Lex Marinos

Alexander Francis Marinos OAM (1 February 1949 − 13 September 2024) was an Australian actor. Notable for his acting role as Bruno, the Italian son-in-law of Ted Bullpitt, on the 1980s Australian comedy television series Kingswood Country and as host of Late Night Legends on ABC2, he was also a presenter on radio station Double Jay (2JJ, now Triple J) in the late 1970s with Ted Robinson.

Biography

Marinos was born on 1 February 1949 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, the son of a Greek immigrant father, Fotios ("Frank") Marinopoulos and Greek-Australian mother, Anne Karofilis who was the daughter of Adonis ("Tony") Karofilis, a Greek migrant from Kassos, Greece and Minnie Matheson, an Australian of Scottish and English origin, with descent going back to couple, Samuel Bradley, a convict, and Marian Mortimer, a free migrant who immigrated to Hobart, Tasmania in the 19th century, who are Marinos's maternal great-great-great-grandparents. Marinos' maternal grandparents, Adonis and Minnie worked and owned Greek café's in towns across the Riverina region of New South Wales including; Wagga Wagga, The Rock and also in the town of Bogan Gate. He graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in Drama.

Marinos died in Sydney on 13 September 2024, aged 75. His family announced on social media that he died "peacefully... at home, at a moment of his choosing, surrounded by family and the sounds of Bob Dylan."

Honours and awards

Marinos was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to the performing arts. He is also a former Deputy Chair of the Australia Council and the Community Cultural Development Fund of the Australia Council.

In 2008 he delivered the tenth annual Tom Brock Lecture, on the history of Australian immigration and rugby league.

The cast of The Slap, including Marinos, received the Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble In A Television Movie or Mini-Series in 2012.

Filmography