Fred Parslow


Frederick Henry Parslow was an Australian actor who appeared in film, television and theatre.

Acting career

Parslow was notable in several film and TV roles, with parts in internationally successful TV soap opera's The Sullivans and Neighbours and was active in theatre, having served as a member of the Melbourne Theatre Company for nearly thirty years, joining the company when it was founded in 1953, known then the Union Theatre Repertory Company, and making his first performance with in a touring production of Twelfth Night
Whilst a dominant figure on the Melbourne theatre scene, Parslow was generally reluctant to take on television roles. He made television appearances in the 1960s, in comedy and variety sketches with theatre colleagues on The Ray Taylor Show and In Melbourne Tonight. Minor roles included Crawford Productions staples Bluey, Skyways, and Cop Shop.
Parslow's also featured in several TV miniseries and TV films with roles in Against the Wind and The Humpty Dumpty Man
Parslow's cameo film roles included Alvin Purple as Alvin's father, and Peter Weir's 1977 film The Last Wave as Reverend Burton.

Honours and personal life

Parslow was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1987, for service to the performing arts.
In 1961 Parslow married Adelaide-born actress Joan Harris who was also a prominent theatre performer, starting from the mid-1940s, Harris was also an art director, theatre director and costume designer and teacher, who was Head of Drama at the Melbourne Theatre Company from 1972 until 1997. She predeceased him by five months in September 2016.
Parslow and Harris had a son Justin Harris Parslow who is also an actor.

Filmography

Film

  • As You Are
  • Martine as Julien
  • The Rivals as Captain Absolute
  • Boy Round the Corner
  • Suspect as Robert
  • She'll Be Right as Guthrie
  • Manhaul as Dr. Lewis
  • Double Yolk as Bill
  • Salome as Jokanaan
  • Alvin Purple as Alvin’s Father
  • The Last Wave as Reverend Burton
  • The Importance of Keeping Perfectly Still
  • Burn the Butterflies
  • Pesticides In the Field
  • A Long Way from Home
  • Outback
  • ''The Humpty Dumpty Man''

    Television

  • The Adventures of the Terrible Ten
  • The Magic Boomerang
  • Adventure Unlimited as Arthur Evans
  • Australian Playhouse
  • Bluey as Superintendent
  • The Sullivans as Mr Jarvis
  • Against the Wind a Captain Wiltshire
  • Cop Shop
  • Skyways as David Rankin
  • Space Knights
  • Neighbours
  • The Paper Man
  • Col'n Carpenter
  • Mission Top Secret as Sir Joshua Cranberry
  • ''Search for Treasure Island''