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Craig McLachlan

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Craig McLachlan
Born
Craig Dougall McLachlan

(1965-09-01) 1 September 1965 (age 59)
Long Jetty, New South Wales, Australia
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • musician
  • composer
  • agent
Years active1981–present[1]
Known for
AwardsGold Logie
4 x Silver Logie for Best Actor

Craig Dougall McLachlan (born 1 September 1965) is an Australian actor, musician, singer and composer. He has been involved in film, television, the music industry and music theatre for over 30 years. He is best known for appearing in the soap operas Neighbours[2] and Home and Away and the BBC One spy drama Bugs. He has portrayed the title character in The Doctor Blake Mysteries, for which he was nominated for the Logie Award for Most Popular Actor; he has previously won the award in this category three times.

Career

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Television

[edit]

McLachlan moved to Sydney when he was around 16 to pursue an acting career. He secured a guest role on The Young Doctors, as well as several television commercials. However, he soon moved back home and spent two years working as a labourer and a gym instructor.[3] After returning to Sydney, he secured a guest role as a student in two episodes of Sons and Daughters.[3] He was cast as Henry Ramsay, brother of Kylie Minogue's character Charlene, in Channel 10's Neighbours. After appearing in more than 800 episodes and winning the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television (1990)[4] and Silver Logie, he was contracted to Seven Network's Home and Away, playing schoolteacher Grant Mitchell.

Music

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A singer, guitarist and songwriter, McLachlan enjoyed international success in a concurrent pop music career. He had hits in Australia and the UK with a remake of the Bo Diddley song "Mona (I Need You Baby)" and with self-penned songs "Amanda", "One Reason Why" and "On My Own". He toured the UK and Europe with his band Check 1–2. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1991, "Mona", won Highest Selling Single for Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2.[5] In the following year his single "On My Own" was one of several works by Simon Hussey, who won Producer of the Year.[6]

Musicals

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In 1993, McLachlan starred as Danny Zuko in the West End revival of the musical Grease alongside Deborah Gibson and Sonia Evans. In his stage musical career he starred as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, Caractacus Pott in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bob Wallace in White Christmas and Billy Flynn in Chicago.

1990s–present

[edit]

Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, McLachlan appeared in around 20 film and television projects, including the American movie Superfire [it], the television film Heroes' Mountain as Stuart Diver, and Blackjack with Colin Friels. In 2004, he played Michael Chamberlain in Through My Eyes, an account of the Lindy Chamberlain story, and began work in the recurring role of Kane Morgan in McLeod's Daughters. He played Jeff Kennard in the Australian film Hating Alison Ashley, worked alongside Benjamin Bratt and James Franco in The Great Raid, and starred with John Jarratt in Savages Crossing.

McLachlan appeared regularly in the Network Seven TV series Packed to the Rafters as ageing rocker Steve Wilson and was cast in the fourth season of Rescue: Special Ops as Hayden Bradley. He played the role of Steve, the handsome gay gardener, in the award-winning production At Home with Julia and appeared in the ABC comedy Lowdown.

In 2011, British group Rizzle Kicks sampled McLachlan's version of "Mona" for their single "Mama Do the Hump".

McLachlan returned to Australia in 2012 to work on a new TV series, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, a period crime drama set in Ballarat in 1959. He plays the titular role of Dr Lucien Blake, a medical practitioner with a knack for solving murders and annoying the police. The first two seasons originally screened on ABC Television.

In 2013, McLachlan was again cast as Frank-N-Furter in a revival of The Rocky Horror Show touring Australia in 2014.[7] In December 2014, McLachlan revealed that he was unable to return to Neighbours for the show's 30th anniversary celebrations owing to scheduling conflicts and his involvement in The Doctor Blake Mysteries.[8] However, McLachlan agreed to take part in the documentary special Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015.[9][10]

In 2016, McLachlan appeared in the sci-fi thriller Restoration, playing Andrew Majury.[11]

Sexual harassment allegations

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On 8 January 2018, a joint investigation by Fairfax Media and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that McLachlan had been accused of sexual harassment by several actresses during his performing career.[12][13] Three actresses from the 2014 Australian production of The Rocky Horror Show – Christie Whelan Browne, Erika Heynatz and Angela Scundi – made allegations against McLachlan. He responded,[12][13]

frankly, they seem to be simple inventions, perhaps made for financial reasons, perhaps to gain notoriety. In either event, they are to the best of my knowledge utterly and entirely false.

