Tom Long (actor)
{{Short description|Australian actor (1968–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tom Long
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Thomas Andrew Long
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1968|8|3|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, US
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2020|1|4|1968|8|3}}
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| alma_mater = National Institute of Dramatic Art
| occupation = Film and television actor
| years_active = 1992–2012
| spouse = {{marriage|Rebecca Fleming|2019}}
| partner = Rachael Maza
| children = 1
| website =
}}
Thomas Andrew Long{{cite web|via=Victoria State Government|work=Victoria Government Gazette|title=No. G 42 Thursday 22 October 2020|access-date=5 November 2020|page=5|url=https://www.gazette.vic.gov.au/gazette/Gazettes2020/GG2020G042.pdf}} (3 August 1968 – 4 January 2020) was an Australian film and television actor. He played court official and avid surfer Angus in the late 1990s TV series SeaChange and Brenden Abbott in the 2003 Australian TV movie The Postcard Bandit.
Early life
Long was born on 3 August 1968 in Boston, Massachusetts, as his Australian parents were visiting there at the time.{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Australian and New Zealand Cinema|pages=159–160|author1=Aveyard, Karina|author2=Moran, Albert|author3=Vieth, Errol|year=2017|edition=2nd|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|location=Lanham, Maryland|isbn=978-1-538-11127-7}} On their return to Australia he grew up on a farm near Benalla, Victoria. He worked as a jackaroo and shearer after attending Geelong Grammar School, before going abroad, travelling to India, the United Kingdom, Los Angeles, and South Carolina.{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/seachange/tom.htm|title=SeaChange|date=23 June 2016|website=Sea Change website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623100957/http://www.abc.net.au/seachange/tom.htm|archive-date=23 June 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=15 April 2019}}
After returning to Australia, Long successfully auditioned for a place at the National Institute of Dramatic Art,{{Citation|title=Much Ado About NIDA|date=7 November 2018|url=https://www.abc.net.au/austory/much-ado-about-nida-august-16,-2001/10474016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415105405/https://www.abc.net.au/austory/much-ado-about-nida-august-16,-2001/10474016|url-status=live|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=15 April 2019|archive-date=15 April 2019}} graduating in 1994.
Career
Long appeared in several Australian television series, most notably the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) hit SeaChange (1998–2000) and the Nine Network police drama Young Lions (2002). He appeared in the Australian films Two Hands (1999) and The Dish (2000). Long played Brenden Abbott in the 2003 telemovie The Postcard Bandit and appeared in the film The Book of Revelation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/tom-long-confronts-his-fears-20060908-gdoce9.html|title=Tom Long confronts his fears|last=Colbert|first=Mary|date=7 September 2006|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415105540/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/tom-long-confronts-his-fears-20060908-gdoce9.html?js-chunk-not-found-refresh=true|archive-date=15 April 2019|url-status=live|access-date=15 April 2019}}
He also appeared in The Last of the Ryans, Doing Time for Patsy Cline, Do or Die, Risk, Heroes' Mountain: The Thredbo Story, Black Jack: Ghosts, Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback, and East of Everything, and Woodley.
Long stopped acting after he collapsed on stage during a performance of the play Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country at the Sydney Opera House in July 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/australian-actor-tom-long-reveals-he-is-living-with-incurable-cancer-20190325-p517dn.html|title=Australian actor Tom Long reveals he is living with incurable cancer|last=Carmody|first=Broede|date=25 March 2019|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409225028/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/australian-actor-tom-long-reveals-he-is-living-with-incurable-cancer-20190325-p517dn.html|archive-date=9 April 2019|url-status=live|access-date=15 April 2019}}
Personal life
Long was in a long-term relationship with actress Rachael Maza, breaking up in 1998 just before the birth of their son, Ariel. The couple reunited in 2005, after Maza and Ariel survived a deadly car accident, albeit with serious injuries.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/year-of-living-dangerously-20060827-ge2zvp.html |title=Year of living dangerously |date=2006-08-27 |access-date=2020-01-06 |website=The Age}}
Long married Rebecca Fleming in February 2019.
Long was diagnosed in 2012 with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and received a stem cell transplant to treat the disease. In December 2018, Long was given an updated prognosis of 3–12 months to live. In March 2019, Long travelled to Seattle, Washington, to undergo a medical trial, after which he was pronounced "cancer free".{{Cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/seachange-star-tom-long-has-months-to-live/news-story/93975fb4a9436fee2809091c7c2e5f77|title=Tom Long: SeaChange star has 'months to live' |last=Bond |first=Nick |date=25 March 2019 |website=www.news.com.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408222028/https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/seachange-star-tom-long-has-months-to-live/news-story/93975fb4a9436fee2809091c7c2e5f77|archive-date=8 April 2019 |url-status=live |access-date=15 April 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/seachange-actor-tom-long-dead-at-50-reports/news-story/4b2541657e7bdcd924447f48dc24558b|title=SeaChange actor Tom Long dead: reports|date=4 January 2020|website=NewsComAu|language=en|access-date=4 January 2020}}
On 4 January 2020, Long died of encephalitis at age 51.{{cite news|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=5 January 2020|title= Australian actor Tom Long dies: report|url= https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/australian-actor-tom-long-dies-report-20200105-p53ow3.html}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Type |
|---|
| 1994
| Billy Livingstone | Feature film |
| 1997
| Peter Walker |
| 1997
| Brad Goodall |
| 1999
| Wally | Feature film |
| 1999
| Ewan | Feature film |
| 2000
| Risk | Ben Madigan |
| 2000
| The Dish | Glenn Latham | Feature film |
| 2001
| Hildegarde | Tony | Feature film |
| 2002
| Paul Featherstone |
| 2003 |
| 2006
| Daniel | Feature film |
| 2006
| Mike |
| 2007
| Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback | Tony Elliot |
=Television=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Type |
|---|
| 1992
| Ned | TV miniseries (2 part) |
| 1995
| Dave Campbell | TV series |
| 1998-2000
| Angus Kabiri | TV series |
| 2001
| Michael Tyler / Joey |
| 2002
| Det. Sr. Const. Guy 'Guido' Martin | TV series |
| 2006
| Karl Wells | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008-09
| Vance Watkins |
| 2012
| Woodley | Greg | TV series{{Cite web|url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/woodley-2011/29857/|title=Woodley (2011) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia|website=www.screenaustralia.gov.au|accessdate=5 January 2020}} (final appearance) |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0519212|name=Tom Long}}
- [http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertainment/movies/tom-long-int-revelations.htm Interview : Web Wombat Movie Channel]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Tom}}
Category:Australian male film actors
Category:Australian male television actors
Category:Male actors from Victoria (state)
Category:National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni
Category:Male actors from Boston