Gary Waddell: Australian actor known for Blue Heelers, Chopper dies aged 74

An acting icon best known for his small roles across a range of some of the most iconic films and TV shows ever produced in Australia has died aged 74.

Gary Waddell died earlier this week after a short battle with dementia. Waddell’s career on Australian film and TV spanned nearly 50 years and included parts in iconic shows like Blue Heelers, Home and Away, A Country Practice and Rake.

Family, friends and former colleagues have sung the praises of the “hilarious, beautiful, charming” and “naughty” Victorian, who first appeared on Australian screens as the leading man of edgy 1975 drama Pure Sh*t, in which he played a heroin addict.

Singer-songwriter Lo Carmen said Waddell was a “one-of-a-kind, heart-of-f**king-gold dude”.

“He used to turn up at our place with little cars and books and old cool toys and gifts for our son Dutch, just because he was full of love,” Carmen said.

“We’d stand around talking about books and films and food and nothing and everything and laughing our heads off for the next two hours.

“You’d be in tears of laughter. I don’t know why on earth he wasn’t cast in everything.”

Waddell’s talent managers said he “passed away peacefully” after living with dementia “over the last few years”.

“Gary was one of a kind, a true artist in every sense of the word, and his body of Australian work was so utterly impressive,” they wrote on Facebook.

“The SJM team send their love to Gary’s family at this time. Thanks for everything Gary, you will be missed. We’ve hat a lot of fun over the years.”

Waddell most recently appeared in the 2022 film The Survival of Kindness.