22 May 2011

Death of Australian actor

10:59 am on 22 May 2011

One of Australia's best known actors, Bill Hunter, died on Saturday night.

Hunter, 71, appeared in more than 100 films, including Muriel's Wedding (1994) as the father of the bride, Gallipoli (1981), Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) as an outback mechanic.

The ABC reports he was admitted to a hospice in Melbourne earlier this week after refusing to go into hospital. He had cancer.

Hunter was born in Ballarat, Victoria, and started his career in television in the 1960s.

He appeared as an extra in The Shiralee in 1957 and On the Beach in 1959.

In 1978 he won an AFI award for best actor for his part in the movie Newsfront, which won eight AFI awards that year, including best film.

Hunter's final role was playing Bart Cummings in The Cup.