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438:"By his own account he is a workman-like actor who has been largely ignored for film and television roles because, he says, "I did 116 Benson and Hedges commercials and I was very heavily identified. It was irritating because I love movies." People often ask me if I have any regrets about doing those commercials because I think a lot of people—young, impressionable people—might have taken up smoking as a result. And I suppose I have regrets about that. But...we didn't know then. So, I can't have regrets about something I didn't know.
25:
465:] advertising on TV was banned in Australia in September 1976, but in April 1997 Wagstaff revealed that the company kept paying him "for nothing" until 1993–17 years later. "They believed whenever a group of people saw me they thought, subliminally, Benson & Hedges. So they kept me on the payroll. I didn't argue."
242:, England, and grew up on a farm with his parents and two older sisters. His father was very strict and emotionally abusive and he received little affection from his mother. His mother, however, frequently took him and his sisters to see plays and pantomime, generating an early interest in the arts.
458:
Stuart
Wagstaff, who made a career from 116 Benson and Hedges commercials spanning two decades has disclosed he regretted his lucrative liaison with the tobacco industry. He is quoted as saying, "One thing that concerns me deeply in the light of what we know today is that I might have been
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production, with which he was associated for the next four and a half years, the last two and half playing
Professor Henry Higgins, through all the Australian and New Zealand capital cities. Following this, he took over the male lead in the stage musical
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instrumental in people starting smoking. The company policy was that the ads were intended to make people who accept smoking change brands but, of course, people must have indeed have started as a result of it. And that I regret. Cigarettes [
253:. He served at naval air stations and on aircraft carriers until the end of the war, but considered himself to be a poor mechanic. He frequently volunteered for ships' concert parties to further his interest in acting.
226:(13 February 1925 – 10 March 2015) was an English-born Australian entertainer who was active in all genres of the industry including theatre, television and film, and music and stage management.
478:, working in film and television, Wagstaff returned to Australia in 1975 and was immediately kept busy with TV appearances all over the country, including being a regular panellist on Channel 9's
953:
399:. Wagstaff would later become closely associated with Telethon, with the entertainer returning for 35 subsequent Telethons, making his last appearance via video in 2009.
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and a successful national tour followed in which he was also a co-producer. About this time he also produced Sydney and
Melbourne seasons of the American stage comedy
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663:(AM) for service to the community, particularly through the Perth Telethon by raising funds for charities that support children's medical research.
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428:, a brand of British cigarettes, with the tagline "When only the best will do ... and isn't that all the time?". In a 2003 interview published in
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Besides television, Wagstaff remained active in his first love, the theatre. In late 1979 he appeared again as
Professor Higgins in
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352:. This production established him as one of Australia's firm television favourites. During this two-and-a-half year period with
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The Non
Smokers' Movement of Australia website (issue 18, May–June 1997) wrote in "Smoking Frontman Expresses Late Regrets":
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In March 2023, Wagstaff was commemorated with a new street name 'Wagstaff Way' in the subdivision of the former
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due to his direct personal contribution to
Telethon. The new road was completed and open in August 2023.
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Wagstaff's early
Australia television appearances consisted of commercials, and a role in the 1960
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as an assistant stage manager, occasionally taking small roles in plays. He then joined the
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show on the Seven
Network. Later that year he appeared as a guest on the inaugural
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repertory theatre in which he took part in up to 48 plays and four weeks of
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315:. Other dramatic appearances included three episodes of the drama series
523:, and repeated this with a second tour a few years later which featured
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In
September 1940, at the insistence of his father, Wagstaff joined the
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Wagstaff's television guest roles in the 1990s included appearances in
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each year as well as a few West End, film and television appearances.
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which had a successful national tour. In 1983 he played the lead in
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On 26 January 1998, Wagstaff was appointed a Member of the
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527:. In 1982 Wagstaff appeared in a leading role in the play
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Wagstaff first came to
Australia in 1958 to appear in the
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807:(1966) as Stanley Copeland (episode: "Death Us Do Part")
494:, plus seven seasons as the host/presenter on the ABC's
513:. In 1981 he toured as the narrator in the successful
837:(1973) as Head Waiter (episode: "The Last of Howard")
640:, had Wagstaff returning to the stage in the role of
1084:"WAGSTAFF, Stuart: Member of the Order of Australia"
949:(1998) as Tyrone Wilde (episode: "One Hump or Two?")
325:(1963), and episodes of the ABC's historical serial
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
647:Wagstaff died from complications associated with
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1012:"Stuart Wagstaff remembered as WA's Mr Telethon"
289:. In 1959, Williamson put him into the original
484:, then two years as permanent panellist on the
424:Wagstaff's suave style led to his advertising
346:as the "Beast" on the Channel 7 daytime show,
941:(1998) as Reg Howard (episode: "Revelations")
420:Impact of smoking advertising on his career
1124:
1052:"Entertainer Stuart Wagstaff dies aged 90"
845:(1974) as Thornton (episode: "Healer Man")
249:as an apprentice aircraft mechanic in the
1034:"Smoking Frontman Expresses Late Regrets"
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416:and a regular late night interview show.
