Actor made 60-year impact
BRUCE ALLPRESS 1930-2020
New Zealand actor Bruce Allpress, who appeared in long-running 70s TV show Close to Home, and had roles in The Piano and Lord of the Rings, has died aged 89.
Allpress died on Thursday at his Auckland home surrounded by family.
The actor spent more than 60 years on New Zealand’s small and large screens carving out a niche in roles playing the quintessential working-class Kiwi bloke.
His first role, in the 1960s, was in a Vaudeville act called The Cheeseman Singer Series.
Later he appeared in iconic soap opera Close to Home which ran from 1975-83, as well as roles in Hunter’s Gold, The Billy T. James Show, Mortimer’s Patch and Jocko — for which he won Feltex Actor of the Year in 1981 and 1983.
His roles included parts in New Zealand films such as Came a Hot Friday, The Scarecrow, and smaller roles in big studio productions such as The Piano, Lord of the Rings, Frosty Man and the BMX Kid.
Allpress was also a regular fixture on stage and worked as a theatre director and producer.
The Allpress family said his “love for the performing arts was inspired by his mum, who took Bruce on outings to amateur theatre productions while growing up in Dunedin”.
Friend and fellow actor Peter Elliott paid tribute to Allpress as an icon of 70s and 80s Kiwi film and television.
“I always enjoyed our interactions greatly, and Bruce’s superb humour and wicked pisstakes were the stuff of legend,” Elliott said.
“I had the greatest pleasure working with him and picking his brains in the 80s and 90s, both in television and theatrical circles. On rare occasions I would pop into his antique store for a brief insult and comedic quip or two.
“Although he will be sadly missed, he will also be long remembered. An icon of the era.”
As an adult, Allpress moved to Auckland, married and raised five children on the North Shore. He worked in textile design for decades, working with mills throughout Asia and travelling extensively, including communist China in the 1960s.
He lived in Albany for more than 35 years and was a fixture in the local community, where he started the Albany Hill Cottage Antiques shop.
The father of Michael Allpress, Bruce was an early investor in Allpress Espresso, a founding shareholder and member of the company’s board until recently.
His financial support enabled Michael Allpress to build his first coffee cart 30 years ago, the Allpress family statement said.
“Dad lived an extremely full life,” Michael Allpress said.
“He was very accepting of the vast diversity that humanity presents and very much an independent thinker.
“He was a valuable and wise contributor over the years at Allpress Coffee. He will be missed dearly.”
Allpress is survived by his children Susan, Jane, Michael, Anna and Peter.