Patrick Wilson

Patrick Wilson reinvented himself as an actor while he was living in London. Having already spent a decade as a cop back in New Zealand —  including 18 months undercover — he began taking acting courses. "It snowballed from there". Over three decades, the onetime radio reporter had dozens of acting roles. On-screen, two roles stand out from the smaller parts: as Brian, the retiree trying to "keep the peace" between his wife and his daughter in hit movie Second-Hand Wedding, and the kind-hearted solo dad battlng his yuppie next door neighbour in 2007 TV series Rude Awakenings. Patrick Wilson died in October 2023, in Australia.

Sometimes it's easier to hang your hat on a big character. Actually playing someone who is an ordinary bloke who is just battling on, is not really a provocateur as such, is a guy who sees the action swirling around him...that is a bigger challenge as an actor. Patrick Wilson on the challenges of playing quiet characters, The Otago Daily Times, 10 May 2008