Don Barker (actor)
Don Barker is an Australian former actor and director, who has appeared in films, television, theatre and radio.
Barker is one of the early faces on Australian television known for his role in police procedural Homicide as Detective Sergeant Harry White, and briefly in early episodes of Prisoner as psychologist Bill Jackson, the husband of Meg Jackson.
Early life
Barker was born in Adelaide, South Australia and attended Brighton's Sacred Heart College. At the time, he had not yet developed an interest in acting.Career
Theatre
Barker began his career in 1960 in the theatre. His first professional acting role was in Patrick White's The Season at Sarsaparilla in 1963. From 1968 until 1973, he was a member of the former South Australian Theatre Company and appeared in their productions of The Heiress, The Alchemist, Born Yesterday and David Williamson's Jugglers Three.In 1977, he founded The Stage Company, together with John Noble, among others. He performed in several of their productions, including Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys, The Fall Guy, The Sound of Silence, The Death of George Reeves, Gone with Hardy, The Perfectionist, Travelling North, Gulls, The Harlequin Shuffle and Sons of Cain.
He has taken part in over 110 stage productions up until 2008, including as a director.
Television and film
Barker has also appeared in numerous television series from the late 1960s. He is best known for his role in the police procedural series Homicide as Detective Sergeant Harry White, which he reprised in an episode of Bluey. He replaced George Mallaby as part of the final detective line up. In 1981 he starred as Bill Williams in soap opera The Restless Years.He had recurring roles in The Sullivans, All the Rivers Run and The New Adventures of Black Beauty, as well as several miniseries including Ben Hall, Against the Wind, The Last Outlaw, I Can Jump Puddles, The Far Country, The Mild Colonial Boy and Sun on the Stubble. He had a recurring guest role in the prison drama Prisoner as psychologist Bill Jackson, reprising the role once more in the 1980 TV movie The Franky Doyle Story. The character was written out after being murdered during a prison riot.
His guest credits include Division 4, Matlock Police, Boney, Ryan, Certain Women, Cop Shop, The Box, Bellamy, Bluey, Chopper Squad, The Flying Doctors, Rafferty's Rules, Mother and Son, A Country Practice, Blue Heelers, McLeod's Daughters and City Homicide.
He has appeared in a number of feature films including murder mystery Weekend of Shadows, sports biopic Dawn!, war drama Gallipoli, alongside Mel Gibson, fantasy drama Playing Beattie Bow and political satire A Sting in the Tale. He had small parts in action thriller Heaven's Burning, alongside Russell Crowe, horror film Cut, with Molly Ringwald and political drama Black and White with Robert Carlyle, Colin Friels and Ben Mendelsohn. He also featured in the AFI Award-winning drama Rabbit-Proof Fence,, opposite Kenneth Branagh.
Additionally, Barker is well known for his appearances in a number of television commercials, including the 1970s campaign for South Australian-based Coopers Brewery, promoting the stout and lemonade mix known as a portagaf.