{{short description|Australian actor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Ian Rawlings | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1959|03|09}} | birth_place = Whyalla, South Australia, Australia | occupation = Actor | known_for = Wayne Hamilton in ''Sons and Daughters''<br /> Philip Martin in ''Neighbours'' | years_active = 1982−2023 | spouse = Lee Dowling (1984−present) | children = 2 }} '''Ian Rawlings''' (born 9 March 1959) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his long-running roles in soap operas ''Sons and Daughters'' and ''Neighbours''. He also appeared in the short-lived serial ''The Power, The Passion''.
==Early life== Rawlings was born on 9 March 1959,<ref>{{cite magazine|date=October 1994|title=Profile – Ian Rawlings|magazine=Inside Soap|issue=26|pages=36–37}}</ref> in Whyalla, South Australia.<ref name="Beck">{{cite magazine|last=Beck|first=Chris|date=21 May 1983|title=Ian goes to the dogs|magazine=TV Week|page=69}}</ref> He has four brothers and a sister.<ref name="Beck"/> Rawlings played Australian rules football for Whyalla in the South Australian northern league.<ref name="Beck"/> He developed a keen interest in betting on horse racing after his father and grandfather took him to the races in Adelaide when he was eight years old.<ref name="Salesman"/> He also developed an interest in greyhound racing when he was 14, and went onto own and train a number of dogs along with his siblings.<ref name="Beck"/> He was only interested in racing and training the dogs and not the gambling side of the sport.<ref name="Beck"/>
Rawlings worked as a storeman in Adelaide for a computer company, before becoming a model when he was 18.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Pogorelske|first=Paulyne|date=11 December 1982|title=Self-confessed ladies' man|magazine=TV Week|pages=2–3}}</ref> He also worked loading trucks at a large freight company,<ref name="Salesman"/> and as a tow-truck driver.<ref name="Newcomers">{{cite magazine|date=7 November 1981|title=Newcomers feature in Nine's new show|magazine=TV Week|page=47}}</ref>
==Career== Rawlings had little acting experience when he signed for the Grundy Organisation in 1981 to play Wayne Hamilton in ''Sons and Daughters''.<ref name="Winning">{{cite magazine|date=4 May 1985|title=Ian's wicked, winning ways|magazine=TV Week|page=97}}</ref> He had spent two years trying to secure substantial acting work, and appeared in several amateur productions and as an extra in films produced by the South Australian Film Corporation.<ref name="Newcomers"/> He was initially contracted for 15 weeks.<ref name="Winning"/> In 1985, Rawlings also portrayed his character's look-alike Gary Evans.<ref name="Winning"/> That same year, he won the Logie Award for Best Supporting Actor in A Series.<ref name="Winning"/> Rawlings continued in the role of Wayne for the show's entire 1982–1987 run.<ref name="Mercado2004p181">{{cite book|last=Mercado|first=Andrew|year=2004|title=Super Aussie Soaps: Behind The Scenes of Australia's Best Loved TV Shows|publisher=Pluto Press Australia|isbn=1-86403-191-3|page=181}}</ref> Ahead of production ending in March 1987, Rawlings formed his own production company, after completing a producers course at the Australian Film and Television School.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cook|first=Stephen|date=20 December 1986|title=Kids' stuff|magazine=TV Week|page=14}}</ref>
In 1989, Rawlings appeared in the short-lived Seven Network soap opera ''The Power, The Passion'' as Ryan McAllister.<ref name="Salesman">{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005481/19980221/132/0018|title=Quit acting to become a salesman|date=21 February 1998|work=The Weekly News|access-date=24 April 2025|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}</ref> After ''The Power, The Passion'' was cancelled, Rawlings took on a job as a salesman at the freight company he previously worked for prior to his acting career taking off.<ref name="Salesman"/> He said it was a "natural place to go back to" with no acting work forthcoming. He found that being well known to the public helped him with sales.<ref name="Salesman"/>
