- Born
- Birth nameDaniel Linwood Abineri
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- Daniel started his career as an actor in the early 1970's in weekly rep. Before long he was playing the lead in the ITV playhouse The Best of Enemies by Christopher Fry, playing opposite Nigel Hawthorne and Charles Gray in Pinero's The Schoolmistress for Yorkshire TV and playing Alan Wilson opposite Tatum O'Neal in the movie International Velvet (MGM '77). In 1978 he starred as 'Father Neil' opposite comic legend Arthur Lowe (of Dad's Army fame,) as a Catholic priest in the hit comedy series Bless Me Father (ITV 78' - 81')
From priest to transvestite - in 1979 he was cast by Richard O'Brien in the iconic role of Dr Frank'N'Furter in the original UK national tour of The Rocky Horror Show. He went on to star in the show in the West End production at Comedy Theatre in 1980, and was then invited to Australia, where he strutted his stuff over two thousand times in various tours of Australasia throughout the 1980's in productions that he also directed. He is officially the longest running Frank'N'Furter in the world.
Other acting highlights in Australia include The Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, ,Gary Lejuene in Noises Of directed by Michael Blakemore and Armold Beckoff in Torch Song Trilogy. He also starred as super villain Jake Sanders in the 80's Australian high gloss global hit TV series Return To Eden.
Directing a tour of 'Rocky Horror' in NZ in 1986 he gave a young Russell Crowe his very first professional acting role casting him as Eddie in the show. He subsequently cast Russell as 'Johnny' in the original production of Bad Boy Johnny & The Prophets of Doom in Melbourne.
Daniel has also produced and directed several music TV documentaries including One Hit Wonders for the BBC and his personal study of gender roles in rock and pop, Walk On The Wildside for the ITV network featuring his interviews with Mick Rock, Malcom McClaren,Lindsay Kemp, Pete Burns, Marc Almond, Dave Stewart and Ray Davies.
- IMDb mini biography by: Daniel Abineri
- SpousesClaudia Rosencrantz(1998 - present) (1 child)Julie Roberts(1978 - 19??) (divorced, 3 children)
- Parents
- RelativesSebastian Abineri(Sibling)Jasmine Abineri(Sibling)Alexander Abineri(Niece or Nephew)
- He married to Claudia Rosencrantz, controller of entertainment for Britain's ITV, and co-creator of British TV hits like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, I'm A Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here, and Pop Idol.
- He is the son of the prolific British television character actor John Abineri. His mother was the actress Hilary Bamford. He is the brother of Sebastian Abineri.
- He discovered actor Russell Crowe when he gave him his first professional acting role in a New Zealand tour of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. Abineri later awarded Crowe the lead in his very first musical, 'Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom'.
- He has one daughter, Lola (b. 1998) from his current marriage, and three children, Jennifer, Kate and Joe from his first marriage.
- He developed a love of 30s and 40s music at the age of 3 when his father brought home an old wind-up gramophone and a chest full of 78 rpm recordings.
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