Rick Donald

Rick Donald is an Australian actor, writer and director. He attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and made his first television appearance in Sea Patrol. This was followed by recurring or guest roles in Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, Crownies, Home and Away and Underbelly: Razor. Donald played Constable Daniel Parks in The Doctor Blake Mysteries and Mr. Tuck in House Husbands, before relocating to the United States where he starred in the 2014 sitcom Friends with Better Lives.

When Friends with Better Lives was cancelled after one season, Donald returned to Australia where he joined the casts of A Place to Call Home as Lloyd Ellis-Parker and 800 Words as Jeff "Woody" Woodson, which earned him a Logie Award nomination. In 2019, Donald played prison officer Sean Brody in Wentworth and appeared in the New Zealand comedy series Educators. From 2020, Donald had a recurring role in Home and Away as Kieran Baldivis.

Donald is also a writer and director. He wrote and directed short film The ATM, which was entered into the 2016 Tropfest, where it placed third in the competition. Donald won the Best Male Actor award for his performance in the film. He also wrote songs for his Friends With Better Lives character. In 2021, Donald's comedy series Australia's Sexiest Tradie, which he created, wrote and directed, began airing on 7mate.

Early and personal life
Donald was born in Townsville and he grew up in the suburb of Cranbrook. He is one of four children. His father was a newspaper editor and his mother a ballroom dancer. Donald said his mother named him Rick after an actor on a television show. Donald attended Kirwan State High School, where his mother encouraged him to take drama classes. He later studied performance at James Cook University, and attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) for three years.

Donald has been married to fellow actor Catherine Mack-Hancock since 2016. A photograph of them embracing in their wedding attire in Yosemite National Park as the sun went down went viral shortly after. The couple have a daughter.

Career
Donald's first television acting role was a guest appearance in a 2007 episode of Sea Patrol, opposite lead actress Lisa McCune. He told Sarah Nealon of The TV Guide that he did not sleep the night before filming and spent the day worrying about the camera and whether he was speaking too loud for the microphone. In February 2010, Donald starred in a 30-second advertisement for Libra menstrual pads that went viral. Fans of the ad created Facebook pages about Donald's character and made parody videos on YouTube. The following year, Donald appeared in the television miniseries Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, legal drama Crownies, and true-crime television film Blood Brothers, based on the Gilham family murders. He also had guest roles in soap opera Home and Away as "bad boy" Dean O'Mara, and Underbelly: Razor as Barney Dalton.

Donald appeared alongside David Wenham and Louise Lombard in the UKTV telemovie Dripping in Chocolate in April 2012. The following year, Donald joined the second season of House Husbands as school teacher Mr. Tuck. He also played Constable Daniel Parks in the first season of The Doctor Blake Mysteries. Donald admitted that he was "devastated" about leaving Doctor Blake to move to the United States, as it marked his first major lead role. While filming House Husbands, Donald filmed an audition for American sitcom Friends With Better Lives on his mobile phone. He secured the part of Lowell, an Australian hippy and fiancé of Brooklyn Decker's character Jules. Donald also contributed to the show by writing Lowell's songs. Friends With Better Lives was cancelled after one season. Donald said that while he was disappointed not to be able to hang out with the cast anymore, he had been missing Australia and was happy to return.

Donald began appearing in A Place to Call Home as artist Lloyd Ellis-Parker from the third season, broadcast in 2015. He returned for the fourth season the following year. From 2015 to 2018, Donald played carpenter "Woody" in television drama 800 Words, which was filmed in New Zealand. Donald had not been to the country before he was cast. Donald's character proved popular with viewers during season one and his role was expanded in season two, with Woody receiving a love interest and his own storylines. For his work on 800 Words, Donald received a nomination for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor at the 2017 Logie Awards. Donald's short film The ATM took the third place prize at the 2016 Tropfest. He also won the Best Male Actor accolade for his role in the film. Donald appeared in the ABC comedy series Back In Very Small Business in 2018.

In 2019, Donald was cast in Wentworth as prison officer Sean Brody. He was offered the role by series producer Pino Amenta, who he worked with on 800 Words. Donald called it "the best role I’ve been able to play yet", as Sean is a more serious character, which meant Donald was able to stretch his acting skills. That same year, his co-star on 800 Words, Jesse Griffin asked him to join the cast of New Zealand comedy series Educators, which is set in a secondary school. Donald plays angry PE teacher Vinnie Thompson and found the role to be "cathartic", as he would never act like Vinnie does in real life. Donald appeared as a police officer in Halifax: Retribution, a 2020 sequel to the 1990s Halifax f.p. crime series starring Rebecca Gibney.

Donald also re-joined the recurring cast of Home and Away as Kieran Baldivis in late 2020. Kieran is Martha Stewart's (Belinda Giblin) estranged and "deeply troubled" son. Donald said he was "instantly keen" when producers told him about the character's story, which includes mental health and addiction issues. Donald was also excited to join the show's Stewart family and work with Ray Meagher and Georgie Parker. As he lives in Palm Beach, where the show is filmed, Donald liked that he was able to walk to work, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to his role on Home and Away, Donald also appears in the 7mate comedy series Australia's Sexiest Tradie, which he created, wrote and directed. Donald stars as Frankie, a plumber who enters a radio contest to find Australia's sexiest tradie in a bid to impress his father.

In 2024, Donald appeared in 7plus streaming series Roast Night which he also wrote and directed. Donald was also announced in the cast for STAN Australia drama Population 11. Donald was named as part of the cast for the feature film Kangaroo.

Filmography

 * Source: