Alan Fletcher (actor)

Alan Fletcher
Fletcher performing in 2008
Born March 30, 1957
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Occupation(s) Actor
singer
Years active 1981–present
Known for Neighbours – Karl Kennedy
Lift Off – Harry Stinson
Spouse Jennifer Hansen (m. 1990)
Children 2
Website http://www.alanfletcher.net

Alan Fletcher (born 30 March 1957) is an Australian actor of stage, television and film. He is also a singer and musician.

Fletcher is best known for his TV soap opera role in Neighbours, as Dr. Karl Kennedy.

Having appeared in the series since 1994, Fletcher is the third longest serving actor in an Australian television serial, after Home and Away actors Ray Meagher and Lynne McGranger.

Career

Fletcher in 2001

Fletcher was born in Perth, Western Australia, and attended Wesley College in Perth. He appeared briefly in the US drama The Love Boat, in 1981, locally however his first major television role was in the police drama Cop Shop as Frank Rossi from 1982 until production ceased the following year and he appeared in various Australian feature films, TV movies, and miniseries including Fran and Mercy Mission.

He briefly acted in Neighbours in 1987 as Greg Cooper, a run-down, dishonest boxer working in Jim Robinson's (Alan Dale) garage. In 1994, Fletcher successfully auditioned for the role of Karl Kennedy in the soap, a role which he continues to play.

His on-screen wife is Susan Kennedy is played by Jackie Woodburne, who coincidently previously played his sister in Cop Shop.

In 2005, Fletcher starred as Henry Higgins in a production of My Fair Lady at the Melbourne Comedy Theatre. He is also a prominent member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, a role which saw him become a vocal critic of the 2004 US-Australia Free Trade Agreement, including an appearance on the political talk-show Meet the Press.

In 2008, Fletcher starred as Frank McGee in the workshop performance season of Call Girl the Musical and as Captain Hook in the Pantomime Peter Pan at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen.

In 2011, Fletcher spent time in Old Melbourne Gaol to raise money for the charity Whitelion. In order to break out, Fletcher and fellow Neighbours cast members Stefan Dennis, Jordy Lucas and Valentina Novakovic had to each raise $1,000.

In May 2013, along with Saskia Hampele, he presented the award of Best Newcomer to Joseph Thompson at the British Soap Awards. Fletcher appeared in a documentary special celebrating Neighbours' 30th anniversary titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015.

Musical career

Fletcher is also the lead singer in a band called Waiting Room, alongside Tommy Rando, Chris Hawker and Jeff Consi. The group has toured the United Kingdom several times. With a handful of their own songs they incorporate a selection of cover versions into their set, including Smokie's "Living Next Door to Alice", replacing 'Alice' with "Susan", a reference to his on-screen wife (Jackie Woodburne). Their single, So Wrong, was released on iTunes on 26 November 2007, followed by their album, Live at the Elephant, on 17 December 2007.

On 30 November 2007, Fletcher performed a cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.

In December 2008, Fletcher played a solo gig in Aberdeen, performing a mixture of covers and Waiting Room material. He followed this with a second gig in the city on 3 January 2009 at The Lemon Tree.

On 15 May 2009, Fletcher announced via his official website that he was to tour the UK with a new band, The X-Rays due to the economic situation of bringing Waiting Room with him. The tour took place in September and October 2009 and featured some original Waiting Room material. The X-Rays are UK-based musicians Johnny Lucas, Chris Hanby and Martin Stewart. Fletcher continues to perform each week in Melbourne with Waiting Room.

In September 2010, Fletcher announced on his official website that he will be touring the UK with Tommy Rando in November and December of that year. On 28 November 2010, during his UK tour, Fletcher appeared on The Xtra Factor to discuss the potential winners of the show.

In September 2012, Fletcher played a charity gig at the Shepherd's Bush branch of the pub chain Walkabout in aid of Blue September, a charity raising funds for cancer research.

Fletcher was a contestant on the UK TV show Soapstar Superstar, in January 2007 finishing in sixth place. He performed the following songs:

In 2013, Fletcher released a Christmas single, If You Want A Happy Christmas, on which he collaborated with The Pacific Belles.

Photography and travel

In 2018, Fletcher combined his interests in travel and photography in a reality television program Photo Number 6. Fletcher explores the world with actor and director, Stig Wemyss, as they seek travel experiences that go beyond the tourist guidebook and delve into the heart and soul of the places. They look for photographic images that encapsulate emotion, geography and human connections.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Off the Metre Daniel Folkmover Short film
2013 By a Loved One Clown Short film
1993 Flight from Hell Franky TV movie
1993 Gross Misconduct Henry Landers Feature film
1993 Mercy Mission Frank TV movie
1990 Beyond My Reach Alex Gower Feature film
1990 What the Moon Saw Mr Espisito Feature film
1990 Return Home Barry Feature film
1986 Cool Change Rob Mitchell Feature film
1985 Fran Jeff Feature film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1994- Neighbours Karl Kennedy TV series, 4370+ episodes
2018-19 Deano's Footy Show Karl Kennedy TV series, 2 episodes
2018 Photo Number 6 Himself Reality TV series
2017 Neighbours Vs Time Travel Karl Kennedy TV series, 4 episodes
2015-17 Shakespeare Republic Jaques/ Various TV series, 3 episodes
2016 Neighbours Summer Stories Karl Kennedy TV series, 2 episodes
2015 Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite Himself TV documentary special
2014 Neighbours Vs Zombies Karl Kennedy TV series, 3 episodes
2013 Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Karl Kennedy TV series, 1 episode
2010 The Xtra Factor Himself TV series, 1 episode
2009 Remembering Nigel Self
2007 Soapstar Superstar Contestant TV series
1996 Mercury Snow Dockerty TV series, 1 episode
1994 G.P. Rick Cameron TV series, 1 episode
1993 Snowy Harry Jarvis TV series, 1 episode
1993 Time Trax Mr Davenport TV series, 1 episode
1992 Bony Prior TV series, 1 episode
1990-92 Embassy Michael Clayton TV series, 38 episodes
1992 Lift Off Harry Stinson TV series, 1 episode
1991 The Flying Doctors Austin Bennett TV series, 1 episode
1990 Fast Forward Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1990 All the Rivers Run McLean TV series, 2 episodes
1987 Neighbours Greg Cooper TV series
1986 Sword of Honor Franky Vittiro TV miniseries. 3 episodes
1985 A Thousand Skies John Stannage TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1985 The Fast Lane Collins TV series, 1 episode
1982-84 Cop Shop Frank Rossi TV series, 151 episodes
1981 The Love Boat Martin Blake TV series, 2 episodes

Personal life

Fletcher is married to Jennifer Hansen, a former newsreader for the Ten Network and they have two children.

Fletcher supports Essendon Football Club and Liverpool Football Club.

Fletcher is an ambassador for Blue September, a charity that raises awareness of all cancers that can affect men. In 2011, Fletcher helped launch the charity in Britain.

In 2022, following media reports about his health due to his sudden hair loss, Fletcher revealed that he had been diagnosed with alopecia areata. This condition was worked into the plot of Neighbours, where it was said that dodgy hair products caused Karl's hair to fall out.

Fletcher's grandfather was a well respected organ builder in Liverpool with Rushworth's (Australian Organist Review Dec 1995).