Bruno Lawrence

This New Zealander's oddly diverse talents made him a character star and cult icon there and in Australia in his relatively short life. Born in Sussex, England, on February 12, 1941, Bruno Lawrence (real name David Charles Lawrence) and his family settled in New Zealand when he was just a pre-schooler. He developed an early interest in the drums, formed a dixie-land band at age 15, and made the various school and church dance rounds where he picked up the nickname Bruno. He veered quickly toward jazz and, from 1961 on, made a living as a session artist playing drums for a slew of "Down Under"-based jazz and pop groups. He also tossed out his own singles here and there before slowly moving into the TV music scene. This, in turn, led to acting roles first on TV and in short films. Despite his subsequent acting success, the drums would always remain his first love. The dark, balding, brooding, highly complex man began strongly focusing on acting in the 70's, impressing audiences with a number of strange, oddly compelling fellows in largely independent features. After scoring early notice as Burglar Bill in the TV comedy series Percy the Policeman (1974), Bruno made his full-length movie debut as the title conman in the film Wild Man (1977), which he co-wrote and produced. Once branded a "young Marlon Brando, he continued to impress in such films as A Woman of Good Character (1980) and made his first major impact as an amateur racer and junkyard owner in the social drama Smash Palace (1981) (and co-wrote). Other superbly-designed showcases followed with such superb turns as the revengeful 1860's New Zealand War settler in Utu (1983); the lone scientist in the "last man on earth" story The Quiet Earth (1985) (and co-wrote); and the poor ranch hand who falls for his incestuous boss's daughter in Heart of the Stag (1984) (and co-wrote). Other NZ films would include Bridge to Nowhere (1986) and the horror opus Jack Be Nimble (1993) starring a pre-transgender Alexis Arquette. Bruno eventually branched out into Australian filming where he starred in or was featured in a number of quality films -- An Indecent Obsession (1985) starring Wendy Hughes; a starring role as a diner customer who comes upon otherworldly aliens in As Time Goes by (1988); a murderous, cold-blooded cop in Grievous Bodily Harm (1988) with Colin Friels; The Delinquents (1989); The Efficiency Expert (1991) starring Anthony Hopkins; and his final film Gino (1994). On TV, he produced, co-wrote and starred as a traveling musician in the comedy series Blerta (1976), and is perhaps best-remembered for his role as sneaky, golf-obsessed TV producer Brian Thompson in the 1990s satire program Breaking News (1994) (aka "Frontline.") In early 1995, while working on a new film project, Cosi (1996) with Toni Collette, Bruno suffered severe chest pains, was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, and forced to quit the film. Returning to his New Zealand homeland, he died within months on June 10, 1995. A wife and five children survived him. A biography entitled Bruno: The Bruno Lawrence Story was published posthumously in 1999 by Roger Booth.