Gerry Duggan

Gerald Joseph Duggan (10 July 1910 – 27 March 1992) was an Irish-born Australian character actor. Although he never achieved stardom, he was a familiar face in small roles in film and television, both in Australia and Britain. His trademarks were his Irish brogue, pronounced lisp and prominent jaw.

Duggan was born in Dublin in 1910. When he was 16 he moved to New York, where he had his early exposure to theatre acting. In the 1930s, he moved to Australia, where he settled, although he worked internationally.

He was almost 50 when he made his first film, The Siege of Pinchgut (1959), a British production made in Australia, which was the last film from Ealing Studios. Duggan was nominated for the BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer Award for his role as Pat Fulton, but lost to the 13-year-old Hayley Mills in Tiger Bay.

Duggan played the title role in the 1986 children's television series Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin. He appeared in many other television series in Australia and Britain, such as A Country Practice, Mother and Son, The Flying Doctors, Skyways, The Sullivans, Matlock Police, Number 96, Spyforce, Division 4, Boney, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, The Avengers and Coronation Street.

Duggan continued to act on stage in between film and television commitments. In 1964, he appeared in the British debut of Samuel Beckett's play The Old Tune. In a role he regarded as the high point of his stage career, he played the role of McLeavy in the 1966 London revival of Joe Orton's Loot, which transferred to the Criterion Theatre.

Later in life, he resided in Beacon Hill, New South Wales. He worked until his death in Sydney, on 27 March 1992.