Gerard Kennedy (actor)


Gerard Kennedy was an Australian double Gold Logie award-winning actor.
Kennedy started his career in theatre, before going on to appear in early television series, primarily with Crawford Productions, with several supporting roles in the police series Homicide and costarring in the espionage series Hunter as the breakout fan favorite baddie, Kragg.
He shot to national fame, however, starring with Ted Hamilton and Terence Donovan in the police procedural Division 4 as Detective Frank Banner, which won him back-to-back Gold Logies. Kennedy also appeared in the cult series Prisoner, The Flying Doctors and in crime series Underbelly and had numerous feature film roles during a career that spanned 50 years in the industry.

Early life

Kennedy was born in Perth, Western Australia, on 8 March 1932, the son of local actress and writer Phyllis Ophel.

Career

Kennedy played six different characters in guest appearances in Crawford Productions television series Homicide and in 1967 he shot to fame as the antagonist in the Australian television spy drama Hunter, becoming so popular that his character changed sides, eventually becoming the main character after lead actor Tony Ward left the series. Kennedy won a TV Week Logie Award for "Best New Talent" for his portrayal of the character.
Kennedy followed this with a starring role in the police procedural television series, Division 4, winning multiple Logie Awards—including two Gold Logies as most popular personality on Australian TV—for his work in the series. He consistently acted in Australian television and film productions since that time.
Later regular television series roles included Tandarra in 1976, Bellbird in 1977, the miniseries Against the Wind in 1978, Skyways from 1979–1981, Golden Pennies in 1985, and The Flying Doctors between 1986 and 1989.
Guest television roles included appearances in Carson's Law, Prisoner, A Country Practice, Blue Heelers, City Homicide, The Saddle Club, and Neighbours. In 2008, he played Graham "The Munster" Kinniburgh in Underbelly and in Fat Tony & Co..
Kennedy's final credit was in the television series Glitch in 2015.

Later life and death

Kennedy resided at a nursing care facility on the New South Wales, Central Coast, where he died on 21 April 2025, at the age of 93.

Awards

YearAssociationCategoryWorkResult
1969Logie AwardsGeorge Wallace Memorial Logie for Best New TalentHunterWon
1969Penguin AwardBest ActorDivision 4Won
1970Penguin AwardsLeading Talent in a Drama SeriesDivision 4Won
1971Logie AwardsGold LogieDivision 4Won
1971Logie AwardsBest ActorDivision 4Won
1972Logie AwardsGold LogieDivision 4Won
1972Logie AwardsBest ActorDivision 4Won
1973Logie AwardsBest ActorDivision 4Won
1979Australian TV and Film AwardBest Actor in a TV seriesAgainst the WindWon
1987Penguin AwardBest Performance by an Actor in a Series/SerialThe Flying DoctorsWon