Gary Waddell, the Australian actor known for his ability to portray rough-as-guts characters with startling realism, has died aged 74. Waddell was a fixture of the Australian film and TV industry for decades, first gaining attention in Bert Deling's cult classic drug drama Pure Shit, a production so notorious that its first public screening in 1976 was raided by the vice squad.
The film, described by Melbourne Herald critic Andrew McKay as "the most evil film I've ever seen," remains a thrilling piece of social realist cinema, full of drug-taking, petty crime and tomfoolery. The story revolves around Waddell's character Lou, who arrives five minutes in, grousing about how he "hasn't had a hit for 10 hours."
Decades of small but memorable roles
Since then, Waddell appeared in countless productions, usually in small albeit often high-impact roles. His TV credits include A Country Practice, E Street, Stingers, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, Bad Cop Bad Cop, Home and Away, City Homicide, Upright and Rake. His films included The FJ Holden, Chopper, Dirty Deeds, Gettin' Square, Black and White, Charlie's Country, The Stranger and 2022's The Survival of Kindness, which featured his final screen performance.
Waddell was hired again and again because he was rock-solid reliable, bringing weight to even the smallest roles, though he was rarely given the screen time he deserved. In a 2012 interview for Crikey, Waddell said that in the early days this was partly because he "sabotaged" his career, including with substance abuse. He also spoke of self-doubt: "I actually thought for a long, long time – until around '86, '87 – that my career was one of the greatest con jobs I'd ever pulled off. I never thought I could act … I had no idea until an actor said to me – and he was a trained actor – that what I did on film was what most people go to school to learn."
A standout performance in The King Is Dead!
In 2012, director Rolf de Heer cast Waddell as the titular character in the black comedy The King Is Dead!, a drugged-up layabout with a weird gleam in his eyes. The film follows a sensible, fairly strait-laced married couple who buy a suburban house, only to discover that the residence over the fence is a haven for ne'er-do-wells – including Waddell's King, an astonishingly well-played fiend.
The performance drew widespread critical praise. Margaret Pomeranz called it "hilarious," while The Australian's Evan Williams wrote it was "wonderfully touching and humorous." Variety's Richard Kuipers wrote that "Waddell's spot-on performance keeps the character human, and even evokes a strange sympathy," and Fairfax's Jake Wilson saw a "perfect role for Waddell, who well and truly earns his place in the ratbag hall of fame."
Luke Buckmaster, writing for Crikey at the time, described Waddell as "out of this world good" and wrote an open letter to Aacta, imploring voters to give him the gong for best supporting actor. After the letter, Waddell contacted Buckmaster and was extremely grateful. They hung out in person, went for beers at Melbourne's Young and Jackson hotel, and spoke on the phone several times. In their last communication a few years ago, they exchanged photos on Facebook of their jack russells.
Waddell was humble, friendly, smart and down-to-earth – and as a screen presence, he was electrifying. He will be missed.
