
| 2000 | Dragonheart: A New Beginning | King | Direct to video film |
| 2018 | Sink | Vic | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1967 | Adventures of the Seaspray | Second Youth | 1 episode |
| 1967 | You Can't See 'Round Corners | Frankie McCoy | 26 episodes |
| 1968 | Bellbird | Duncan Ross | 83 episodes |
| 1969 | Riptide | Ross | 1 episode |
| 1969 | Skippy the Bush Kangaroo | Tim | 1 episode |
| 1969 | Division 4 | Dave Gibbs | 1 episode |
| 1966–1972 | Play School | Presenter | 31 episodes |
| 1968; 1970 | Homicide | Rod Smith / Danny Baker | 2 episodes |
| 1969 | Australian Plays: The Torrents | Kingsley Myers | TV play |
| 1971 | Matlock Police | Martin Daly | 1 episode |
| 1972 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | | TV movie |
| 1973 | Boney | Vic Vickery | 1 episode |
| 1974 | The Forward Pack | Frank Scully | TV movie |
| 1977 | Number 96 | Duncan Swann | 4 episodes |
| 1979 | Leave Him to Heaven | Eddie | TV movie |
| 1979 | Ripping Yarns | 1st Mutinous Officer | 1 episode |
| 1985; 1996 | Casualty | Musician / John | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Rockliffe's Babies | Lorry Driver | 1 episode |
| 1990; 1991; 1998 | The Bill | Donald Varney / William Mobley / Heckler | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | G.P. | Paul Ricketson | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Persuasion | Lady Dalrymple's Butler | TV movie |
| 2001 | Oscar Charlie | Biker | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Holby City | Martin Riley | 1 episode |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1966 | The Death of Bessie Smith | | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 1966 | Burning Bright | | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 1970 | Lunchtime | | AMP Theatrette, Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra with Q Theatre Company |
| 1970 | We Bombed in New Haven | | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Monash University, Melbourne, Playhouse, Canberra |
| 1971 | As You Like It | Orlando | UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1971 | The Man of Mode | | UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1971 | The National Health or Nurse Norton's Affair | | UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1971 | Lasseter | | UNSW, Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1972 | Cash | Martin | Theatre Royal, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Company |
| 1972 | Major Barbara | Charles Lomax | Theatre Royal, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Company |
| 1972 | The Legend of King O'Malley | | Civic Theatre, Fiji, Mercury Theatre, Auckland, Star Boating Club, Wellington, Hunter Theatre The Junction, Sydney with Old Tote Theatre Company |
| 1972 | Don's Party | Circus Style Performer | Jane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA |
| 1972–1973 | The Royal Hunt of the Sun | | The Old Vic tour |
| 1974 | The Bride of Gospel Place | | Arts Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1974 | An Adelaide Anthology 1836–1900 | | Edmund Wright House, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1977 | The Red Devil Battery Sign | | The Roundhouse, London, Phoenix Theatre, London |
| 1979 | Bent | Greta | Royal Court Theatre, London, Criterion Theatre, London |
| 1983 | Gossip from the Forest | Captain Vanselow | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 1984 | A Patriot for Me | Col. Mischa Oblensky | Leeds Playhouse |
| 1985 | Reluctant Heroes | Sergeant McKenzie | Nottingham Playhouse |
| 1985 | Down an Alley Filled with Cats | Standby for Adam Faith | Mermaid Theatre, London with E&B |
| 1986 | Wild Honey | Osip | Leeds Playhouse |
| 1986 | Amadeus | Groom of the Imperial Chamber | Crucible Theatre, Sheffield |
| 1987–1988 | The Comedy of Errors | Gaoler / Officer | UK tour with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1988 | Hamlet | Barnardo / Player | UK tour with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1988 | The Constant Couple | Constable / Footman | Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1988 | The Immortalist | Performer | The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1987–1989 | Macbeth | Bloody Sergeant / Murderer 2 | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Theatre Royal, Newcastle, Barbican Theatre, London with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1988–1989 | The Tempest | Boatswain / Spirit; Mariner | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Barbican Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Newcastle with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1988–1989 | The Man Who Came to Dinner | Baker / Westcott | Barbican Theatre, London with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1988–1989 | King Lear | Captain / Gentleman | The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, Almeida Theatre, London with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1989 | The Immortalist | Performer | Almeida Theatre, London with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1990–1991 | Two Shakespearean Actors | Robert Jones | Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Barbican Theatre, London, Pit, London with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1989–1991 | Much Ado About Nothing | Borachio | Barbican Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Newcastle with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1990–1991 | King Lear | Duke of Burgundy / Knight One | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Barbican Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Newcastle with Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1995 | Lost in a Mirror | Duke of Ferrara | Southwark Playhouse, London with The Other Company |
| 1998 | London Full Circle Productions | Barabbas | Chelsea Centre, London |
| 2000 | Baby Doll | Mac | Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Royal National Theatre, Lyttelton, Albery Theatre, London with Promenade Productions / Ambassador Theatre Group |
| 2010 | Macbeth | Seyward / Old Man | Shakespeare’s Globe, London |
| 2010 | Antony and Cleopatra | Menas / Soldier | Liverpool Playhouse |
| 2014 | Other Desert Cities | Lyman | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |