Serge Lazareff

{{Short description|Australian actor and scriptwriter (1944–2021)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Serge Lazareff

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date |1944|08|07|df=y}}

| birth_place = Shanghai, China

| death_date = {{death date and age |2021|8|20 |1944|8|7 |df=yes}}

| birth_name = Serge Constantine Lazareff

| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|screenwriter}}

| yearsactive = 1970–2004|

}}

Serge Constantine Lazareff (7 August 1944 – 20 August 2021) was an Australian actor and screenwriter/editor, who was born in Shanghai, China. He appeared in 54 roles from the late 1960s until 1999, before starting a second career as a writer for TV series.

Acting

Lazareff performed in many Australian television series from the late 1960s to the late 1990s and made numerous appearances in Crawford Productions police shows including The Sullivans, Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Chopper Squad. He had a featured part in the 1970 ABC-TV drama series Dynasty. Lazareff also appeared in Cash & Co., a 1970s historical adventure series.

Lazareff is probably best remembered by Australian audiences for his role in the 1970s TV drama Young Ramsay, in which he starred alongside friend and co-star John Hargreaves.{{Cite web|url=http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/YoungRamsayPage1.htm|title=Classic Australian Television - Young Ramsey|website=Classic Australian TV}}

He also appeared in The Young Doctors (playing fake Dr Ian Parish, really called Jack Trainer), Glenview High, Prisoner (as teacher David Andrews during episodes aired in 1981), Cop Shop, Bellamy, Carson's Law, A Country Practice, Special Squad, Sons and Daughters, Richmond Hill (as Neil Travers during 1988) and then E Street (in 1989 as rapist and murderer Sam Bullmer).

Writing

From the late 1980s, Lazareff worked primarily as a writer and script editor for TV series including Heartbreak High,{{Cite web|url=http://www.heartbreak-high.com/crewinterview_serge.htm|title=Serge Lazareff - Writer and Actor|website=Heartbreak High}} Water Rats, All Saints and Home and Away.

Death

Lazareff died in August 2021. He had apparently been ill for some time. Although there were no mainstream media reports, he was included in the 2022 Logie Awards "In Memoriam" montage.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Type
1970 \| Ned Kelly \| Wild Wright \| TV film
1971 \| 3 to Go: Judy \| Mike \| Short film
1972 \| Flashpoint \| David \| Feature film
1975 \| Sidecar Racers \| Bluey Wilson \| Feature film
1975 \| The True Story of Eskimo Nell (aka Dick Down Under) \| Mexico Pete \| Feature film
1976 \| The Judging Ring \| \| TV film
1976 \| Eliza Fraser \| Doyle \| Feature film
1976 \| McManus MPB \| Mr. Charles \| TV film
1977 \| Say You Want Me \| Tony Crosby \| Feature film
1981 \| Rusty Bugles \| \| TV film
1982 \| The Best of Friends \| Colin \| Feature film
1986 \| Departure \| Simon Swift \| Feature film
1987 \| Great Expectations: The Untold Story \| Courtney \|TV film
1987 \| The Lighthorsemen \| Major George Rankin \| Feature film
1989 \| Luigi's Ladies \| Trev \| Feature film

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Type

1970

| Ned Kelly

| Wild Wright

| TV film

1971

| 3 to Go: Judy

| Mike

| Short film

1972

| Flashpoint

| David

| Feature film

1975

| Sidecar Racers

| Bluey Wilson

| Feature film

1975

| The True Story of Eskimo Nell (aka Dick Down Under)

| Mexico Pete

| Feature film

1976

| The Judging Ring

| TV film

1976

| Eliza Fraser

| Doyle

| Feature film

1976

| McManus MPB

| Mr. Charles

| TV film

1977

| Say You Want Me

| Tony Crosby

| Feature film

1981

| Rusty Bugles

| TV film

1982

| The Best of Friends

| Colin

| Feature film

1986

| Departure

| Simon Swift

| Feature film

1987

| Great Expectations: The Untold Story

| Courtney

|TV film

1987

| The Lighthorsemen

| Major George Rankin

| Feature film

1989

| Luigi's Ladies

| Trev

| Feature film

=Television=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Type
1969-70 \| The Rovers \| Constable / Tony / Fisherman \| TV series
1970 \| The Long Arm \| Neville Martin \| TV series
1971 \| The Thursday Creek Mob \| Private Shorty MacGoohan \| TV series
1970-71 \| Dynasty \| Christopher Mason \| TV series
1972 \| Quartet \| \| TV miniseries
1972 \| Over There \| \| TV series
1973 \| The Spoiler \| Teddy \| TV series
1973 \| Spyforce \| Lance Corporal Wayne Goodser \| TV series
1972-73 \| Boney \| Greg Green/Dick Lake \| TV series \|
1973 \| Ryan \| Patrick \| TV series
1972-74 \| Matlock Police \| 5 character roles \| TV series
1971-75 \| Division 4 \| 5 character roles \| TV series
1975 \| Cash and Company \| Sam Cash \| TV miniseries
1975 \| The Rise and Fall of Wellington Boots \| \| TV series
1970-76 \| Homicide \| 4 character roles \| TV series
1976 \| The Lost Islands \| Guard Quat/Guardian \| TV series
1977 \| The Outsiders \| Brad Fraser \| TV series
1976-77 \| Bluey \| Joey Raven/Janos \| TV series, 2 episodes
1978 \| Chopper Squad \| Criminal \| TV series
1979 \| Glenview High \| \| TV series
1979 \| The Young Doctors \| Dr. Ian Parrish (Jack Trainer) \| TV series
1977-80 \| Young Ramsay \| Ray Turner \| TV series
1981 \| Bellamy \| Blake \| TV series
1981 \| Prisoner \| David Andrews \| TV series, 24 episodes
1982 \| 1915 \| Blackly Reid \| TV miniseries
1978-82 \| Cop Shop \| Various \| TV series
1984 \| Special Squad \| \| TV series, 1 episode
1984 \| Carson's Law \| Ian Ainslley \| TV series
1985 \| Five Mile Creek \| Mikey \| TV series
1985 \| Possession \| \| TV series
1987 \| Sons and Daughters \| Detective. Morris \| TV series
1982-87 \| A Country Practice \| Various \| TV series
1988 \| The Dirtwater Dynasty \| Harvey Purcell \| TV miniseries
1988 \| Richmond Hill \| Neil Travers \| TV series
1989 \| E Street \| Sam Bullmer \| TV series
1991 \| G.P. \| Bert Lang \| TV series
1999 \| Heartbreak High \| Dragon \| TV series

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Type

1969-70

| The Rovers

| Constable / Tony / Fisherman

| TV series

1970

| The Long Arm

| Neville Martin