Mike Preston, renowned for his roles as settler leader Pappagallo in “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” and Detective Bob Delaney in the Australian series “Homicide,” passed away on June 8 in Florida at the age of 93.
His wife, Josie Preston, confirmed his death to Variety.
Born Jack Davis, Preston was an early success as a chart-topping singer in the U.K. during the late 1950s, achieving three Top 40 hits. He later moved to Australia, where he began performing as a nightclub singer.
Preston gained popularity as a host on “In Melbourne Tonight” and went on to appear in 42 episodes of the Australian series “Homicide.” He also had a recurring role in the soap opera “Bellbird” and appeared in series such as “Dixon of Dock Green,” “Tandarra,” “Chopper Squad,” and “Cop Shop.”
His feature film debut was in the 1969 film “Stoney,” alongside Barbara Bouchet and Richard Jaeckel. Preston collaborated with George Miller on the adored “Mad Max” sequel “The Road Warrior,” starred as the lead in the sci-fi film “Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn,” and appeared in eight episodes of “Hot Pursuit” as Alec Shaw, with co-stars like Kerrie Keane, Eric Pierpoint, and Dina Merrill.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Preston made guest appearances on over a dozen shows, including “Ellen,” “Scarecrow and Mrs. King,” “Shadow Chasers,” “Outlaws,” “Superbly,” “Alien Nation,” “Dark Justice,” “Highlander,” “Steel,” and “Law & Order.” His final acting credit was a voice role in the 2002 video game “The Getaway.”
Preston is survived by his wife, Josie Preston, and their two daughters.
