Benjamin McNair
Encyclopedia
Benjamin John McNair is an Australian actor. McNair is perhaps best known for his role as Malcolm Kennedy
in the soap opera Neighbours
which he played from 1994–97 returning briefly in 2002, 2004 and 2011 with a cameo appearance
in 2005.
Prior to his role in Neighbours he appeared in several television commercials as well as guest roles is television shows such as G.P. and Home and Away
.
During this period he travelled to the UK where he performed on stage in several Christmas pantomime
s such his role as Prince Charming in Sunderland's Cinderella
and at Tunbridge Wells in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
.
McNair left the soap in 1997, with his character moving to London. Since leaving Neighbours, McNair has continued acting on television and stage.
He was cast as Joseph in the original The Secret Life of Us
telemovie for Network Ten
in Australia in 2001. He would later play Joseph, Deborah Mailman
's boyfriend, during the first season of television series of the same name.
He has guest-starred in popular television series such as All Saints
(1999), Something in the Air (2001), and Blue Heelers
(2000; 2002; 2005). He also played lead roles in Marshall Law
(2002); Nine Network
's Stingers
(2004); Last Man Standing (2005); and the children's series Wicked Science
. He co-starred in the short film Umbrella Men with Damian Walshe-Howling
.
McNair continued to perform on stage, returning to England to play the role of Ferdinand in the Stafford Summer Festival's production of Shakespeare's The Tempest
in 1999. He has also appeared as Matt in Broken
; Darko Reeves in Blowback
; Casper St Clair in Next Best Thing and seven different characters in the black comedy
The Steve Promise Story. McNair is an accomplished Voice Over Artist who can be heard on numerous radio and television commercials.
He returned to Neighbours, once again playing Malcolm for short stints in 2002 and 2004. In mid-2005 he made another return to Neighbours as part of the series' 20th anniversary episode. On 9 May 2011, it was announced that McNair would be returning to Neighbours in July 2011 for a four month guest stint.
Malcolm Kennedy
Malcolm George "Mal" Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Benjamin McNair. He made his first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 arriving to live in Ramsay Street with his family...
in the soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
which he played from 1994–97 returning briefly in 2002, 2004 and 2011 with a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in 2005.
Early life
McNair moved to Australia with his family when he was 18 months old. He developed an interest in performing and began studies at the Australian Theatre for Young People and completed a season at the NIDA Summer School in Sydney.Prior to his role in Neighbours he appeared in several television commercials as well as guest roles is television shows such as G.P. and Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
.
Career
At the age of 19 McNair moved to Melbourne having secured the role of Malcolm, the oldest of the Kennedys' children.During this period he travelled to the UK where he performed on stage in several Christmas pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
s such his role as Prince Charming in Sunderland's Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
and at Tunbridge Wells in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
.
McNair left the soap in 1997, with his character moving to London. Since leaving Neighbours, McNair has continued acting on television and stage.
He was cast as Joseph in the original The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
telemovie for Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
in Australia in 2001. He would later play Joseph, Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman , is an Australian television and film actress. She was the first Aboriginal actress to win the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role...
's boyfriend, during the first season of television series of the same name.
He has guest-starred in popular television series such as All Saints
All Saints (TV series)
All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009...
(1999), Something in the Air (2001), and Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
(2000; 2002; 2005). He also played lead roles in Marshall Law
Marshall Law
Marshall Law was an Australian television series, which aired on the Seven Network in 2002, starring Lisa McCune and Alison Whyte as lawyers and sisters.- History :...
(2002); Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's Stingers
Stingers
Stingers was an Australian police drama television series. It ran for eight seasons on the Nine Network before it was canceled in late 2004 due to declining ratings and the late timeslot Channel Nine gave the program...
(2004); Last Man Standing (2005); and the children's series Wicked Science
Wicked Science
Wicked Science is an Australian television series, which debuted on 2 July 2004. The series focuses on Toby and Elizabeth , two teenagers who are mysteriously turned into wizards of science...
. He co-starred in the short film Umbrella Men with Damian Walshe-Howling
Damian Walshe-Howling
Damian Walshe-Howling is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Andrew "Benji" Veniamin in the Australian underworld drama, Underbelly, for which he won the Best Supporting or Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the 2008 AFI Awards.-Biography:He also starred on Blue Heelers as Constable Adam...
.
McNair continued to perform on stage, returning to England to play the role of Ferdinand in the Stafford Summer Festival's production of Shakespeare's The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
in 1999. He has also appeared as Matt in Broken
Broken
Broken is an extended play release by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on September 22, 1992. Produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Flood, the EP is considerably heavier and takes influence from industrial metal and noise rock, rather than the primitive...
; Darko Reeves in Blowback
Blowback
Blowback may refer to one of the following:*Blowback *Blowback *Blowback , vacuum effect created in the barrel of a firearm when it is discharged...
; Casper St Clair in Next Best Thing and seven different characters in the black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
The Steve Promise Story. McNair is an accomplished Voice Over Artist who can be heard on numerous radio and television commercials.
He returned to Neighbours, once again playing Malcolm for short stints in 2002 and 2004. In mid-2005 he made another return to Neighbours as part of the series' 20th anniversary episode. On 9 May 2011, it was announced that McNair would be returning to Neighbours in July 2011 for a four month guest stint.