Janice Creenaune meets Robert Mackintosh, a long-time resident of Austinmer. After a stellar career as a teacher at all levels of education, Robert has established himself in retirement as an actor in the film and advertising industry.
Robert Mackintosh is photogenic, affable and erudite. A gentle twinkle from his eyes belies his deep knowledge and experiences from a very busy, but experiential life. So it appears a very easy transition for him to tackle the creativity and competitive nature of the film world in his retirement.
Robert’s latest work during Covid times was as the grandfather in Telstra’s TV advertisement “The Wonders of Technology”. He appears (larger than life) on many of our TV screens, reading to his ‘granddaughter’ and encourages us all to experience online communication during the peak Covid period when in-person communication was difficult. If ever there was a worthy job for the times, this is one.
But Robert has many other credits to his name and many experiences to relate for all listeners.
“I have appeared in TV ads for banks, stills for newspapers, various training films, like the NSW Ambulance Service, even the army. And some important Australian films, like Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby,” he says.
“The Great Gatsby may have been released in 2013, but I can remember the experience like it was yesterday,” he chuckles. “The party scenes were unforgettable. A mega-experience of humanity, light, colour and music. This was really an unforgettable panorama with a magnificent purpose-built swimming pool at Fox Studios.”
For viewers, we could all feel it on screen, but Robert was there.
Robert says the people who work in the industry are “an impressive lot”.
“They reflect how well-trained they are while working under very difficult conditions and extremely odd hours. I retain vivid memories of make-up artists, camera personnel, wardrobe assistants, producers and others, all working as an efficient team to deliver a top-quality result, all while trying to ensure the welfare of all individuals are maintained.”
Some experiences really stand out, even after many years.
“I also worked on Mark Joffe’s film, The Man Who Sued God. It was a thrill to work with Billy Connelly, the funny Glaswegian, who was affable and (as you can imagine) very willing to talk. I had several conversations with him.
“I did actually tell him once that I had heard that Scottish humour was rumoured to be very jocular. He laughed, “Aye, but with a k!” was his very quick response.
“We all have our moments when we feel unsure about ourselves, even Billy Connelly, who confided that he was very proud when luminary Robert Redford praised and encouraged him in his role in the film Indecent Proposal.”
There have been personal challenges for Robert too: he appeared in the Bollywood film Soldier, in which Hindi was the only language spoken on set. The movie was filmed partly in Australia and New Zealand.
Another unforgettable role had Robert involved in an armed hold-up.
“The clout on the back of my head was accidentally delivered quite forcefully, and the result was one egg-sized lump on my scone! But it did make for a thoroughly realistic scene,” he says.
Other film credits include The Road from Coorain, Babe: Pig in the City, and many films and advertisements for TV.
The competence and confidence to work in major films, TV roles and advertising does not come without experience.
Robert and his wife, Marilyne, have lived both here and overseas. A family (two daughters and two granddaughters), various educational studies overseas and two years of teaching in Canada, 12 years as Special Education Consultant and Liaison Officer in NSW, plus many years of teaching at all levels, from kindergarten to university, have shown Robert the path forward.
He has taken his experiences and allowed them to be revealed through other roles and characters on screen.
Robert may now be in a world of ‘make-believe on film’ but his abilities are set in a diligent past. You cannot help but be impressed by his energy and enthusiasm for all his roles in life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Writer Janice Creenaune is a volunteer for the PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Foundation Australia. Email janicecreenaune@gmail.com