McLachlan subsequently left the 2018 production of The Rocky Horror Show.[1] Victoria Police announced they were investigating complaints from two of the women.[14]

McLachlan filed defamation suits against the ABC and Fairfax Media in February 2018; he also named Whelan Browne in a defamation suit.[15] Producers of The Doctor Blake Mysteries announced that production would be temporarily suspended pending the outcome of investigations.[14] The production company, December Media, "cleared the actor of any misconduct" during the show's run.[16] In April, it was announced McLachlan would not be returning to the series.[16]

McLachlan's defamation case was due to be heard in the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 4 February 2019;[17][18] however, the suit was postponed pending the outcome of the related criminal proceedings.[19] On 11 January 2019, Victoria Police charged him with one count of common assault, eight counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.[17][18][20] At a hearing in April 2019 it came to light that one of the indecent assault charges had been dropped and that the case would be determined by a magistrate alone.[21] In November 2019, a contested hearing of the charges began, with Stuart Littlemore as defence lawyer.[22][23]

The magistrate described McLachlan's evidence as contrived and his emotions as "not seeming genuine", also characterising the women who gave evidence as "brave and honest witnesses".[24] The magistrate also said that McLachlan likely touched the women while they were performing, but that she [the magistrate] was not persuaded beyond a reasonable doubt he knew they were not consenting. During the course of the trial, McLachlan's lawyers argued:[25]

there was an overtly sexualised atmosphere among all cast members during the show that included crude physical pranks, hugs and kisses instead of saying hello and goodbye, actors sitting on each other's laps, a constant stream of dirty jokes and insincere remarks about their admiration and love for each other.

The trial ended on 15 December 2020 with McLachlan acquitted on all charges,[25] and McLachlan subsequently receiving $500,000 in compensation from Victoria Police to pay his legal fees.[26]

In May 2021, Seven News' Spotlight programme claimed that the ABC had "manipulated" McLachlan's accusers when it interviewed the women in 2018. The programme showed ABC journalists (off camera) appearing to coach the accusers by offering specific words and phrases for them to say in their interview, such as "predatory" and "power imbalance".[27][28] The ABC rejected those claims.[29] McLachlan filed a defamation suit against the ABC and Nine newspapers over media reports of the 2014 Rocky Horror Show tour allegations for which he had been tried and acquitted.[27] On 15 May 2021, fresh allegations were made about the actor's behaviour,[30][31] including from Jeanne Downs, a former UK television star who accused the actor of groping her live while a guest on her popular children's show in 1990.[32][33] McLachlan applied to discontinue the suit ten days into the trial, on the same day the defence was set to begin calling witnesses,[34] upon learning his finding of innocence in the criminal matter would be withheld from the jury.[35]

Personal life

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McLachlan's partner is opera conductor Vanessa Scammell, whom he met in 2009.[36] He has a child from his relationship with British actress and voice artist Charlotte Avery.[37][38][36] McLachlan was briefly married to Karen Williams (fl. 1986) with whom he had attended the same secondary school, and he was subsequently married to Neighbours' actress Rachel Friend (1993–1994).[36][39]

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certification
AUS
[40][41] 		NLD
[42] 		NZ
[43] 		UK
[44]
Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2
  • Released: June 1990
  • Label: Epic
 4 88 49 10
Hands Free
  • Released: March 1992
  • Label: Epic
 104 — — —
Craig McLachlan & The Culprits — — — —

Musical albums

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List of musical albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[40] 		UK
[45]
Grease (Original London Stage Cast Soundtrack)[46]
  • Released: 1993
  • Label: Epic
 — 20
The Rocky Horror Show (Australian Cast Recording)[47]
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: TriStar Music
 — —

Singles

[edit]
List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
Year Single Peak chart positions Certification Album
AUS
[40] 		BEL
[48] 		GER
[49] 		IRE
[50] 		NLD
[51] 		NZ
[52] 		UK
[44]
1989 "Rock the Rock" (as Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2) 36 — — — — — — Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2
1990 "Mona" (as Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2) 3 8 44 5 26 16 2
"Amanda" (as Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2) 24 — — 16 — 22 19
"I Almost Felt Like Crying" (as Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2) 103 — — — — — 50
1991 "On My Own" 23 — — — — — 59 Hands Free
1992 "One Reason Why" 57 — — — — — 29
"I Hear You Knocking" 90 — — — — — —
"Time Warp" (with Australian cast) — — — — — — — The Rocky Horror Show Cast Recording
1993 "You're the One That I Want" (duet with Deborah Gibson) — — — 24 — — 13 Grease Cast Recording
"Grease" — — — — — — 44
1995 "Everyday" (as Craig McLachlan & The Culprits) — — — — — — 65 Craig McLachlan & The Culprits
"If We Were Angels" (as Craig McLachlan & The Culprits) — — — — — — —
1996 "Hear the World Cry" (as Craig McLachlan & The Culprits) — — — — — — —

Videos

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  • Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2: The Video (featured an interview and the video clips for "Mona", "Amanda", "Rock the Rock" and "I Almost Felt Like Crying") (1990)

