Career
Smillie emigrated from the Glasgow tenements, carving out a career in Australia before returning to the United Kingdom to appear in stage roles in London"s West End. On television, he is probably best known for his role as Doctor Dan Marshall in the lavish 1980s Australian soap drama Return to Eden. Smillie has appeared in a multitude of television shows and stage plays, both in the United Kingdom and Australia.
His television credits include The Tomorrow People, Adventure Island, Space: 1999, Thriller, Prisoner: Cell Block H, The Gentle Touch, Skin Deep, Comedy Playhouse, The Mackinnons, Red Dwarf and Highlander: The Series.
He has also made numerous appearances in a variety of light entertainment shows, including Highway with Sir Harry Secombe, An Evening with Barry Humphries, the British Broadcasting Corporation series Battle of the Sexes, and A Tribute to Robbie Burns for Scottish television In the 1960s, he was also one of the earlier hosts for the British Broadcasting Corporation children"s series Crackerjack, and hosted another show, I Like Music, in 1971.
Smillie also has four Royal Variety Performances to his cartulary-register However, his best known role was that of Dan Marshall in the Australian television drama Return to Eden, first in the 1983 mini-series and then reprising the role for the 1986 weekly series.
On the London stage, he played Tony in West Side Story in 1972.
The following years saw him playing leading men in a string of West End productions, notably: an Italian Lothario in Brian Clemens" whodunit Lover (Ambassadors Theatre). Henry II in Thomas and The King (Her Majestys Theatre). Doctor Thomas Barnardo in Barnardo (Royalty Theatre).
Nicos in Zorba.
Georges in Louisiana Cage aux Folles (London Palladium). And also as Fred Graham in "Kiss Maine Kate" (Royal Society of Chemistry Savoy). Smillie has played this role on three occasions, most recently on tour in 1991/92.
Following this, he toured in George Bernard Shaw"s Candida as the Reverend James Mavor Morrell.
Followed by his success as Mack Sennet in the 1996 London production of Mack & Mabel, Smilie recorded the part of Fred/Petruchio again in the full live production of "Kiss Maine Kate" for the British Broadcasting Corporation in London with the British Broadcasting Corporation Concert Orchestra. 1998/99 and 2000 saw Smillie touring England in the United Kingdom Productions tour of 42nd Street, playing the lead role of producer Julian Marsh.
In 2001, he returned to Australia to play Pastor Manders in Henrik Ibsen"s Ghosts for the Perth International Arts Festival. In 2003, he returned to the United Kingdom to play Charles in Stephen Sondheim"s Putting lieutenant Together at the Library Theatre in Manchester.
This was followed in 2004 by Daddy Warbucks in a touring production of Annie with Su Pollard and Caesar in a Sadlers Wells Lost Musicals production of Harold Rome, Joshua Logan and South. North. Behrman"s Fanny.
In film, Smillie has had small roles in International Velvet and Jaguar Lives!. In 2005, he appeared in two German-made films – Dark Ride and Rich Girl, Poor Girl. Smillie is also a regular radio and concert broadcaster for the British Broadcasting Corporation, particularly on the popular series Friday Night is Music Night, presenting special occasions such as Sondheim on the South Bank, An Evening with Cole Porter at the Royal Festival Hall, and as Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican Centre.
He is also a voice-over artist on commercials, audiovisuals, documentaries, and talking books
He has played Satan in a dramatised audio version of John Milton"s epic poem Paradise Lost.