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
777:(1961) as Jimmy Quicksilver (3 episodes)
746:(1977, TV movie) as Mr. Arthur Pickering
1193:Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II
1132:Biography at Australian Speakers Bureau
543:in Sydney and then went on to host the
332:In 1964 he appeared as the host of the
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726:(1974) - Man in Chandelier Store (aka
694:(1958) as Titanic Steward (uncredited)
406:to become one of the regular hosts of
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710:(1963, TV play) as Alexander Croyston
954:Graham Kennedy: Farewell to the King
815:(1966-68) as Presenter ('The Beast')
551:on the Seven Network for two years.
47:adding citations to reliable sources
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1168:Australian television personalities
434:, journalist Chris Beck commented:
342:and in 1965 he replaced the ailing
261:After the war, Wagstaff joined the
16:English-born Australian entertainer
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738:(1975, TV movie) as Lars Dickinson
391:In 1968 he became host of a major
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1213:Military personnel from Wiltshire
1198:Members of the Order of Australia
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988:. 2 February 2006. Archived from
982:"Talking Heads - Stuart Wagstaff"
882:Stuart Wagstaff's World Playhouse
497:Stuart Wagstaff's World Playhouse
1188:English television personalities
874:The Dick Emery Show in Australia
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204:Actor, music and stage manager
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651:, aged 90, on 10 March 2015.
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1163:Australian male stage actors
930:Channel Seven Perth Telethon
877:(1977) as Various Characters
474:After a three-year stint in
402:Wagstaff later moved to the
397:Channel Seven Perth Telethon
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754:(1978, TV movie) as Bernard
672:Dianella, Western Australia
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762:(1979) as Courtney Lewers
443:Wagstaff, interviewed in
359:There's a Girl in My Soup
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1203:Comedians from Wiltshire
933:(1990s) as regular guest
925:(1990s) as regular guest
917:(1990s) as regular guest
380:. In 1965, he presented
735:Is There Anybody There?
707:Concord of Sweet Sounds
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628:Capitol Theatre, Sydney
578:. He often appeared on
323:Concord Of Sweet Sounds
1178:English male comedians
922:Good Morning Australia
885:(1977-83) as Presenter
699:Seagulls Over Sorrento
587:Good Morning Australia
470:Later career and death
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312:Seagulls Over Sorrento
1092:Australian Government
1040:on 12 September 2009.
909:(1990s) as guest role
901:(1990s) as guest role
893:(1990s) as guest role
541:Marian Street Theatre
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321:(1960), the ABC play
234:Wagstaff was born in
834:The Partridge Family
826:In Melbourne Tonight
812:Beauty and the Beast
409:In Melbourne Tonight
354:Beauty and the Beast
349:Beauty and the Beast
307:Crawford Productions
43:improve this article
853:(1975) as Panellist
842:Temperatures Rising
799:(1965) as Presenter
797:The Wagstaff Report
718:(1972) as Announcer
691:A Night to Remember
549:Friday Night Movies
426:Benson & Hedges
386:The Wagstaff Report
283:theatre production
196:British, Australian
1208:Royal Navy sailors
1134:, archived in 2004
992:on 12 October 2008
906:A Country Practice
869:(1977) as Panelist
661:Order of Australia
649:pulmonary fibrosis
632:Cameron Mackintosh
569:A Country Practice
414:The Sound of Music
299:The Sound of Music
1094:. 26 January 1998
957:(2005) as himself
861:(1975) as Himself
850:Celebrity Squares
728:July Pork Bellies
634:'s production of
516:Rocky Horror Show
481:Celebrity Squares
449:, 23 January 2003
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41:Please help
36:verification
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1153:2015 deaths
1148:1925 births
996:24 November
678:Filmography
193:Nationality
187:, Australia
1142:Categories
1018:23 October
963:References
938:All Saints
767:Television
743:All at Sea
614:Gershwin's
592:Noises Off
575:All Saints
530:Noises Off
344:Eric Baume
339:Studio 'A'
247:Royal Navy
230:Early life
146:1925-02-13
69:newspapers
946:Bullpitt!
715:Sunstruck
519:starring
476:Hollywood
334:Channel 7
274:pantomime
240:Wiltshire
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177:Greenwich
160:, England
158:Wiltshire
1068:10 March
804:Homicide
790:Studio A
774:Whiplash
751:Bit Part
616:musical
441:—
377:Homicide
329:(1963).
318:Whiplash
1098:30 June
655:Honours
637:Oliver!
626:at the
446:The Age
431:The Age
393:Tonight
270:Whitley
263:Windsor
83:scholar
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785:(1963)
257:Career
181:Sydney
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382:ATN-7
309:play
90:JSTOR
76:books
1121:IMDb
1100:2007
1070:2015
1020:2023
998:2006
890:G.P.
684:Film
612:and
584:and
572:and
557:G.P.
547:and
166:Died
140:Born
62:news
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1062:AAP
668:TVW
624:Pan
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488:'s
462:sic
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