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1991 Heroes II: The Return Lt. Walter Carey TV film
1992 Mad Bomber in Love The Whip Feature film
1992 Absent Without Leave James Edwards Feature film
1996 Catherine the Great Sergei Saltykov TV film
2001 Let's Get Skase Eric Carney Feature film
2001 Cubbyhouse Bill Feature film
2001 Abschied in den Tod Det. Const. Steve McNamara TV film
2001 My Husband, My Killer Warren Elkins TV film
2002 Heroes' Mountain Stuart Diver TV film
2002 Superfire Jack Skidder TV film
2005 BlackJack: Ace Point Game Michael Hasler TV film
2005 Hating Alison Ashley Jeff Kennard Feature film
2005 The Great Raid Lt. Riley Feature film
2009 Amar a morir Nick Feature film
2011 Savages Crossing Mory Feature film
2012 The Last Match Val Short film
2016 Restoration Andrew Majury TV film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986–1987 Sons and Daughters Student Guest role
1987–1989 Neighbours Henry Ramsay Main cast
1990–1991 Home and Away Grant Mitchell Main cast
1995–1997 Bugs Ed Main cast
1999 Tribe Ralph Leyton TV miniseries
2001–2002 Always Greener Greg Graham Recurring role
2004 Through My Eyes Michael Chamberlain TV miniseries
2004 McLeod's Daughters Kane Morgan Recurring role
2005 Supernova Alistair Foster Episode: "Unity"
2008 City Homicide Leon Grasby Episode: "Golden"
2008–2012 Packed to the Rafters Steve Wilson Recurring role
2009 The Cut Dutch Holland Episode: "A Falcon's Tail"
2010–2012 Lowdown Ben Hollander Episodes: "Wasp in Translation", "Ben Behaving Badly"
2011 Rescue: Special Ops Hayden Bradley Recurring role
2011 At Home with Julia Steve TV miniseries
2011 NCIS: Los Angeles Clifford Bosworth Episode: "Lone Wolf"
2013 Redfern Now Jack Episode: "Consequences"
2013–2014 House Husbands Damo Recurring role
2013–2017 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Dr. Lucien Blake Main cast
2016 Deep Water Kyle "Hammers" Hampton TV miniseries
2016 The Wrong Girl Eric Main cast

