# Lex Marinos

Alexander Francis Marinos OAM (1 February 1949 – 13 September 2024) was an Australian actor and television director, radio personality and voice artist. He was most notable for his role as Bruno, in the 1980s television series Kingswood Country.

## Early life

Marinos was born on 1 February 1949 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, the son of a Greek immigrant father, Fotios ('Frank') Marinopoulos and Greek-Australian mother, Anne Karofilis, who was the daughter of Adonis ('Tony') Karofilis, a Greek migrant from Kasos, Greece and Minnie Matheson, an Australian of Scottish and English origin, with descent going back to Marinos's maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Samuel Bradley, a convict, and Marian Mortimer, a free emigrant, who arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, in the 19th century.
Marinos' maternal grandparents, Adonis and Minnie, owned Greek cafés in towns across the Riverina region of New South Wales, including Wagga Wagga and The Rock, and also in the town of Bogan Gate. Marinos moved to Sydney where he attended North Sydney Boys High School. He graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in Drama. He also studied with renowned American acting teacher, Stella Adler.

## Career

In the late 1970s, Marinos began presenting on the ABC youth radio station 2JJ, later becoming a presenter on ABC Local Radio, including the show Late Night Legends on ABC2. With Ted Robinson, he was also a presenter on radio station 2JJ (Double Jay), now Triple J, in the late 1970s. He has since worked as a radio presenter on various ABC and commercial networks.
In 1980, Marinos was cast as Bruno, the Italian son-in-law of Ted Bullpitt in the 1980s television comedy series, Kingswood Country, the role for which he is most famous. He had recurring roles in television series City West (1984), Embassy (1991–1982), miniseries The Slap (2011) and Fighting Season (2018). He also appeared in several films including Cathy's Child (1979), Hoodwink (1981), Goodbye Paradise (1983), Pandemonium (1988), The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992) and Backyard Ashes (2013).
Marinos acted in theatre productions with Nimrod, the APG, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Company B, Big hART.
He also directed numerous stage productions, including an 1980 tour of No Room for Dreamers across Australia, England, Scotland and Ireland. He co-founded the King O'Malley Theatre Company. He was also a member of the creative and production team for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, directing the segment 'Arrivals' about immigrants arriving in Australia. He was the director of 'Carnivale', NSW’s multicultural arts festival, from 1996 to 1999. He was executive producer of the Yeperenye Federation Festival, for the Centenary of Federation Celebrations in Alice Springs.
He director credits also extended to film, including An Indecent Obsession (1985) and Boundaries of the Heart (1988), and the television series Bodyline (1984) and Embassy (1990).
Marinos was a former Deputy Chair of the Australia Council and the Community Cultural Development Fund of the Australia Council. He was a frequent speaker and writer on arts and cultural diversity. In 2008, he delivered the tenth annual Tom Brock Lecture, on the history of Australian immigration and rugby league. He was also guest tutor at several theatre and screen colleges.
Marinos's book "Blood and Circuses: an irresponsible memoir" was published by Allen & Unwin. He has also written for film, television, radio, and stage, as well as the publications The Bulletin, The Weekend Australian, and the Good Weekend. He was a proud member of Actors Equity since 1970.

## Honours and awards

Marinos was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1994 for "service to the performing arts as an actor, director and writer." He was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001.
In 2012, the cast of The Slap, including Marinos, received the Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Mini-Series.

## Personal life and death

Marinos died in Sydney on 13 September 2024, aged 75, after a two-decade battle with leukemia. His family announced on social media that he died "peacefully... at home, at a moment of his choosing, surrounded by family and the sounds of Bob Dylan."

## Filmography
### As actor
#### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | Three to Go | Man at Dance | Anthology film, segment: "Toula" |
| 1979 | Cathy's Child | Con Havros | |
| 1981 | Hoodwink | Detective 2 | |
| 1983 | Goodbye Paradise | Con | |
| 1988 | Pandemonium | Detective Sergeant Dick Dickerson | |
| 1992 | The Last Days of Chez Nous | Angelo | |
| 1993 | Bedevil | Dimitri | |
| 2005 | Lunchtime | Narrator | Short film |
| 2006 | Flights of Angels | David Johnson | Short film |
| 2009 | Bonfire | Stavros | Short film |
| 2012 | Mother's Day | Deli Owner | Short film |
| 2013 | Backyard Ashes | Mac | |
| 2015 | All About E | Joseph Malouf | |
| 2022 | Dancing with My Mother | The Husband | Short film |
| 2024 | The Gift That Gives | Lawrence Drakos | |
| 2025 | It's Our Time | Ken Lykos | |

#### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | The Rovers | Roberto Servijano | 1 episode |
| 1972 | Switched On Set | Presenter | |
| 1972–1973 | The Aunty Jack Show | 2nd Aunty Jack | 3 episodes |
| 1974 | Certain Women | | 1 episode |
| 1974 | Flash Nick from Jindavick | Sparrow | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Scattergood: Friend of All | | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Matlock Police | Kevin Hanson | 1 episode |
| 1975–1976 | King's Men | Victor Korellis | 2 episodes |
| 1976 | Alvin Purple | Bruno | 1 episode |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | Hoaxer | 1 episode |
| 1979 | Cop Shop | Salvatore Rossi | 1 episode |
| 1979 | Love Thy Neighbour in Australia | Kitty | 1 episode |
| 1980–1984 | Kingswood Country | Bruno Bertolucci | 71 episodes |
| 1981 | Home Sweet Home | Radio Announcer | 1 episode |
| 1981 | Tickled Pink | | 1 episode |
| 1982 | Spring & Fall | Pete | 1 episode |
| 1984 | City West | Tim Pappas | 7 episodes |
| 1991–1992 | Embassy | Tariq Abdullah | 15 episodes |
| 1993 | A Country Practice | Dr Stephen Marques | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | G.P. | Theo | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Water Rats | Bellamy | 2 episodes |
| 2000; 2007 | Pizza | Habib's Judge / Sleek's Lawyer | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Lunchtime | Narrator | |
| 2005 | Late Night Legends | Host | |
| 2009–2010 | Histrionics | Lord High Chancellor / Judge | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | The Slap | Manolis | Miniseries, 8 episodes |
| 2014 | Rake | Spiro | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Bent 101 | Spiro Agius | |
| 2017 | Glitch | Steve Tripidakis | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Fighting Season | Hanny Aboud | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 2022 | The Twelve | Nikolaos Menelaus | Miniseries, episode |
| 2023 | Mother and Son | Kenneth | 1 episode |
| 2023 | NCIS: Sydney | Dimi | 1 episode |

### As director / writer
#### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1985 | An Indecent Obsession | Director | |
| 1985 | Remember Me | Director | TV movie |
| 1987 | Perhaps Love | Director | TV movie |
| 1988 | Boundaries of the Heart | Director | |
| 1988 | Hard Knuckle | Director | TV movie |
| 1989 | The Delinquents | Writer | |
| 1992 | Anchor, Cross & Heart: The Story of Kastellorizo | Director | Direct-to-video |

#### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Bodyline | Writer | Miniseries, 7 episodes |
| 1984 | Bodyline | Director | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Gillies and Company | Director | |
| 1994 | A Country Practice | Director | 1 episode |

