Tony Barry Obituary

Tony Barry was a well-known Australian actor who appeared on television and in films.

Tony Barry passed away at the age of 81 on 21 December 2022, after a long illness according to Gaylene Preston, a New Zealand filmmaker.

Tony Barry, born in 1941 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, appeared in nearly 60 feature films and 45 television series over a five-decade career.

The longevity of Barry’s acting career was recognised when he received the 2014 Film Critics Circle of Australia award for his “extraordinary contribution to the Australian film industry”.

Barry made his screen debut in 1968 in the television series Skippy: the Bush Kangaroo, which he followed with appearances in various Australian TV shows such as The Box and Matlock Police.

Tony Barry’s most recent television appearance was in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation drama The Time of Our Lives.

He played Ray Tivolli in the series, but he suffered a health crisis in 2013, midway through production, losing his left leg after a decade-long battle with melanoma.

The real-life amputation was incorporated into the series, with Ray losing his leg in an accident and Barry shown in recovery and learning to walk again.