Australia fell hopelessly for Frank and Shirley Gilroy during the 11 years of love and laughter they shared on A Country Practice, and even 27 years after the show finished they’re still remembered as one of our favourite TV couples ever.
Off-screen the love and respect never faded for the stars behind them, Brian Wenzel and Lorrae Desmond. The pair remained close friends right up until the “adored and big-hearted” actress died on the Gold Coast in May, aged 91.
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“It was a hell of a shock when Lorrae went,” Brian, now 92, tells New Idea in an exclusive interview to celebrate the iconic show’s milestone 40th anniversary.
“Lorrae was the closest person to me on A Country Practice. We respected each other. Respect, that’s the word for it,” tells Brian, who says while they hadn’t seen each other in quite a while, they made sure to stay in touch by phone.
“We sent each other birthday cards. It really was just like losing a family member. There are very few left of the original cast,” he says of her passing.
“There’s only about five of us left. It was also quite a shock for me when Joyce Jacobs (who played Esme Watson) went. It’s not good when you’ve lost most of the old brigade.”
Brian has had some health problems in recent times, after two mini-strokes three years ago robbed him of his ability to walk unaided. They also left him without his beautiful singing voice.
But he’s determined to fight on. “We all live to long ages in my family and I’m determined to hit the 100,” he promises, adding that he’s hoping a mixture of medication and massage may help him regain movement and live an easier life.
On top of the heartache of losing Lorrae, Brian has had to reluctantly acknowledge that his acting and singing days are now over, after an extraordinary career that began when he joined the circus at the tender age of 14.
“I got old all of sudden. I can’t work anymore, which I find really frustrating. I have to use a walking frame to get around, so I sold the car.
“It’s terrible to not be able to walk and I can’t sing anymore, which is terrible. I’m hoping against all hope that I can get it all back again.”
And if anyone can prove the doctors wrong it’s Brian, who succeeded against all the odds after a harrowing start.
One of 10 children, he and his brothers were placed in boys’ homes in Adelaide when he was just 9.
“We came from one of the poorest suburbs in Adelaide and had to fight all the way,” he reveals. “I spent time in about five different boys’ homes where they belted the s–t out of me.
“I wasn’t a bad kid but I didn’t like to be locked up, and those homes were brutal.
“I kept running away. I had to fight to where I got to. I did anything to earn a quid and altogether I had 112 different jobs!”
He laughs out loud when asked if he was anything like Sergeant Frank Gilroy, the teetotalling copper he portrayed on ACP in the 1980s and ’90s.
“There were a lot of things that Frank didn’t do, that Brian did, if you get my drift … I used to love a drink,” he laughs, revealing he wasn’t as straight-laced as the stern Frank.
When he won the role on ACP, life changed dramatically for Brian and Linda, his wife of 67 years.
“We did buy our first house, thanks to the show,” he reveals, insisting he only left because he was in need of a rest after 13 years on air.
“I’d like people to remember me as an honest-to-goodness actor. It’s certainly been a wild ride.”
While a return to a soap opera might be out of the question, Brian doesn’t rule out a TV return.
“I’m surprised I haven’t been asked to go on that program Who Do You Think You Are?, because there are a lot of stories in my life.”
For more, pick up a copy of New Idea. On sale now!
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