Tony Bonner

Anthony Frederick Bonner was born in Manly,^{[citation needed]} a northern beach suburb of Sydney. His grandfather, James Bonner, was a former Mayor of Manly and founding President of the Manly Life Saving Club. His father, Frederick Bonner, was a musical comedy actor at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney.^{[citation needed]}

After leaving school he started work for a company supplying mannequins and other equipment for window dressing. He also worked part-time in his father's theatre as a wardrobe attendant, fostering his interest in acting.^{[citation needed]}

Bonner's first professional stage acting job was in 1961, aged 18. His first major role was as helicopter pilot Jerry King on the television series Skippy.^{[citation needed]}

Bonner went on to appear in many Crawford Productions television series, including The Box, Matlock Police, Division 4, Cop Shop, Skyways, and Carson's Law.^[1]

In 1970–71, he had a guest role in one episode of the UK-based ITC television series The Persuaders! starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore. He featured in an advertising campaign for the Ballajura real estate development in Western Australia in the late 1970s.^{[citation needed]}

His notable film roles include Eyewitness (1970), You Can't Win 'Em All (1970), Creatures the World Forgot (1971), Inn of the Damned (1975), The Mango Tree (1977), Money Movers (1978), The Man from Snowy River (1982), The Highest Honor (1983), Quigley Down Under (1990), Dead Sleep (1990), Hurricane Smith (1992), and Liquid Bridge (2003). He has twice portrayed Australian World War I soldier Murray Bourchier, to whom he bears a remarkable likeness, in the 1987 film The Lighthorsemen and a 1993 episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.^{[citation needed]}

Bonner also starred in the 1985 TV mini-series Anzacs. He played Lieutenant (later Captain) Harold Armstrong, commanding officer of the 8th Battalion (Australia) of the First Australian Imperial Force in 1914, from the Gallipoli in 1915 to the Western Front.^{[citation needed]}

Bonner has done advertising work, such as playing veteran burger-naming expert Ken Thomas in a 2007 McDonald's ad campaign.^{[citation needed]}

In September 2008, Bonner sued Fauna Productions Pty Ltd, the production company for Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, seeking residuals from merchandising and DVD sales.^[2]

He acted in William Kelly's War (2014) and Landfall (2017), both filmed and produced in Australia.^{[citation needed]}

Bonner recorded a cover version of the Bee Gees song "Wine and Women" in 1968. He later appeared with Barry Gibb on an episode of Bandstand.^{[citation needed]}

Later in his career Bonner appeared in several stage musicals, including Annie Get Your Gun and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.^{[when?][citation needed]}

Bonner has had experience as a stage actor and director, including:^[3]

Bonner was married to Australian actress and model Nola Clark. One daughter, Chelsea Bonner, is the owner and director of a plus-size modelling agency.^[4]

Bonner is patron of several charities including The Smith Family and the Wesley Mission suicide prevention program. He has also served on the board of the Variety Club and is Publicity Officer and past President of the Manly Life Saving Club.^{[citation needed]}

In 2017 Bonner was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the performing arts as an actor, to surf lifesaving, and to the community through charitable organisations.^[5]

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tony Bonner.

• Tony Bonner at IMDb