Peter Phelps

Peter Phelps (born 20 September 1960 in Sydney) is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He is notable for his role as Peter Church in the television drama, Stingers, and as Trevor Cole in Baywatch. Phelps has appeared in feature films including Point Break with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, and Blackwater Trail with Judd Nelson. He is the brother of Professor Kerryn Phelps.

Phelps began his acting career in the early 1980s with an ongoing role in the Network Ten teen soap opera The Restless Years produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation. After that series ended he had a starring role in new Grundy soap opera Sons and Daughters. It was actually Phelps who came up with the "Pat the Rat" moniker in the series.

In 1988 he had a brief role in the 'Dirtwater Dynasty' mini series. Peter featured as David Eastwick, the first born son of the main character Richard Eastwick, played by Hugo Weaving.

From 1989-1990, he was one of the lifeguards (Trevor Cole) in the first season of Baywatch, and had a minor role in the film Point Break. He also had roles in A Country Practice and The Flying Doctors. In 1993, Phelps won an Australian Film Institute Best Actor award for his role in the G.P. episode, "Exposed".

From 1998 until 2004, he starred in Stingers, a role that won him the 2002 Logie Award for Most Popular Actor.

Phelps also played a recurring role as doctor Doug "Spence" Spencer on the medical drama, All Saints starting 4 October 2005.

In 2009, Phelps had a busy year. He appeared in two television dramas—Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities playing detective inspector Joe Messina; and Vince Marchello (Station Co-ordinator) Rescue: Special Ops. Also in 2009, he also had a role as a police officer in the film Stone Bros.

In 2009, he appeared in a new public awareness campaign by the NSW Rural Fire Service about the need to prepare for bushfires. This included television and radio advertisements. The campaign has subsequently been adopted by the Tasmania Fire Service.

Television work

• Kevin Ryan, The Restless Years, Network 10 (Australia), 1977
• A Country Practice, Seven Network (Australia), 1981
• John Palmer, Sons and Daughters, Seven Network (Australia), 1981–1983
• Will Ballieu, The Challenge, 1986
• Butterfly Island, ABC/Seven Network (Australia), 1987
• Les Darcy, Willesee's Australians, 1987
• David Eastwick, The Dirtwater Dynasty, 1988
• Appeared in episodes of Rafferty's Rules, 1988
• Trevor Cole, Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier (pilot), NBC, 1989
• Trevor Cole, Baywatch, NBC, 1989–1990
• Hack "Kangaroo Kid" Wilkins, "The Exchange," The Young Riders, ABC (U.S.), 1991
• Phil North, Heartbreak High, Network 10/ABC (Australia)
• Dennis Taylor, The Flying Doctors (also known as R.F.D.S.), Nine Network
• Station Officer Nick 'The Boss' Connor, Fire, Seven Network (Australia), 1995
• Alex Willis, Police Rescue, ABC (Australia), 1995
• Abo Henry, Blue Murder, ABC (Australia), 1995
• Jimmy Formica, Water Rats, Nine Network (Australia), 1998
• Peter Church (Mike Fischer), Stingers, Nine Network (Australia), 1998-2004
• Himself, Inside the Arena, 2000
• Detective Inspector Joe Messina, Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, 2009
• Station Coordinator Vince Marchello, Rescue: Special Ops, 2009
• Himself in guest appearance, The Joy of Sets, Nine Network, 2011
• Alan Henderson, Home and Away, Seven Network (Australia), 2012
• Paul Craven, Mr & Mrs Murder, Ten Network (Australia), 2013
• Warwick Wilcox, Wonderland, 2013
• Mal Dwyer, Old School, ABC (Australia) 2014

Film

• Theo, Undercover, 1983
• Judah/Robert, Playing Beatie Bow, South Australian Film Corporation, 1986
• Eddie, Rock 'N' Roll Cowboys, 1987
• Dave Mitchell, The Lighthorsemen, 1987, Cinecom Pictures, 1988
• Patrick, Starlight Hotel, 1987, Republic, 1988
• Ross Cameron, Breaking Loose, Avalon Films, 1988
• Peter Maya, Trio Film, 1989
• Australian surfer, Point Break, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1991
• John Pope, Merlin (also known as Merlin: The True Story of Magic), Hemdale Film Corporation, 1992
• Brian Petrie, The Feds: Betrayal, Nine Network (Australia), 1993
• Dozer Brennan, Rough Diamonds, Nine Network/Beyond Films/Film Australia/Film Queensland/Forest Home Films/Southern Star Entertainment, 1994
• Dr. Frank Jamison, Blackwater Trail, Warnervision Entertainment, 1996
• Leo Megaw, Zone 39, Phaedra Cinema, 1996
• Mick Webb, One Way Ticket, 1997
• Presenter, Fire and Ice—The Many Moods of Thredbo and the Snowys (documentary), 1999
• Patrick Phelan, Lantana, Palace Films, 2001
• Rod, Teesh and Trude, 2002
• Constable Lonigan, Ned Kelly, 2003
• Jake, The Square, 2008
• Mark, Stone Bros., 2009
• Skipper Joe, Caught Inside, 2010

Awards and nominations

Stage appearances

Appeared in productions of:

• The Club
• Miranda
• Nicholas Nickleby
• The Sum of Us
• 12 Angry Men

Advertising

• Channel Seven, 1983
• Prepare Act Survive television and radio advertisements for NSW Rural Fire Service, 2009

• Books:
  • Sex without Madonna: The True Confessions of a Hired Gun in Tinseltown (autobiography), Pan Macmillan Publishers Australia, 1994
• Contributor to magazines: including Harper's Bazaar.