Stuart Wagstaff 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.
16 Facts About Stuart Wagstaff
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Stuart Wagstaff's father was very strict and emotionally abusive and he received little affection from his mother.
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In September 1940, at the insistence of his father, Stuart Wagstaff joined the Royal Navy as an apprentice aircraft mechanic in the Fleet Air Arm.
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Stuart Wagstaff served at naval air stations and on aircraft carriers until the end of the war, but considered himself to be a poor mechanic.
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Stuart Wagstaff frequently volunteered for ships' concert parties to further his interest in acting.
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Stuart Wagstaff then joined the Whitley repertory theatre in which he took part in up to 48 plays and four weeks of pantomime each year as well as a few West End, film and television appearances.
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Stuart Wagstaff later moved to the Nine Network to become one of the regular hosts of In Melbourne Tonight.
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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.
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Stuart Wagstaff 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.
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Besides television, Stuart Wagstaff remained active in his first love, the theatre.
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In 1982 Stuart Wagstaff appeared in a leading role in the play Noises Off which had a successful national tour.
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Stuart Wagstaff often appeared on The Midday Show and Good Morning Australia, and has appeared on the Perth Telethon.
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Stuart Wagstaff appeared in the role of Old Cookson in the theatrical production of Pan at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney.
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Stuart Wagstaff died from complications associated with pulmonary fibrosis, aged 90, on 10 March 2015.
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On 26 January 1998, Stuart Wagstaff was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia 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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In March 2023, Stuart Wagstaff was commemorated with a new street name 'Stuart Wagstaff Way' in the subdivision of the former TVW studios site in Dianella, Western Australia due to his direct personal contribution to Telethon.