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Work Result Ref
1991 ARIA Awards Highest Selling Single "Mona" Won
2014 Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Musical Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show Won [53]
1989 Logie Awards Most Popular Actor Neighbours Won
1990 Most Popular Actor Won
Most Popular Personality on Australian Television Won
1991 Most Popular Actor Home and Away Won
2014 Most Outstanding Actor The Doctor Blake Mysteries Nominated [54]
2015 Most Popular Actor Nominated [55]
2016 Most Popular Actor Nominated [56]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lallo, Michael; McClymont, Kate; Moran, Rob (8 January 2018). "Craig McLachlan leaves Rocky Horror Show in wake of harassment claims". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  2. ^ Allen, Robert Clyde (1995). To be Continued–: Soap Operas Around the World. Psychology Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780415110068.
  3. ^ a b Cook, Stephen (3 January 1987). "Heart-throb Henry". TV Week. p. 50.
  4. ^ "Going for Gold". TV Week. Archived from the original on 17 April 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  5. ^ "Winners by Year 1991". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  6. ^ "17th Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 22 February 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2020. Note: User may be required to access archived information by selecting 'The History', then 'By Award', 'Producer of the Year' and 'Option Show Nominations'.
  7. ^ "Rocky Horror Returns". Stage Whispers. June 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  8. ^ Knox, David (6 December 2014). "Craig McLachlan to appear in Neighbours anniversary special". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  9. ^ Knox, David (28 February 2015). "Airdate: Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  10. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (4 March 2015). "Neighbours 30th anniversary schedule confirmed by Channel 5". Digital Spy. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  11. ^ Martin, Peter (22 July 2015). "'RESTORATION: New Images, Casting News for Stuart Willis Sci-Fi Film". screenanarchy.com. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  12. ^ a b Knowles, Lorna; Branley, Alison (8 January 2018). "Craig McLachlan accused of indecent assault, sexual harassment during Rocky Horror Show". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  13. ^ a b McClymont, Kate (8 January 2018). "'He's calculated and manipulative, a predator': Craig McLachlan accused of indecent assault". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  14. ^ a b Knowles, Lorna; Branley, Alison (8 January 2018). "Doctor Blake on hold as police investigate McLachlan allegations". abc.net.au.
  15. ^ "Craig McLachlan sues actress at heart of sexual assault claims—calling her a 'notoriously foul-mouthed woman who grabbed his boxers, joked about his penis size and gave him wedgies'". Australian Associated Press (AAP). 2 February 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  16. ^ a b Carmody, Broede (20 April 2018). "Doctor Blake Mysteries to return without Craig McLachlan". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  17. ^ a b Saintly, Lane (11 January 2019). "Actor Craig McLachlan Has Been Charged with Assault and Sex Offences". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  18. ^ a b Chang, Charis (11 January 2019). "Craig McLachlan: Actor charged with indecent assault and other offences". news.com.au. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  19. ^ Younger, Emma (8 February 2019). "Actor Craig McLachlan may go straight to trial on assault, sex offence charges, court told". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  20. ^ Ford, Mazoe (11 January 2019). "Craig McLachlan charged with sex offences by Victoria Police". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  21. ^ Younger, Emma (8 April 2019). "Craig McLachlan sex assault charges will not be heard by jury, magistrate rules". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  22. ^ Cooper, Adam (13 June 2019). "Craig McLachlan receives alternate assault charges from prosecutors". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  23. ^ Percy, Karen (18 November 2019). "Craig McLachlan faces court charged with indecently assaulting four 'vulnerable' women". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  24. ^ "Actor Craig McLachlan's courtroom singing 'unnecessary', magistrate says" by Caroline Schelle, news.com.au, 18 December 2020
  25. ^ a b Cooper, Adam (12 December 2020). "Craig McLachlan not guilty on all charges of indecent assault, common assault". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  26. ^ Estera, Christine (10 October 2023). "Craig McLachlan considered ending his life in wake of indecent assault trial". news.com.au. Retrieved 15 September 2024. McLachlan denied all the claims and in 2020, after a very public trial, he was cleared of all the charges. [...] McLachlan received a six-figure payout from Victoria Police [... of ] $500,000 in compensation to pay his legal fees.
  27. ^ a b "'Offensive': ABC blasts McLachlan show". news.com.au. 23 May 2021.
  28. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "'Disturbing' footage shows ABC journos 'coaching' answers to women making allegations". YouTube. 21 May 2021.
  29. ^ "Response to the Seven Network and Mark Llewellyn". 16 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Fresh allegations made against Craig McLachlan in defamation case documents". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 May 2021.
  31. ^ "Three more actresses, one actor say Craig McLachlan sexually harassed, bullied them, court documents allege". ABC News. Australia. 14 May 2021.
  32. ^ "UK host breaks 30-year silence to accuse McLachlan of groping her live on air". ABC News. Australia. 23 June 2021.
  33. ^ "Craig McLachlan and Jeanne Downs on Children's ITV". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 June 2021.
  34. ^ Tatham, Harriet; Parkes-Hupton, Heath (20 May 2022). "Craig McLachlan drops defamation case against ABC, Nine and Christie Whelan Browne". ABC News. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  35. ^ Vanessa Scammell (speaker) (9 September 2024). Craig McLachlan's #1MeToo attack. Bettina Arndt. Retrieved 15 September 2024 – via YouTube. We survived the discontinuance of a civil matter, making the very difficult decision to walk away only when we discovered the jury were not permitted to know that Craig had been found not guilty in a criminal matter.
  36. ^ a b c Stephens, Jessie (8 January 2018). "The woman in Craig McLachlan's life". MamaMia. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  37. ^ Denton, Andrew (18 April 2005). "Transcript: Craig McLachlan". Enough Rope with Andrew Denton. ABC Australia. Archived from the original on 22 April 2005. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  38. ^ Hall, Loretta (12 February 2014). "Let's do the Time Warp Again". The Weekly Review. Metro Media Publishing. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  39. ^ McClymont, Kate (8 January 2018). "The life and loves of Craig McLachlan". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  40. ^ a b c d e Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
  41. ^ "Bubbling Down Under". 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  42. ^ "GfK Dtch Charts:Craig McLachalan (albums)". GfK Dutch Charts Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  43. ^ "charts.nz: Craig McLachlan". charts.nz. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  44. ^ a b "Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  45. ^ "UK Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  46. ^ "Grease Album". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  47. ^ "Rocky Horror Show Album". Allmusic. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  48. ^ "Ultratop Belgian Charts". Ultratop.be. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  49. ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts – German Singles". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  50. ^ "The Irish Charts". IRMA 2006 – 2008. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  51. ^ "dutchcharts.nl – Dutch charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  52. ^ "NZ Charts – New Zealand charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  53. ^ Taylor, Andrew (14 July 2014). "Sweet Charity outshines Strictly Ballroom in 2014 Helpmann Awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  54. ^ Knox, David (27 April 2014). "Logie Awards 2014: Winners". TV Tonight. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  55. ^ Willis, Charlotte (22 March 2015). "Here's the full List of 2015 Logies nominations". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  56. ^ Knox, David (8 May 2016). "2016 Logie Awards: Winners". TV Tonight. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
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