## Theatre
### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1967 | Saint Joan | | Union Hall, Adelaide with The University of Sydney Dramatic Society |
| 1969 | The Serpent | | New Theatre, Sydney |
| 1970 | Norm and Ahmed | Ahmed | Playbox Theatre, Sydney |
| 1971 | The Recruiting Officer | | Southern Highlands Festival Theatre |
| 1971 | Emil and the Detectives | | Southern Highlands Festival Theatre |
| 1971 | Doctor Faustus | | Southern Highlands Festival Theatre |
| 1971 | Hamlet on Ice | | Nimrod, Sydney |
| 1972 | Bigotry V.C. | | Nimrod, Sydney |
| 1972 | Housey | | Nimrod, Sydney |
| 1973 | The Tooth of Crime | | Nimrod, Sydney |
| 1973 | Kaspar | | Nimrod, Sydney |
| 1974 | On Yer Marx | Chico Marx | Pram Factory, Melbourne with APG |
| 1975 | Black Eyed Susan | | Bondi Pavilion, Sydney |
| 1976 | Travesties | | Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1976 | Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been? | Ring Lardner Jr / Louis Mandel / Jose Ferrer / Elia Kazan / Martin Berkeley | Nimrod, Sydney |
| 1976 | Arden | | Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1977 | The Game of Love and Chance | Arlequin | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1977 | Wild Oats | Twitch | Seymour Centre, Sydney with Old Tote Theatre Company |
| 1977 | Any Fool Can | Dr Arond | Bondi Pavilion, Sydney with Australian National Playwrights Conference |
| 1977 | Richard III | Chorus | Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC |
| 1978 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | Givola | Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC |
| 1980 | The Merry Wives of Windsor | Dr Caius | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 1982 | The Fields of Heaven | Rome Bodera | Playhouse Theatre, Perth, Sydney Opera House with National Theatre Inc |
| 1993 | Duet for One | Dr Feldmann | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with HIT Productions |
| 1994 | Flesh and Blood | | National Maritime Museum, Sydney with Theatre South for Sydney Festival |
| 1994 | Comedy Festival Debate: That Sex has Killed Romance | Comedian | Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne with MICF |
| 1994 | Girl / Pandora Slams the Lid | | Playhouse, Canberra with National Festival of Australian Theatre & Rip and Tear |
| 1995 | Shorts Programme 1: Ned / The Flying Doctor / The Bear / Out at Sea | | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1995 | Shorts Programme 2: This Property is Condemned / Love / Family Running for Mr Whippy / Like Whiskey on the Breath of a Drunk You Love | | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2006–2012 | Ngapartji Ngapartji | Various | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Playhouse, Perth, Belvoir, Sydney, Canberra Theatre Centre with Big hART |
| 2008 | Ruben Guthrie | Peter | Belvoir, Sydney |
| 2009 | This is Living | Rob | Tasmanian tour with 10 Days on the Island & Big hART |
| 2009 | Beyond the Neck | Tour guide | Belvoir, Sydney with Bambina Borracha Productions & B Sharp |
| 2013; 2014 | Hipbone Sticking Out | Pluto, King of the Underworld (narrator) | Canberra Theatre Centre, Playhouse, Melbourne with Big hART |
| 2018 | The Sugar House | Sidney | Belvoir, Sydney |
| 2019 | Omar and Dawn | Darren | Kings Cross Theatre, Sydney with Green Door Theatre Company, Apocalypse Theatre Company & bAKEHOUSE Theatre |
| 2019 | Sunset Strip | Ray | Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with Critical Stages & HotHouse Theatre |
| 2020 | Macbeth - The Installation | Duncan / Scottish Doctor | Online with Barestage Theatre |
| 2022 | The Marriage Agency | Bill | Kings Cross Theatre, Sydney with Kwento |

### As director

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | The Hypothetical End of Bert Brecht | Director | Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1980 | No Room for Dreamers | Director | England, Scotland & Ireland tour, Stables Theatre, Sydney, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney with AETT |
| 1980 | Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys | Director | Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company & NSW Theatre of the Deaf |
| 1980 | The Siege of Frank Sinatra | Director | Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company |
| 1980; 1981 | Porn: No Rape Trigger | Director | Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company & STC |
| 1981 | Drums Along the Diamantina | Director | Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company & STC |
| 1984 | Belly Busters | Director | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company |
| 1985 | Wet Dreams | Director | Cell Block Theatre, Sydney for Sydney Festival |
| 1986 | A Coupla White Chicks | Director | University of Sydney with The Gordon Frost Organisation |
| 1988 | Starkers | Director | Canberra Theatre |
| 1988; 1989 | Living in the Seventies | Director | Seymour Centre, Sydney, Studio Theatre, Melbourne for Sydney Festival |
| 1990 | Dynamite! | Director | University of Sydney with David Atkins Enterprises |
| 1990 | Fish Wednesday | Director | Belvoir, Sydney |
| 1992 | Stool Pigeon | Director | Seymour Centre, Sydney with Sydney Festival |
| 1992 | Dancin' Dynamite | Director | Hills Centre, Sydney |
| 1992 | A Slice of Life | Director | Hills Centre, Sydney |
| 1993 | Return to the Forbidden Planet | Director | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane |
| 1994 | On Tidy Endings | Director | Lookout Theatre for Sydney Festival |
| 1994 | A Slice of Saturday Night | Director | Hills Centre, Sydney |
| 1999 | The Wound | Devisor / Director | Enmore Theatre, Sydney with Sidetrack Performance Group |
| 2000 | 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony | Director (Arrivals) | Sydney Olympic Park |
| 2014 | Legend! Slips Cordon - A Safe Pair of Hands | Director | Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Independent Theatre Company & Decorum |