Authority control databases
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
Michael Preston | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jack Davies 14 May 1938 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1959–present |
Michael Preston (born Jack Davies; 14 May 1938)[1] is an English international film and television actor, and singer, sometimes credited as Mike Preston.
Preston was born in Hackney, London, England.[2] He was a boxer and then became a singer.[3]
He appeared on Oh Boy! and his third record, "Dirty Old Town" (1959) was produced by Joe Meek.[4] He had three Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart, including reaching No. 12 with his cover version of "Mr. Blue" in November 1959,[3] before emigrating to Australia where he worked as a nightclub singer.
He then became a host on television, and also an actor. He was a regular host on In Melbourne Tonight in 1968, and in 1969 was a guest celebrity on the game show The Celebrity Game and went on to host the revival in 1976–1977.
His first ongoing starring role on television was in the long-running police drama series Homicide as Sen. Det. Bob Delaney from 1972 to 1973. He then had a recurring role in the soap opera Bellbird as Fr. John Kramer between 1974 and 1976. He later took a lead role in the prison-based soap opera Punishment (1981) but this series was short-lived. In 1984, he had an ongoing role in Hot Pursuit, as the character Alec Shaw.
Preston has made numerous guest appearances in television series, including The A-Team, Max Headroom, Airwolf, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Alien Nation, Ellen, and Highlander. He also made an appearance in the series Baywatch Nights.[5]
Preston has also acted in films. His first feature film was Surabaya Conspiracy (1969); other film roles included playing Pappagallo in Mad Max 2 (1981), his best-known role, and Jared-Syn in the science fiction B-movie Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983). He was nominated for the 1979 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in The Last of the Knucklemen[6] and he won two Logies for most popular male personality in Victoria.[7]
