Peter O'Brien is an accomplished Australian actor, widely recognized for his iconic role as Shane Ramsay in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Born in the charming town of Murray Bridge, South Australia, located 76 kilometers southeast of the state capital Adelaide, O'Brien began his journey in the entertainment industry as a teacher at Mercedes College, a prestigious private Catholic school in the Adelaide suburb of Springfield.
In the 1980s, O'Brien transitioned to acting, securing roles in various Australian television series. He played a regular character in the short-lived soap opera Starting Out in 1983, followed by guest appearances in Carson's Law in 1983 and Prisoner in 1984, as well as a stint in The Henderson Kids. His breakthrough role came in 1985 when he was cast as Shane Ramsay, a regular original character in the popular soap opera Neighbours on the Seven Network. He became one of the show's most beloved cast members, remaining with the series until 1987.
O'Brien's subsequent roles included a leading regular character in the drama series The Flying Doctors from 1988 to 1991. In 1994, he poked fun at his soap opera star past by taking on a regular role in Psycho Ward 10, a soap opera parody in The All New Alexei Sayle Show.
Throughout his illustrious career, O'Brien has appeared in numerous television series, including the popular BBC series Cardiac Arrest, Queer as Folk, White Collar Blue, Hell Has Harbour Views, and Gossip Girl. He has also appeared in various mini-series, such as The Day of the Roses and Through My Eyes, the story of Lindy Chamberlain. O'Brien has guest-starred on numerous television series, including Halifax f.p., and has won Australian Film Institute and Logie Awards for his work.
In addition to his television work, O'Brien has appeared in films, including Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord and the 1998 Australian/Brisbane comedy television series Minty. In 2009, he played Sydney underworld figure and racing identity George Freeman in the series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.
O'Brien's impressive resume also includes a stint as a new consultant called Stitch in the BBC Television series Casualty and a role as Detective Inspector Peter Kavanaugh, a corrupt officer, in the ITV1 police drama The Bill. He appeared as Ed in "The Waters of Mars", the second of the 2009 specials of Doctor Who, and later reprised his role as George Freeman in the follow-up series Underbelly: The Golden Mile.
Throughout his career, O'Brien has received numerous accolades, including two Logie Awards - one in 1987 for the 'Most Popular Actor' for his role in Neighbours and one in 2003 for the 'Most Outstanding Actor' for his role in White Collar Blue.
