Trevor Goddard, Englishman
katya
JAG star hoaxed Hollywood
By JOHN FLINT AND MICHAEL McKENNA
13jul03
HOLLYWOOD star Trevor Goddard took a secret to his grave last month –
he was not a reformed criminal from Australia as he told the world.
He was not remotely Australian and had never lived here.
Goddard was a landscape gardener from England who made it big in
Tinseltown, but created a fictitious background as boy who grew up on
the wrong side of the tracks in Perth.
Putting on a fake Australian accent, he convinced the Hollywood media
and international press, beating real Australian actors to Australian
roles.
His publicist and lawyer in Los Angeles were still insisting this week
that he was an Aussie.
The 40-year-old father-of-two was found dead in his north Hollywood
home on June 8.
The LA coroner's office is still waiting on the final toxicology
results before making a final conclusion on his cause of death.
Coroner Fred Corral said the preliminary finding was that it was a
suicide.
Obituaries in Australian and US newspapers, including Hollywood's
industry bible Variety, claimed he was born in Perth in 1966 and grew
up here, getting into numerous scrapes with the law, before taking off
to America as a boxer and getting noticed there for his striking looks
and muscular physique.
The truth is that "the Boy from Balga" was born in Croydon, Surrey, in
1962 and grew up in Bromley, Kent.
In LA, the movie community confused his London accent with Australian
and he found it easy to pick up Australian roles, most famously as
Lieutenant Commander Mic Brumby in the hit sit series JAG.
His parents Eric and Clara wanted the record put straight this week.
Speaking from their home in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, they said
they were worried his two sons Travis, 7, and Daniel, 4, would grow up
and read reports that their father had been a juvenile delinquent.
Goddard, who doted on his two boys, never got into any strife with the
law growing up in England, said his father, who was a detective chief
inspector in London's Metropolitan Police before retiring in 1982.
"Now he's gone, it is not right for his children to carry the legacy
that he had criminal convictions," Mr Goddard said.
"The truth should be told."
Mr Goddard, 71, stunned some 400 people at a "celebration of his life"
in Hollywood following the shock tragedy.
In a speech to the actor's friends and colleagues, he revealed his
son's Hollywood hoax.
He told them: "We all know how good an actor he was. His charm,
personality and good looks made success inevitable . . . When an
Australian was required for JAG, he became one.
"He convinced everyone he was Australian, including the Australians.
"Perth became his second birthplace. In truth, he liked it there and
he told us they were his kind of people and he wanted to retire
there."
Mr Goddard told The Sunday Times that Trevor had holidayed in Perth
several times, often to visit his cousin Grant Hayes, who lives in
Como.
"He kept telling us it was the one place in the world that we had to
visit," Mr Goddard said.
He said his son enjoyed no success at auditions in his early days as
an actor, when he presented himself as an Englishman.
Mr Goddard said: "So the next time he auditioned, he said he was
Australian. He was believed and got the part and so it went on."
The wife of JAG producer Don Bellisario was from NSW, and even she was
taken in by the charade, Mr Goddard said.
In a press interview Goddard once said: "I think it was (the
producer's wife's) idea to bring an Australian on board . . . so it
was my good fortune."
One one occasion, Goddard beat a long line of Australian actors to
provide the voice for a kangaroo in a film. Apart from JAG, he starred
in big action movies such as Mortal Combat, Gone in 60 seconds, Dead
Man's Run and most recently alongside Johnny Depp and Australian
Geoffrey Rush in the soon-to-be released Disney blockbuster Pirates of
the Caribbean.
Ironically, in his last appearance in JAG in 2001, when he was written
out of the series, the script required him to put on an English
accent.
"It was the only time he spoke as himself," Mr Goddard said.
"He really was a good actor."
The actor's long-time publicist Craig Bock, of Shandrew Public
Relations, said he had believed the actor was an Australian who
travelled home regularly to visit his family in Perth.
"We talked about him growing up in Australia, that he had a rough time
and got into boxing before coming over," he said.
"He loved Australia, it was his home."
Goddard gave many interviews to the media about his Australian past
and went into extraordinary detail.
In one interview, he talked about stealing cars and other crimes he
had committed in Perth, saying "I ran amok . . . I was actually
homeless for four years".
A friend of Goddard, who declined to be named, said the revelation by
the actor's father that Goddard was not an Australian drew gasps at
the memorial service.
Goddard's lawyer Jennifer Rocco said the actor had professed to have
grown up in Perth and that his two boys also regarded themselves as
being of Australian descent."
But the boys' grandfather disputed this and said they knew the truth
and shared their father's love of soccer, often wearing their England
soccer shirts around LA.
Mr Goddard said his son's Aussie act did not extend to cricket.
"Anybody with him when England played Australia, would have been left
in no doubt where he was from," he said.
"He left lots of telltale clues, but they weren't picked up." Mr
Goddard also scotched reports that his son had once been arrested for
cocaine possession in LA.
"It is absolute rubbish and police there have told us so," he said.
Goddard's Perth cousin, Mr Hayes, said the actor did not mean any harm
with his "fabled past".
