Steve J. Spears

Steve J. Spears
Born	Steven John Peter Spears 22 January 1951 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died	16 October 2007 Aldinga, South Australia
Occupation	Playwright, writer, actor, singer

Steven John Peter Spears (22 January 1951 – 16 October 2007) professionally Steve J. Spears was an Australian playwright, actor, writer and singer. His most famous work was The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin (1976). He was cited as "one of Australia's most celebrated playwrights".

Spears was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1951 and, after his parents separated when he was very young, grew up with relatives in the suburb of Mile End. He studied Law at the University of Adelaide, but through writing and performing student revues, was distracted into a career in the theatre.

Spears moved to Sydney in the 1970s. In his own words, he was a "born-again Sydney-sider".

Spears died in Aldinga, South Australia from brain cancer in 2007, aged only 56.

Spears' theatrical works include:

His final theatre work was The Dance Angelic (1995).

Spears appeared in A Country Practice (1981), Hey Dad! (1988), G.P. (1989), Heartbreak High (2004).

Among other roles, Spears played the lead in Temperament Unsuited and "The Mechanic", a wheelchair-using paraplegic, in Mad Max 2.

Spears also supplied the voice of Lion in the popular children's TV series Magic Mountain for ABC TV, Southern Star Entertainment and China Central Television.

Spears played "Eddie" and "Doctor Scott" in a 1981 Sydney production of Jim Sharman's The Rocky Horror Show.

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