David Clencie
David Clencie | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964 or 1965 (age 59–60)[1] Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Real estate agent, Voice-over artist |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Children | 1 |
David Clencie (born 1964 or 1965) is an Australian actor. He made his debut aged 15 in the children's television series Sam's Luck. He was cast in the lead role of Sam Parkes, after impressing the producer while auditioning for the ABC network. He then appeared in police drama Cop Shop and the 1981 miniseries I Can Jump Puddles. The following year, Clencie joined the cast of The Sullivans as Steve Sullivan, a role which he considered to be his big break. He also had roles in Home, A Country Practice, and Starting Out. From 1985 until 1986, Clencie played Danny Ramsay in the soap opera Neighbours. He left the cast after he and the producers agreed that his character would be rested. After leaving Neighbours, Clencie had a career in real estate and became a voice-over artist for television commercials. He made guest appearances in numerous television dramas, including Blue Heelers. He briefly reprised his Neighbours role in July 2005.
Early life
[edit]Clencie grew up in East Malvern.[2] His mother was a homemaker and his father owned an advertising agency. He has a younger sister.[2] Clencie's father committed suicide in 1993, and Clencie later believed this event led to him becoming dependent on alcohol.[3] Clencie attended Melbourne Grammar School.[3] He was a percussionist in the Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra and also played football.[2]
Career
[edit]Clencie made his first television appearance aged 15 in the 1980 children's series Sam's Luck.[1][4] Clencie had very little acting experience prior to auditioning for ABC, but he impressed the producer of the series, who then cast him in the lead role.[5] Clencie starred as Sam Parkes, who wins some money betting on the races and takes care of his younger siblings while their mother is in Singapore. Jill Morris of The Age praised Clencie for his performance.[1] The following year, Clencie made a guest appearance in police drama Cop Shop,[5] and he played Joe in the miniseries I Can Jump Puddles.[4] During filming, he was knocked out when he fell from a horse.[4] Clencie then went on to join the main cast of The Sullivans as Jim Sullivan's (Andy Anderson) younger brother, Steve.[4] At the time, The Sullivans was Australia's most watched television show and Clencie considered the role his big break.[5]
In 1983, Clencie appeared in the children's television series Home as Mike the stablehand,[6] and guested in an episode of A Country Practice.[7] He also starred in the short-lived soap opera Starting Out as student Ben McNamara.[8] Clencie branded it the "lowlight" of his career at the time.[5] After Starting Out was cancelled, Clencie left television for a time to appear in various theatre productions, including Michael Gow's The Kid, which he called a highlight of his career.[5][9] He also worked in the art department of the Network Ten miniseries The Dunera Boys, became involved in music and joined a band.[5] Clencie filmed a role in the Australian feature film Run Chrissie Run! in 1984, but it was not released until 1986.[10]
In 1984, Clencie joined the cast of new soap opera Neighbours as teenager Danny Ramsay. He initially signed on for six months with a six month option.[5] He admitted to being "tentative" about signing up for another long-running series.[5] He also told Patrice Fidgeon of TV Week that he had to give up a role in a Chekov play when he joined Neighbours. However, he found his character interesting and thought he was "a bit different from all the others."[5] Neighbours premiered on 18 March 1985, and Jacqueline Lee Lewis of The Sydney Morning Herald included Clencie in her list of younger actors "worth keeping an eye on."[11] Neighbours was cancelled by Seven Network in its first year due to low ratings, but it was soon saved by rival network Ten. During the break between filming, Clencie began a relationship with his co-star Vikki Blanche and the couple lived together for six months.[12]
Clencie filmed his final scenes for Neighbours in June 1986.[12] The media speculated that he had been sacked from the role, but Clencie clarified in a TV Week interview that he and the producers had come to a mutual agreement that his character would be rested. He explained that he was offered three different contracts, but it was eventually agreed that he would take a break.[12] Clencie admitted to having had "an unprofessional attitude in the past" and letting down the cast and crew, but he had changed his ways and it did not contribute to his departure.[12] Clencie's workload had dropped from five episodes a week to two, as the show began focussing on other characters. He thought there was a lot of potential for Danny, but accepted that Neighbours had moved in a different direction.[12] Clencie's final scenes aired in July 1986, as his character relocates to another town for work.[12]
After leaving Neighbours, Clencie began a career in real estate.[13] In 1987, he helped to sell his former co-star Stefan Dennis's Elwood house.[14] He also became a voice-over artist for television commercials.[15] Clencie later returned to acting with guest roles in television dramas, including Blue Heelers.[16] In July 2005, he joined several former Neighbours cast members in reprising their roles for an appearance in the show's 20th anniversary episode.[17] Clencie was highly critical of the serial's 2022 then-finale and the producers, accusing them of stealing a storyline idea for his character.[18]
Personal life
[edit]In October 2014, Clencie was arrested for assaulting his partner twice in one day, while under the influence of alcohol. He admitted in court that he had a 30-year alcohol addiction, and had acted in self defence. Clencie was refused bail.[19] He later pleaded guilty to the charges,[16] and served three months in Melbourne Remand Centre and three months in Port Phillip Prison.[3] In March 2015, Clencie was arrested and jailed for 15 days after breaching a family violence order, after police found him at the home of his partner.[16] His lawyer told the court that Clencie's partner had applied to have the intervention order removed, and they should have waited before meeting. He also said that Clencie was "substantially" free of alcohol, having undergone rehabilitation and counselling.[16]
Clencie and his partner, Megan, got engaged a month after he left jail. They married in front of their family and friends in October 2015.[3] Clencie has a son from a previous relationship.[3] Clencie is a Richmond Tigers supporter, and has a diploma in horticulture.[2]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Sam's Luck | Sam Parkes | Main cast |
| 1981 | Cop Shop | Joey Baxter | Episodes: "#299" and "#300" |
| 1981 | I Can Jump Puddles | Joe Carmichael | Miniseries |
| 1982 | The Sullivans | Steve Sullivan | Main cast |
| 1983 | Home | Mike | Recurring role |
| 1983 | A Country Practice | Rick Jamieson | Episode: "Pioneering Spirit" |
| 1983 | Starting Out | Ben McNamara | Main cast |
| 1985–1986, 2005 | Neighbours | Danny Ramsay | Main cast |
| 1986 | Run Chrissie Run! | Paul | Feature film |
| 2001 | Blue Heelers | Bob Bancroft | Episode: "Chop Chop" |
| 2001 | Stingers | Human Services Manager | Episode: "Closure" |
| 2002 | Stingers | Jocko | Episode: "Old Scores" |
| 2002 | MDA | Jack Panogeas | Episode: "Scylla and Charybdis" |
| 2004 | Fergus McPhail | Car owner | Episode: "Buddies" |
| 2004 | Blue Heelers | Mark Deeble | Episode: "Cast the First Stone" |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Morris, Jill (3 July 1980). "Sam's luck means bad luck for Auntie". The Age. Retrieved 8 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Mulholland, Ken; Batten, Matt; Clencie, David (22 July 2022). Talking Prisoner Presents Neighbours EP 3 Interview with David Clencie Danny Ramsay. Talking Prisoner via YouTube. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Koha, Nui Te (27 February 2016). "Sobering fall from Ramsay St to prison cell". Herald Sun. Retrieved 4 May 2024 – via Gale.
- ^ a b c d Morris, Jill (18 February 1982). "Sullivans import problem-solvers". The Age. Retrieved 8 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Fidgeon, Patrice (23 March 1985). "'Schoolboy' back in the workforce". TV Week. p. 23.
- ^ "Top viewing". The Age. 5 May 1983. Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wednesday TV". The Age. 6 October 1983. Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brown, Jenny (7 April 1983). "Starting slowly". The Age. Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Radic, Leonard (30 January 1984). "Young victims of the times". The Age. Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Run Chrissie Run!". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Lee Lewis, Jacqueline (17 March 1985). "The mum, the dads, the boys, girls next door..." The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f Cook, Stephen (9 August 1986). "'Why I quit' Neighbours star tells". TV Week. p. 56.
- ^ Julians, Joe (24 March 2020). "Original Neighbours cast member talks show beginnings as soap turns 35". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ Betley, Graham (19 December 1987). "Auction is a real TV affair". The Age. Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "David Clencie". Melbourne Voices Management. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d Butcher, Steve (14 April 2015). "Former Neighbours star David Clencie released from jail after latest family violence order breach". The Age. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ Green, Kris (30 March 2005). "Three more 'Neighbours' stars to return". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ Christie, Erin (28 July 2022). "Neighbours star claims bosses stole his story then shafted him". New Idea. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Deery, Shannon (12 October 2014). "Former TV star David Clencie behind bars over bashing claims". Herald Sun. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
