Ian Rawlings

{{Infobox person

| name = Ian Rawlings

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1959|03|09}}

| birth_place = Whyalla, South Australia, Australia

| occupation = Actor

| known_for = Wayne Hamilton in Sons and Daughters
Philip Martin in Neighbours

| years active = 1982−2023

| spouse = Lee Dowling

| children = 2

}}

Ian Rawlings (born 9 March 1959) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his long-running roles in soap operas Sons and Daughters and Neighbours. He also appeared in the short-lived serial The Power, The Passion.

Early life

Rawlings was born on 9 March 1959,{{cite magazine|date=October 1994|title=Profile – Ian Rawlings|magazine=Inside Soap|issue=26|pages=36–37}} in Whyalla, South Australia.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}} He developed a keen interest in betting on horse racing after his father and grandfather took him to the races in Adelaide.

Rawlings worked as a storeman in Adelaide for a computer company, before becoming a model when he was 18.{{cite magazine|last=Pogorelske|first=Paulyne|date=11 December 1982|title=Self-confessed ladies' man|magazine=TV Week|pages=2–3}} He later worked loading trucks at a large freight company, and as a tow-truck driver.{{cite magazine|date=7 November 1981|title=Newcomers feature in Nine's new show|magazine=TV Week|page=47}}

Career

Rawlings had little acting experience when he signed for the Grundy Organisation in 1981 to play Wayne Hamilton in Sons and Daughters.{{cite magazine|date=4 May 1985|title=Ian's wicked, winning ways|magazine=TV Week|page=97}} He had spent two years trying to secure substantial acting work, and appeared in several amateur productions and as an extra in films produced by the South Australian Film Corporation. He was initially contracted for 15 weeks. In 1985, Rawlings also portrayed his character's look-alike Gary Evans. That same year, he won the Logie Award for Best Supporting Actor in A Series. Rawlings continued in the role of Wayne for the show's entire 1982–1987 run.{{cite book|last=Mercado|first=Andrew|year=2004|title=Super Aussie Soaps: Behind The Scenes of Australia's Best Loved TV Shows|publisher=Pluto Press Australia|isbn=1-86403-191-3|page=181}} Ahead of production ending in March 1987, Rawlings formed his own production company, after completing a producers course at the Australian Film and Television School.{{cite magazine|last=Cook|first=Stephen|date=20 December 1986|title=Kids' stuff|magazine=TV Week|page=14}}

In 1989, Rawlings appeared in the short-lived Seven Network soap opera The Power, The Passion as Ryan McAllister.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005481/19980221/132/0018|title=Quit acting to become a salesman|date=21 February 1998|work=The Weekly News|access-date=24 April 2025|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} After The Power, The Passion was cancelled, Rawlings took on a job as a salesman at the freight company he previously worked for prior to his acting career taking off. He said it was a "natural place to go back to" with no acting work forthcoming. He found that being well known to the public helped him with sales.

In 1992, Rawlings had a guest role as Marcus Stone in the Network Ten soap opera Neighbours.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004769/19930929/021/0021|title=Tim's TV chat|last=Davey|first=Tim|date=29 September 1993|work=Bristol Evening Post|access-date=24 April 2025|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} A few months later, he joined the main cast as Philip Martin, taking over the role from Christopher Milne. Rawlings played Philip until 1999.{{Cite news | date = 28 November 1999 | title = Soaps in crisis | work=The Sunday Mail | location = Brisbane, Australia | page = 7 }} He briefly reprised this role in episodes commemorating the programme's 20th anniversary in 2005.{{Cite news | last1 = Bell | first1 = Adam | last2 = Koch | first2 = Phillip | date = 17 July 2005 | title = When good friends step back in time | work=The Sunday Mail | location = Brisbane, Australia | page = 4 }} Rawlings reprised the role for the Neighbours vs Time Travel webseries in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/neighbours/a841945/neighbours-return-philip-martin-stingray-timmins-halloween-web-seres/|title=Neighbours brings back Philip Martin and Stingray Timmins for Halloween time-travelling series|last=Dainty|first=Sophie|date=31 October 2017|publisher=Digital Spy|access-date=24 April 2025}} Rawlings made a cameo appearance in the final episode of Neighbours in mid-2022,{{cite web|url=https://www.nowtolove.com.au/entertainment/tv/where-are-the-cast-of-sons-and-daughters-now-76662/|title=Where are the cast of Sons & Daughters now?|last=Gracie|first=Elizabeth|date=7 February 2023|work=Woman's Day|access-date=24 April 2025}} and again in late 2023, when the series was picked up once again.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/neighbours/neighbours-cast-returns-flashback-week-newsupdate/|title=Neighbours confirms major cast returns with teaser for flashback week|last=Hibbs|first=James|date=6 November 2023|work=Radio Times|access-date=24 April 2025}}