In 1992, Rawlings had a guest role as Marcus Stone in the Network Ten soap opera ''Neighbours''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004769/19930929/021/0021|title=Tim's TV chat|last=Davey|first=Tim|date=29 September 1993|work=Bristol Evening Post|access-date=24 April 2025|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}</ref> A few months later, he joined the main cast as Philip Martin, taking over the role from Christopher Milne.<ref name="Salesman"/> Rawlings played Philip until 1999.<ref name="SundayMail1999-11-28">{{Cite news | date = 28 November 1999 | title = Soaps in crisis | work=The Sunday Mail | location = Brisbane, Australia | page = 7 }}</ref> He briefly reprised this role in episodes commemorating the programme's 20th anniversary in 2005.<ref name="Bell2005-07-17">{{Cite news | last1 = Bell | first1 = Adam | last2 = Koch | first2 = Phillip | date = 17 July 2005 | title = When good friends step back in time | work=The Sunday Mail | location = Brisbane, Australia | page = 4 }}</ref> Rawlings reprised the role for the ''Neighbours vs Time Travel'' webseries in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/neighbours/a841945/neighbours-return-philip-martin-stingray-timmins-halloween-web-seres/|title=Neighbours brings back Philip Martin and Stingray Timmins for Halloween time-travelling series|last=Dainty|first=Sophie|date=31 October 2017|publisher=Digital Spy|access-date=24 April 2025}}</ref> Rawlings made a cameo appearance in the final episode of ''Neighbours'' in mid-2022,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nowtolove.com.au/entertainment/tv/where-are-the-cast-of-sons-and-daughters-now-76662/|title=Where are the cast of Sons & Daughters now?|last=Gracie|first=Elizabeth|date=7 February 2023|work=Woman's Day|access-date=24 April 2025}}</ref> and again in late 2023, when the series was picked up once again.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/neighbours/neighbours-cast-returns-flashback-week-newsupdate/|title=Neighbours confirms major cast returns with teaser for flashback week|last=Hibbs|first=James|date=6 November 2023|work=Radio Times|access-date=24 April 2025}}</ref>
Rawlings struggled to find work after leaving ''Neighbours'', and launched his own entertainment business Trivial Fun and Games for clubs and hotels.<ref name="Brygel">{{cite magazine|last=Brygel|first=Jackie|last2=Gray|first2=Sigourney|date=1–7 January 2005|title=Former residents|magazine=TV Week|issue=1|page=20}}</ref> He made guest appearances in ''Stingers'' and ''MDA'' in 2003.<ref name="Brygel"/> In 2019, Rawlings was working as a bingo caller at the Werribee Rotary Club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wyndham.starweekly.com.au/news/eyes-down-for-serious-fun/|title=Eyes down for serious fun|last=Macaulay|first=Charlene|date=27 February 2019|work=Star Weekly|access-date=24 April 2025}}</ref>
==Personal life== Rawlings met his wife, model Lee Dowling, while he was performing at an opening ceremony for a chicken takeaway shop.<ref name="Salesman"/> He proposed after six weeks,<ref name="Salesman"/> and they married four months later in September 1984 on the Isle of Capri. Several of his ''Sons and Daughters'' co-stars were in attendance, along with his brother and Dowling's daughter from her marriage to Garry Dowling.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cook|first=Stephen|date=27 October 1984|title=Wedding fever – two stars say 'I do'|magazine=TV Week|pages=6–7}}</ref> Rawlings and Dowling also have one child together, a daughter.<ref name="Brygel"/>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- ! scope="row"| 1982–1987 | ''Sons and Daughters'' | Wayne Hamilton / Gary Evans | Series regular |- ! scope="row"| 1989 |''The Power, The Passion'' | Ryan McAlistor | Series regular |- ! scope="row"| 1990 |''Mission: Impossible'' | Gibbs | Episode: "Cargo Cult" |- ! scope="row"| 1992 |''Neighbours'' | Marcus Stone | Guest |- ! scope="row"| 1992–1999, 2005, 2022, 2023 | ''Neighbours'' | Philip Martin | Series regular |- ! scope="row"| 1999 | ''Night Fever'' | Contestant | Episode: "Millennium Eve Special" |- ! scope="row"| 2000 | ''It's Anybody's Guess'' | Contestant | |- ! scope="row"| 2000 | ''Blue Heelers'' | Matthew Quinn | Episode: "Life Class" |- ! scope="row"| 2003 |''Stingers'' | Tyrone Pattison | Episode: "New Blood" |- ! scope="row"| 2003 | ''Blue Heelers'' | Dennis Morgan | Episode: "Every Man and His Ute" |- ! scope="row"| 2003 | ''MDA'' | Paul Rees | Episode: "Bigger Fish to Fry" |- ! scope="row"| 2006 | ''Temptation'' | Contestant | Episode: "Superchallenge: Heat 3" |- ! scope="row"| 2006 | ''Where Are They Now?'' | Guest | |- ! scope="row"| 2017 |''Neighbours vs Time Travel'' | Philip | Webseries |}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0712608|name=Ian Rawlings}} *[https://www.angelfire.com/wa3/datigers57/phil.html Ian Rawlings as Philip Martin]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rawlings, Ian}} Category:1959 births Category:Australian male soap opera actors Category:Living people Category:Logie Award winners Category:People from Whyalla Category:Australian male television actors Category:Actors from South Australia