Geoff Paine

Geoff Paine is an Australian television and theatre actor from Melbourne. He is known for his a role as doctor Clive Gibbons on the soap opera Neighbours, as well as A Country Practice, Nine Network children's television series Pig's Breakfast and ABC3's Mal.com.

Early life

Paine studied drama at Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) for three years from 1983 to 1985.^[1][2] Directly following his studies, he was approached by the Neighbours casting department to audition for the series, after they watched him perform in a play at the Victorian Arts Centre.^[3]

Career

Television

In 1986, Paine secured the role of Clive Gibbons in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. This was his first television acting role after he had graduated.^[4]

In November 1986, TV Week reported that Paine had quit the series but would remain on-screen until early 1987.^[5] In a 1988 interview, Paine stated that he feared he would become typecast in the role and did not regret leaving.^[3] The actor later made a brief return to the show in 1989.^[6] Clive became popular with viewers and this return was scripted to set up a spin-off series, City Hospital. A pilot was made, but it was not picked up by any television networks.^[7] Paine moved to London briefly before returning to live in Australia. Neighbours had achieved success in the United Kingdom and he was often approached by fans in the street.^[1]

He went on to appear in episodes of the Seven Network soap opera A Country Practice as Jeff Ryan from 1987 to 1989.^[8][9] Paine began appearing in the sketch show The Comedy Company when it returned for its 1990 season.^[10] In 1996, Paine secured the guest role of Roman in Blue Heelers. He found the role "interesting" because Roman "is not what he seems."^[11] On 13 November 1997, he appeared in an episode of State Coroner as a farmer, Barry Davis who is murdered.^[12] In 1999, Paine secured the role of newsreader Malcolm Wilson in the Nine Network children's television series Pig's Breakfast.^[13] He reprised the role for the show's second series.^[14]

Other acting credits include guest roles in The Games, The Adventures of Lano and Woodley, Stingers, The Wedge, City Homicide, Wilfred and The Doctor Blake Mysteries.^[15][16] Paine's film roles include The Craic (1999), The Wog Boy (2000) and The Wedding Party (2010).^[17]

In early 2011, Paine took the role of Malcom Mann in Mal.com. The show was created for a young audience and Malcom is a television host who is also secretly a robot.^[18] The show debuted via ABC3 on 28 October 2011.^[19] In 2013, he secured a presenting role on Spontaneous Saturday which featured theatresport-type games. The two episode pilot was produced for the SBS network.^[20]

In 2017, Paine reprised his role of Clive in Neighbours, twenty-eight years after he had last been on the show.^[21] Paine's return came after he made an enquiry to the Neighbours production team via his agent. He had been asked to return previously, but was unable to because of family and other work commitments.^[22] Paine remained with Neighbours on a recurring basis, filming episodic blocks while also working in a university.^[23] The role saw him working with Colette Mann, with who he had previously co-starred in theatre work.^[23][24] Paine also secured a guest role in an episode of Nine Network's Bad Mothers.^[25]

Theatre

Aside from television roles, Paine has also had a career in theatre, securing roles in various national productions.^[26] In 1987, he played Michael in The Hope at the Victorian Arts Centre.^[27] In 1991, Paine appeared in the stage version of Hair at the Melbourne Athenaeum.^[28] He went on to secure a main role in the 1992 Australian tour of Up 'n' Under.^[29] In 1993, Paine secured the role of Terry Legge in the production of Big Toys which was held at the Playbox Theatre, Melbourne.^[30] That year Paine was appearing in the theatrical comedy titled "Shear Madness", alongside Colette Mann.^[24] In April 1996, he played Marlowe in Murder to Die For, which was produced as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.^[31] In May 1997, Paine joined his former Neighbours colleague Annie Jones in the production of Effie – Exposed.^[32]

In April 2000, Paine starred in the stage production of The Linda Blair Witch Project at the Melbourne Town Hall.^[33] He then appeared in theatre production of It's a Dad Thing! for its Australian tour.^[34] In 2011, he wrote and acted a play show titled Unpack This, which debuted at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The show was based on Paine's own experience attending a one day anger management work shop following a dispute with a neighbour.^[35] His show then went on tour around Victoria.^[36] In 2019, Paine and Mann worked together again creating their own improvisational show Mann Up and Take the Paine. The show, which also served as an acting class, played during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.^[4]

Other work

Outside of acting, Paine has worked as a content curator and blogger at Monash University since 2016.^[37] Other jobs include time as a consultant for ABC and the Seven Network. He also created his own independent production company producing corporate communications for retail, government and non-profit organisations.^[37] Paine is the Councillor for Wingrove Ward in the Nillumbik Council and is currently serving the 2020-2024 term.^[38]

Personal life

Paine is the youngest of six children.^[39] Paine is the father of twins.^[7]

