Obituary: Terry McDermott

Actor Terry McDermott, one of the founding cast members of the long-running series Homicide, has died at the age of 91.

He featured in early TV dramas including The Adventures of Long John Silver, Whiplash and Consider Your Verdict.

He appeared in the pilot episode of Crawford Productions‘ proposed series Homicide. A year had passed after the pilot had been filmed and there had been no word of the series being picked up. In a conversation with Hector Crawford, McDermott said that he’d had an offer to do some hosting for ABC. Crawford pleaded with him not to accept the job and consequently reminded HSV7, which was being indecisive about Homicide, that the proposed show was about to lose one of its three leads. The series then got picked up, and McDermott played the part of Det Sgt Bronson for over two years. He also returned to the series several years later in a different guest role.

He went on to appear in The Adventures Of The Seaspray, Skippy The Bush Kangaroo and Barrier Reef. After a 12 month stint in the stage production Man Of La Mancha, in 1968 he began the ongoing role of Max Pearson in the ABC rural soap Bellbird. He also starred and co-produced the series’ spin-off feature film, Country Town.

Later credits included Division 4, Matlock Police, Bluey, Young Ramsay, Cop Shop, Skyways, The Sullivans, Holiday Island, Prisoner, Tanamera: Lion of Singapore, Anzacs and Neighbours.

An appearance in the 1980s production of Mission: Impossible, filmed in Australia, reunited McDermott with American actor Peter Graves, who he had worked with on Whiplash almost 30 years earlier.

McDermott died from Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by wife Nathalie and his family including 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Source: The Age, IMDB, Classic Australian TV.. TV Times, 23 October 1968.

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2018/12/obituary-terry-mcdermott.html

6 comments

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    • Deb Hopkins on 10 January 2019 at 9:06 PM
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    An absolutely beautiful man – a true gentleman. So talented and fascinating to talk with.
    Rest in Peace, Terry. 💚
    Sincere condolences to Nathalie, family & friends.
    Love Deb xo

    • Graham Allen on 26 March 2019 at 10:41 AM
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    He was one of my favorite cops in Homicide.Devastated when he left Homicide.Told my friend Gerard Kennedy that was the only time I hated him when he shot SGT Bronson.

    • Joanne Oliver on 1 August 2019 at 4:17 PM
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    A true gentleman.
    With Sincere condolences to Nathalie & children .
    Memories of yesteryear at your home in Upwey .
    Regards
    Joanne Oliver

    • Wendy dawes on 29 December 2020 at 9:13 PM
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    I knew Terry and Nat and used to visit from Hobart to see them. I enjoyed seeing Terry in ‘Oliver’. May he Rest In Peace.

    • Dan Keegan on 26 June 2022 at 12:11 PM
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    My father told me when I was young that actor Terry McDermott rented a room in our house in Wignal Street, North Hobart in early 1960’s, before he moved to Melbourne and began his role in Homicide series..
    Dan Keegan

    • DAA on 5 September 2022 at 3:30 AM
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    FYI, you neglected to mention his guest appearance on BONEY in 1972 as station handler Jim Oliver in “Boney and the Claypan Mystery”.

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