John Gregg

John Gregg is a Hollywood and Australian classical actor and singer, born in 1940 in Tasmania, Australia, and graduated in acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. He started acting from a crime series Contrabandits in 1967. In the year 1960, two series, Bellbird and Contrabandits, aired on Australian TV. The two series broke the record and watched by every Australian people. Then the Australian Broadcasting Commission(ABC) decided to create a separate Television Drama Department for broadcast news and interesting stories, and the head was David Goddard.

David planned a new series name Delta, which shot in black and white color due to the budget problem, and a special film unit also created for picturizing the series. The lead character was two scientist Jeff Mallow and his assistant Inger Petri. The series set in rural-Australia, which shot in many locations like near Sydney, South Australia, and the Awaba coal mine near Newcastle. It was reported that Robin Ramsay is playing the character of Jeff Mallow, the lead scientist, but at the final moment, the role played by John Gregg was said that Jeff Mallow's character was straight forward, and I was short-tempered at that time.

Kirrliy Nolan, who played the character of Inter said it was important character for me because only a few lead roles was written for ladies at that time and I see Inger for searching a job in the men's world. Delta premiered on September 25, 1968, in Sydney. The series found a mixed review from critics. Another lead character revealed in the final episode of the first season, although it was not planned. It titled, R.I.P. and filmed in the Blue Mountain near west Sydney. Katy Wild, a guest who signed a contract and during the rehearsal, she fell from a horse and her leg broke. After that, she could not work for six months and her character was replaced by Patsy Trench; she was signed at the last moment.

Patsy impressed the producer David Goddard with her acting and the producer signed her for the second series. The first series finished in December 1969. First series completed twelve episodes and second eleven episodes. The audience specially, children requested the producer to stay on their property when the next Delta team will come in their district. The series also won an Australian Film Institute Bronze Reel Award, and Australian Writers Guild Awgie Award for writing best script. There were a number of reasons that why the third season can not happen? David Goddard was not finding it easy running the ABC department in addition to producing and directing the episodes.

These problems and other internal politics forced David to resign from his post and returning to England in 1970. John Gregg became the part of many popular films and TV series like Captain Games Cook, Trouble in Paradise, Captain Cook, Traveling North, The Ripped, Ebbtide. To End All Wars, Bodyline, Doctor Who, Operation Buffalo, House of Bond, Old School. Contrabandits TV series was directed by John Cameron. The next series, which produced by ABC Drama Department was Dynasty, by Tony Morphett. Then in 1979, John Gregg played the center role with ABC Department, in The Oracle.

John Gregg said in an interview, It was strange, I knew nothing about theater, I was never watched a play, but they sent me a message,’ You can come if you want to,’. John Gregg had become student of National Institute of Dramatic Art, where his fellows classmates in the first year was famous actor and director Robyn Nevin, John Boden, Elspeth Ballantyne, Elaine Cusack and Peter Couchman. When the teacher said to John Gregg to improvise in the study he just lied. In his class, he used to sit behind and taking notes that he would not be asked for doing anything.

After graduation, John chosen to work with the Elizabethan Theater Trust. John never wanted to become an actor, he wanted to become a farmer, but NIDA showed him the way of acting. It’s starting was terrified, but he continued with his studies and now he is a successful actor.