"He was a bit of a prankster and played a bit of a practical joke on
Hollywood, but he always had good intentions," said Mr Hayes, who is
still mourning his cousin's death.
Most people interviewed in LA have described Goddard as a fun-loving
and caring man, who adored his children.
It is understood that after caring for a terminally ill neighbour,
Goddard was left a home in north Hollywood after the man's death late
last year.
Mr Hayes said that Goddard made many friends during his visits to
Perth in the past 15 years.
These included Perth identities John Kizon and Rai Fazio. Goddard and
Mr Kizon sparred together once, and the actor's father has a video of
the encounter.
Mr Goddard said his son had been taking valium and had been given
painkillers for an injured ankle and torn leg ligaments suffered on
the Pirates set. "My birthday was June 6 and at midday, their time,
Trevor rang and sang Happy Birthday to me," Mr Goddard said.
They arranged to speak the next day.
"I tried to call him three times but to no avail . . . I was telling
him to pick up the phone, I thought he must be in bed. He was, but he
was dead," Mr Goddard said.
"But he was as happy as a sandboy singing Happy Birthday to me and
then he said we had years together yet, but we didn't even have 24
hours.
"That is the story of Trevor Goddard. If he died as a result of drugs,
then it's the result of an accident."
Ray Geneburn
suspected for a long time.
Ray
"katya" <orl...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:e82aeb96.03071...@posting.google.com...
> The following story is running in Oz papers today:
>
>
> JAG star hoaxed Hollywood
> By JOHN FLINT AND MICHAEL McKENNA
> 13jul03
> HOLLYWOOD star Trevor Goddard took a secret to his grave last month -
James Pierce
James L. Pierce
My Launchcast station
http://launch.yahoo.com/lc/?rt=0&rp1=0&rp2=1206908461
Fan of everyone who doesn't drive for DEI and Roush
Hezarpa
down under?
Sabrina
the charade up for several years. That's ingenuity.
Bree - happens to be a big fan of DEI
"James Pierce" <jamesp...@wmconnect.comdontspam> wrote in message
news:20030713132423...@mb-m24.wmconnect.com...
Michael Mastro II
out, or did they snip his role, after he died?
--
Michael
----------------------------------------------------------
http://home.att.net/~mikerm2
Who is proud to be a service member for the United States.
"katya" <orl...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:e82aeb96.03071...@posting.google.com...
> The following story is running in Oz papers today:
<snip>
> One one occasion, Goddard beat a long line of Australian actors to
> provide the voice for a kangaroo in a film. Apart from JAG, he starred
> in big action movies such as Mortal Combat, Gone in 60 seconds, Dead
> Man's Run and most recently alongside Johnny Depp and Australian
> Geoffrey Rush in the soon-to-be released Disney blockbuster Pirates of
> the Caribbean.
<snip>
cathy
<MikeRM2XX...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>Ok, I saw Pirates, but did not see Trevor. Anyone else able to pick him
>out, or did they snip his role, after he died?
I didn't quite catch it, but I've been told he's the pirate who gets
his head bashed in by the swinging sign in the sack of Port Royal. He
confronts Will in front of this shop, the sign detaches, swings down
and away, both duck, but the sign swings back, catches Trevor's pirate
in the back of the head and propels him through a large glass window.
To me it was one of the few genuinely "ick" moments in the movie.
Cathy
Jon Kennedy
http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,6741615%255E2761,00.html
Here's a picture of their front page for Sunday July 13th:
http://news.com.au/common/wa/0,4833,wa%5EWA%5ETEXT%5Enews45,00.html
--
Jon Kennedy
Charlotte, NC, USA
jonke...@msn.com
"James Pierce" <jamesp...@wmconnect.comdontspam> wrote in message news:20030713132423...@mb-m24.wmconnect.com...
LadyC
That's not exactly as I would have put it but something about the way
the "article" reads that just doesnt seem like it is the real thing.
Charlie Pearce
wrote:
>Does it really matter that much? I find it amusing that he was able to keep
>the charade up for several years. That's ingenuity.
I never realised people thought he was an Australian actor - I always
assumed he was an American trying to effect an Aussie accent in the
same way Americans are usually (painfully!) used to portray British
characters...
Charlie
--
Remove NO-SPOO-PLEASE from my email address to reply
Please send no unsolicited email or foodstuffs
christine morrow
"Charlie Pearce" <charlie...@eidosnet.NO-SPOO-PLEASE.co.uk> wrote in
message news:3f195f28...@news.eidosnet.co.uk...
> On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 14:38:14 -0500, "Sabrina" <sho...@comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
> >Does it really matter that much? I find it amusing that he was able to
keep
> >the charade up for several years. That's ingenuity.
>
> I never realised people thought he was an Australian actor - I always
> assumed he was an American trying to effect an Aussie accent in the
> same way Americans are usually (painfully!) used to portray British
> characters...
>
> Charlie
>
> --
>
To this Aussie that is what I, and most of my JAG watching friends, thought.
We certainly didn't think he was an Aussie as that accent was just so awful
and definitely not an authentic Aussie accent. At best we thought he may
have spent a few years here to attempt to create the accent but did it very
badly. If they had wanted an Aussie why not have come Down Under and got
one. We have some quite good actors, or so I am told!!!