Filmography

Film

Television

Sources:^{[25][15][16][17]}

Theatre

As actor

As writer / director

Sources:^[44][45]

References

1. ^ Ellis, Sarah (17–23 March 2018). "Sheila brings out the cheeky side of Clive!". Inside Soap. ' (11): 44–45. Hearst Magazines UK
2. ^ "Geoff Paine". LinkedIn
3. ^ Oram 1988, p. 119
4. ^ McCutcheon, Andy (5 April 2019). "Colette Mann & Geoff Paine – Mann Up and Take the Paine". Joy 94.9. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
5. ^ Cook, Stephen (8 November 1986). "Now Geoff's moving out". TV Week. (Southdown Press)
6. ^ Cooper, Lorna (20 September 2010). "Soap's forgotten characters". MSN. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
7. ^ Monroe 1994, p.269.
8. ^ "Green guide". The Age. 10 December 1987. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
9. ^ "Television". The Age. 30 May 1988. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
10. ^ "Your critical guide to Sunday TV". The Age. 15 July 1990. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
11. ^ Herbison, Jason (24 August – 6 September 1996). "Geoff's back". Inside Soap. ' (56): 36. (Attic Futura UK)
12. ^ Farrant, Darrin (13 November 1997). "Tonight". The Age. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
13. ^ Ketchell, Misha (15 July 1999). "Aliens pig out at breakfast". The Age. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
14. ^ Conway, Andrew (6 September 1999). "A tough act". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
15. ^ Stayner, Samantha (3 February 2012). "Julia Zemiro, Geoff Paine and Michael Williams". ABC. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
16. ^ Knox, David (10 March 2017). "28 years later, Geoff Paine returns to Neighbours.". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
17. ^ "Geoff Paine, the man behind Neighbours' Clive Gibbons, brings Chad's Back in Yack show to Yackandandah". The Border Mail. 18 February 2016. Archived 28 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
18. ^ Dallas, Sam (28 March 2011). "New children's show Mal.com starts filming today in WA". If Magazine. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
19. ^ Knox, David (22 October 2011). "Mal.com: sneak peek". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
20. ^ Knox, David (24 May 2013). "Not the Slide Show pilot". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
21. ^ Brown, David (9 March 2017). "Clive Gibbons returns to Neighbours". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
22. ^ Hughes, Johnathon (23 February 2018). "Neighbours: Clive Gibbons speaks! Interview with Erinsborough legend Geoff Paine". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
23. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (20 February 2018). "Neighbours' Geoff Paine reveals all on Clive's future". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
24. ^ "Live theatre directory". The Age. 14 October 1993. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
25. ^ "Geoff Paine". Lisa Mann Creative Management. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
26. ^ "Geoff Paine". openchannel.org.au. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
27. ^ Daly, Mike (23 April 1987). "Feeling the west's dramatic heat". The Age. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
28. ^ "And the sun shines on". The Age. 29 December 1991. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
29. ^ Radic, Leonard (2 July 1992). "Comedy alive and kicking". The Age. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
30. ^ "From the Gods". The Age. 6 June 1993. Retrieved 1 February 2020. – via Newspapers.com
31. ^ Bodey, Michael (5 April 1996). "Murder, they quote". The Age. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
32. ^ "Live theatre directory". The Age. 26 May 1997. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
33. ^ "The Linda Blair Witch Project". The Age. 10 March 2000. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
34. ^ Thomson, Helen (18 February 2000). "Parenthood pains from Dad's point of view". The Age. Retrieved 31 January 2020. – via Newspapers.com
35. ^ Quinn, Karl (25 September 2011). "Neighbours star who hit neighbour looks back, no anger". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
36. ^ "Comedy writer Geoff Paine uses his head to come up with stage play". The Warrnambool Standard. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
37. ^ "Geoff Paine". Monash University. Retrieved 1 February 2020.^{[dead link]}
38. ^ "Wingrove Ward - Cr Geoff Paine". Nillumbik Shire Council. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
39. ^ Cook, Stephen (21 June 1986). "Geoff shuns romance". TV Week. p. 35.
40. ^ "Hair – The Tribal Love-Rock Musical". Theatregold. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
41. ^ "Theatresports National Championships 2006". www.improaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
42. ^ "Geoff Paine, the man behind Neighbours' Clive Gibbons, brings Chad's Back in Yack show to Yackandandah | The Border Mail | Wodonga, VIC". The Border Mail. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
43. ^ "Hearth | La Mama - Australian Stage Online". australianstage.com.au. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
44. ^ "Geoff Paine theatre credits". AusStage. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
45. ^ "Geoff Paine - Actor". Archived 2020-01-31 at the Wayback Machine.

• Oram, James (1988). Neighbours: Behind the Scenes. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 978-0-207-16075-2.
• Monroe, Josephine (1994). The Neighbours Programme Guide. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-86369-831-6.

External links

• Official website
• Geoff Paine at IMDb