Mark Little (Australian actor)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:BLP sources Template:Infobox person Mark Little (born 20 October 1959) is an Australian actor, television presenter, comedian and screen/stage writer. He is known for portraying the role of Joe Mangel from 1988 to 1991, 2005 and 2022 on the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
Career
Little graduated from NIDA in 1980.<ref name="Williams">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He appeared in a string of Australian films and TV series during the 1980s, including Short Changed (1986), written by Aboriginal playwright Bob Merritt and directed by George Ogilvie. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the AFI Awards for this role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He also performed his own comedy in Melbourne's comedy clubs throughout the eighties, while his longest-running television role was as Joe Mangel in the soap opera Neighbours, from 1988 to 1991. Owing to the show's popularity in the UK, he became known in the country and subsequently moved there.
In 1990, Little starred in Nirvana Street Murder, which was his first lead role in a feature film.<ref name="Williams"/> That same year, he co-hosted with Tania Lacy on Countdown Revolution, a music show that was on ABC each week night. He and Lacy were fired from the show in June after their infamous protest about acts having to mime and the hosts having to pretend to like an artist, even if they didn't.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Little starred in the 1992 Australian film Greenkeeping, alongside Lisa Hensley. The part of Lenny was written for him by the film's writer and director David Caesar.<ref name="Williams"/> In 1994, he replaced Chris Evans as the presenter of The Big Breakfast. He has also narrated cult TV series The Villa on Sky TV.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He has worked on films such as Blackball and in the West End with his one-man show Defending the Caveman, which also won the Laurence Olivier Award in 2000. He returned to Neighbours as Joe for a brief period in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Little appeared as Roy in a production of Louis Nowra's play Così at The White Bear Theatre in Kennington, London, in 2008. From the following year, he started making regular appearances on the discussion show The Wright Stuff.Template:Citation needed
As well as extended runs of Defending the Caveman at London's Leicester Square Theatre, he toured the play around the UK in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2010, he made his directorial debut starring in, designing and directing Jack Hibberd's A Stretch of the Imagination at The Cock Tavern Theatre in Kilburn, London.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Little has also written comedy films and poetry. He appeared in a documentary special celebrating NeighboursTemplate:' 30th anniversary titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2017, Little played the character of "Fleshcreep" in a pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Palace Theatre, Mansfield.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2019, Little took part in the eleventh series of Dancing on Ice, partnered with Brianne Delcourt. They become the first couple to leave after the judges chose to save ex-cricketer Ryan Sidebottom and his skating partner Brandee Malto in the skate-off.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He has also taken many self-devised shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and toured them nationally throughout the UK.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2021, he appeared at the Middlesbrough Little Theatre in a pantomime production of Peter Pan, playing the part of Captain Hook.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2022, he reprised his role as Joe Mangel for the then-finale of Neighbours.
Awards
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- 1985 Australian Television Society Award, Best Actor for The Flying Doctors
- 1997 Paramount Comedy Award, Edinburgh Festival Fringe for Psychobubble
- 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, Defending the Caveman
- 2008 Contributing Artist: Brighton Festival of Artists Open Houses, Best Open House: Cath Farr's The Art of Fun
- Australian Film Institute: Nominations for Best Supporting Actor: 1985 An Indecent Obsession (Ben Maynard) and 1987 Short Changed (Curly)
- Logie Awards: Nomination for Best Supporting Actor 1984 Waterfront (Alan)
- Australian Television Society: Nomination for Best Actor 1990 Neighbours (Joe Mangel)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Tennis Elbow | Sidney Tower | |
| 1982 | The Clinic | Basil | Feature film |
| 1982 | Starstruck | Carl | Feature film |
| 1985 | Wills & Burke | John King | Feature film |
| 1985 | An Indecent Obsession | Benedict Maynard | Feature film |
| 1986 | Short Changed | Curly | Feature film |
| 1987 | A Matter of Convenience | Roger Purvis | TV film |
| 1988 | Evil Angels (aka A Cry in the Dark) | Constable Morris | Feature film<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1988 | Bachelor Girl | Waiter | TV movie |
| 1990 | Golden Braid | Punk | Feature film |
| 1990 | Nirvana Street Murder | Boady | Feature film |
| 1992 | Greenkeeping | Lenny | Feature film |
| 1999 | Distant Shadow | The Landlord | Feature film |
| 2003 | Blackball | Mark Doohan | Feature film |
| 2015 | The Program | Rupert Guinness | Feature film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Skyways | TV series | |
| 1981 | Cop Shop | TV series | |
| 1981 | The Sullivans | TV series | |
| 1984 | Infinity Limited | Rosco | TV series, 17 episodes |
| 1984 | Waterfront | Allan Williams | TV miniseries |
| 1985 | The Dunera Boys | Pete Dunstan | TV miniseries |
| 1985 | The Flying Doctors | 'Roughneck' Ron | TV miniseries |
| 1986 | The Flying Doctors | Ron Miller | TV series |
| 1986 | The Gillies Republic | TV series | |
| 1988-91, 2005, 2022 | Neighbours | Joe Mangel | TV series |
| 1990 | Countdown Revolution | Presenter | TV series |
| 1994 | The Big Breakfast | Presenter | TV series |
| 1999-2000 | The Villa | Narrator | TV series |
| 1999 | The Rat Trap | ||
| 2001 | Motion | Foreman | |
| 2001 | Summer Rain | Travel Agency Manager | |
| 2008 | Casualty | Gary Forrester | TV series |
| 2008 | Emmerdale | Jonty DeLorean | TV series |
| 2009 | The Wright Stuff | Regular Guest | TV series |
| 2010 | Whites | Darryl Sommers | TV series |
| 2015 | Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite | Himself | TV special |
| 2019 | Dancing on Ice | Contestant | TV series |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Psychobubble | Edinburgh Festival Fringe | |
| Defending the Caveman | Himself | West End of London | |
| 2008 | Così | Roy | The White Bear Theatre, Kennington |
| 2010 | Defending the Caveman | Leicester Square Theatre & UK tour | |
| 2010 | A Stretch of the Imagination | Cock Tavern Theatre, Kilburn, London | |
| 2017 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Fleshcreep | Palace Theatre, Mansfield |
| 2021 | Peter Pan | Captain Hook | Middlesbrough Little Theatre |