Rawlings struggled to find work after leaving Neighbours, and launched his own entertainment business Trivial Fun and Games for clubs and hotels.{{cite magazine|last=Brygel|first=Jackie|last2=Gray|first2=Sigourney|date=1–7 January 2005|title=Former residents|magazine=TV Week|issue=1|page=20}} He made guest appearances in Stingers and MDA in 2003. In 2019, Rawlings was working as a bingo caller at the Werribee Rotary Club.{{cite web|url=https://wyndham.starweekly.com.au/news/eyes-down-for-serious-fun/|title=Eyes down for serious fun|last=Macaulay|first=Charlene|date=27 February 2019|work=Star Weekly|access-date=24 April 2025}}

Personal life

Rawlings met his wife, model Lee Dowling, while he was performing at an opening ceremony for a chicken takeaway shop. He proposed after six weeks, and they married four months later in September 1984 on the Isle of Capri. Several of his Sons and Daughters co-stars were in attendance, along with his brother and Dowling's daughter from her marriage to Garry Dowling.{{cite magazine|last=Cook|first=Stephen|date=27 October 1984|title=Wedding fever – two stars say 'I do'|magazine=TV Week|pages=6–7}} Rawlings and Dowling also have one child together, a daughter.

Filmography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Notes
scope="row"\| 1982–1987 \| Sons and Daughters \| Wayne Hamilton / Gary Evans \| Series regular
scope="row"\| 1989 \|The Power, The Passion \| Ryan McAlistor \| Series regular
scope="row"\| 1990 \|Mission: Impossible \| Gibbs \| Episode: "Cargo Cult"
scope="row"\| 1992 \|Neighbours \| Marcus Stone \| Guest
scope="row"\| 1992–1999, 2005, 2022, 2023 \| Neighbours \| Philip Martin \| Series regular
scope="row"\| 1999 \| Night Fever \| Contestant \| Episode: "Millennium Eve Special"
scope="row"\| 2000 \| It's Anybody's Guess \| Contestant \|
scope="row"\| 2000 \| Blue Heelers \| Matthew Quinn \| Episode: "Life Class"
scope="row"\| 2003 \|Stingers \| Tyrone Pattison \| Episode: "New Blood"
scope="row"\| 2003 \| Blue Heelers \| Dennis Morgan \| Episode: "Every Man and His Ute"
scope="row"\| 2003 \| MDA \| Paul Rees \| Episode: "Bigger Fish to Fry"
scope="row"\| 2006 \| Temptation \| Contestant \| Episode: "Superchallenge: Heat 3"
scope="row"\| 2006 \| Where Are They Now? \| Guest \|
scope="row"\| 2017 \|Neighbours vs Time Travel \| Philip \| Webseries

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

scope="row"| 1982–1987

| Sons and Daughters

| Wayne Hamilton / Gary Evans

| Series regular

scope="row"| 1989

|The Power, The Passion

| Ryan McAlistor