G1969
Patty Winter
G1969 <g1...@aol.com> wrote:
>He is an australian. It has been stated he was born either in or near Perth.
So you believe that his father lying when he said that Trevor was from
England? What do you postulate to be the motivation for such a lie?
Patty
Patty Winter
Patty Winter <pat...@wintertime.com> wrote:
sorry, missing word there...
>So you believe that his father lying when he said that Trevor was from
^ was
Joe Davila
One site said he was born in Perth. Another site (an Aussie site with the
tag line of "from the arse of the anglosphere") says he's English, born in
London and that his accent is from London. One news site said he has an
estranged wife and kids living in Sidney. I was hoping to find something to
clear up the matter. Anybody have better luck?
Joe
USN (RET)
Patty Winter
Personally, I think his father's remarks at his memorial service--as
quoted in the posting that started this thread--are conclusive.
Patty
Mark Cobb
pam
> Personally, I think his father's remarks at his memorial
> service--as quoted in the posting that started this thread
> --are conclusive.
Except that people who attended the memorial service say
that his father never said those remarks.
pam
> G1969 <g1...@aol.com> wrote:
> > He is an australian. It has been stated he was born either
> > in or near Perth.
>
> So you believe that his father lying when he said that
> Trevor was from England? What do you postulate to be the
> motivation for such a lie?
He was born in England, but lived in Australia from an early
age, loved Australia, and had become an Australian citizen.
So for all intents and purposes, he was Australian.
pam
Specifically, insider Kip's July 13 post:
http://www.wtv-zone.com/harmandmac/trg/preview/spoilers8-10.html
===>
Q. Call me a cynic, but why did it take this long for it to
come out? Did I read it wrong or didn't his father supposedly
say something at the memorial? We had a post from someone
who was at the memorial service and he didn't say a word.
A. No one attending the memorial heard his father say anything
that was printed in the Australian article. He said a few
moving words and that was it. Nothing about his son fooling
Hollywood. And there were no gasps from the audience.
Trevor never hid the fact that his father was English and that
he had spent part of his early childhood in England. But most
of his life was spent in Australia and he not only considered
himself to be Australian; he was an Australian citizen. There
is no doubt that he was raised in Perth as a kid, made some
early mistakes and pulled himself out of it through boxing.
I personally know, since we discussed it a couple of times,
that he did not have a good relationship with his father.
I believe this story from his father has more to do with
his shining up his reputation, not Trevors.
Knowing more about Trevor's life and death than is appropriate
to discuss further, I will say the majority of what I've read
about both has been inaccurate. Trevor was a fun-loving,
gregarious man who adored his sons and was always the
consumate professional.
It hurts to read some of the comments on this web site by
'fans' who didn't like the character, denigrating the actor
as a liar and perpertrator of a hoax. He didn't hoax us.
He didn't hoax Hollywood.
<===
Patty Winter
pam <ptpl...@NOSPAMmindspring.com> wrote:
>>
>> Except that people who attended the memorial service say
>> that his father never said those remarks.
Weird! The plot thickens!
Patty
Charlie Pearce
So why didn't he have a decent Australian accent?
christine morrow
"Patty Winter" <pat...@wintertime.com> wrote in message
news:bge97k$86h$1...@bolt.sonic.net...
Today's Telegraph paper here in Sydney said the comment was made at the wake
not the memorial service.
It also reports that his death has been ruled as an overdose but not
suicide.
Robert
"shawn" <sh...@spamcop.net> wrote
> Because a real Aussie accent isn't that noticeable. Hollywood wants
> their stereotypes to fit the mold which meant he had to have a heavy
> accent.
So, you lot put on an accent when you vacation in the US, eh? Who'da
thunk it.
(Actually, I dare say Oz accents are just as wildly variable as
English, Scottish and 'Yank' accents, and with the same regional nuances
easily recognized by locals, ie, a native Englishman can recognize a Welsh
accent, an American can recognize a Bostonian accent, and an Australian can
recognize....??? I've no idea, but I'm sure there's something...)
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Patty Winter
christine morrow <iie...@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>
>Today's Telegraph paper here in Sydney said the comment was made at the wake
>not the memorial service.
The original stories I saw called it a "celebration of his life."
I guess "wake" would be a more accurate synonym than "memorial service."
>It also reports that his death has been ruled as an overdose but not
>suicide.
That story, from the Australian Associated Press, is still saying
that Goddard was English. I notice from earlier stories that Trevor's
father and mother were interviewed by reporters after the wake, so
whether the reports of Mr. Goddard's remarks at the wake itself were
accurate or not, his main reported comments came later. Whether his
comments are accurate--well, that's really confusing at this point!
Patty
Maureen Goldman
>Today's Telegraph paper here in Sydney said the comment was made at the wake
>not the memorial service.
>It also reports that his death has been ruled as an overdose but not
>suicide.
I read the accidental overdose verdict as well (heroin, cocaine and
prescription drugs). While this is grim, at least his kids may have
some comfort in knowing that he didn't leave them deliberately.