Leo McKern In 1983, McKern was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the performing arts. He frequently travelled between England and Australia both to visit family and friends, and to appear in various films and plays. As he was frightened of flying, he booked tickets to travel on cargo ships. This gave him time and peace to read scripts and contracts, with the added benefit of feeling he was on holidays. McKern informed his daughter Abigail that he suffered from stage fright, which became harder to control with age. He also worried that his stout frame
Frank Wilson (Australian actor) Frank in "Travelling North" for Wilson, having admired his interpretation of Jock Riley in "The Club". However, after creating Frank on stage, Wilson was not given the role in the film adaptation — it went to Leo McKern instead. He won a Logie Award for Best Compere in 1972 for "New Faces". His last role, in the short film "The Chess Set" (by Alexander Murawski) won the Best Actor award at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. Wilson heard this news the day before he died. Wilson and his wife Beryl had 4 children: Amanda, Damien (dec),