About Andrew:

1976
 
1979

Name: Andrew McFarlane

Date of Birth: 6 June 1951

Place of Birth: Albany, Western Australia

Place of Residence: Neutral Bay, Sydney, Australia (since 1978)

 
 
 
 
 
1982

Cultural Background: Caucasian

Height: 1,85 m

Eye Colour: Hazel

Siblings: Younger sister, named Fiona
 
 
 
 
 
1984

Andrew McFarlane was born on June 6, 1951 in Albany (Western Australia) but as his father Duncan worked for a pastoral company they later moved to Brisbane (Queensland). During the holidays they lived on a cattle station in the Queensland Outback where he also learned to ride horses.

The family moved to Melbourne when Andrew was about 12 years old and he attended high school there. After matriculating he began an Arts-Law course at Monash University. Disillusioned with his studies after one year, he dropped out to become a gardener. But after a while he quit that too and got interested in acting.

In 1970 he moved to Sydney where he enrolled at the National Institute of Dramatic Art and graduated in 1973. From there he went straight into television with a guest role in Matlock Police, playing the role of a young criminal. He then joined the cast of Division Four for a year, playing the part of Constable Roger Wilson.

Three years later he won the role that made him a household name – John Sullivan in The Sullivans. He even travelled to America to promote the series. But he didn't want to remain in one character for too long and left the show after only eighteen months. He came back for a few more episodes in 1979 and the telemovie The John Sullivan Story, which earned him popularity around the world.

Offers began to pour in and he got a leading role in the ABC-TV series Patrol Boat as Lieutenant David Keating whom he played in the first season in 1979 and again in the second season in 1983. He also had guest roles in the mini-series 1915, in Certain Women and in Cop Shop.

Over time Andrew McFarlane became selective in his choice of roles, never willing to remain in one character for too long. In the late ‘70s he was unemployed for six months because he was unhappy with the roles being offered.

But television is not the only showcase for his talents. He has appeared in the films Born to Run, Break of Day and Doctors and Nurses. His stage credits include The Day After The Fair, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and The Club. He also starred in an ABC-TV production of the opera La Boheme.

In 1984, Andrew McFarlane was given the lead role in the Seven Network mini-series, The Flying Doctors. The part of Dr. Tom Callaghan was enormously popular and contributed to the decision to continue The Flying Doctors as a series.

Before filming the series Andrew took a break and holidayed in Sri Lanka. Travelling is one of his favourite pastimes and he especially likes the East, where he developed a love of Thai food.

His wish not to linger in one role affected his stay in The Flying Doctors as well. Despite the success of the series, Andrew McFarlane had a clause written into his contract to allow him to leave the show after six month. He then travelled to London for a 12-month break. Despite international agreements and an agent in London, he didn't get a work permit there. It was hard for him not being able to work for such a long time but then he enjoyed travelling Europe.

After he returned from London he concentrated on theatre productions. But he also had a 10-week stint in Rafferty's Rules, a small part in Boulevard of Broken Dreams and he starred in (Codename) Barracuda.

In 1988 Teymara Barry, the wife of Bruce Barry (who played the role of George Baxter in The Flying Doctors) brought Andrew back to the series. The offer was too good to resist and he was looking forward to returning to the cast and the crew he enjoyed working with. This time he stayed with the series for more than eighteen months before leaving. He only returned for the reunion episode in 1991.

Since then he has been in many theatre productions in many locations in Australia. Sometimes he even played together with former cast-members of The Flying Doctors. For example with Lenore Smith (Emerald City and Talley's Folly) and Sarah Chadwick (Taking Steps).

The Flying Doctors didn't only affect his career but also his private life. He is still close friends with Lenore Smith, Rebecca Gibney and especially Liz Burch. They share the same interests and have been together on study trips and holidays.

Andrew doesn't like to be out of work. In the past he was always present either in theatre productions or television. He had guest roles in many popular Australian series (G.P., Halifax f.p., Time Trax, Paradise Beach and All Saints), soap operas (Neighbours, Home And Away), movies (Little White Lies, The Day of The Roses, Tempted) and mini-series (The Violent Earth, Through my Eyes). Since 2000 he is a popular presenter in Play School and the kids really love him!

After being in the telemovie The Alice in 2004 he continued his role as copper Hugh Delaney also in the ongoing series which unfortunately only lasted for one season.

In 2007 he was filming Emerald Falls which aired in Australia on Easter Sunday, 23th of March 2008. He also got a leading part in the Sci-Fi Thriller Antigravity which for some reason was never finished. 

In 2009 he was in the first episode of the series Underbelly (A Tale of Two Cities) and filmed the short film Bourke Boy. He also toured Australia as Salieri in the Theatre play Amadeus

In 2010 he was busy playing Mr. Myers in the musical Fame which was running for many months in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

 
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TV-Hits-
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Source: TV RADIO EXTRA 1986 (Star Check), www.flyingdoctors-fanclub-germany.de/andrew_mcfarlan.htm and different articles.  

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