How well do you know comedian Greg Fleet?
Well, firstly did you know that he’s American?! Yup. ‘Fleety’, as his mates call him, was born in the United States, but he moved to Australia with his family when he was young.
He also killed Daphne. Playing the character of Dave Summers on Neighbours in 1988, Fleety’s character ran Daphne Clarke (played by Elaine Smith) off the road and killed her. It was a major storyline, and on one visit to the UK Fleety was accosted by an angry Neighbours fan who took the fictional event a little too seriously.
And to prove that fact is stranger than fiction, Fleety’s father, Bill Fleet, faked his own death. True story! A former Green Beret who had served in Vietnam, Bill had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, was an alcoholic and a gambler, and he had a history of financial problems.
In 1979, when Fleety was 10 years old, his father disappeared. He left a suicide note, and his family was told that he had driven off a pier and drowned. However, two years later, Fleety’s mother was contacted by a friend who had seen Bill Fleet working at a real estate agency in Auckland, New Zealand.
He’s alive!
It turned out that Bill Fleet was trying to escape his debts and other problems. He had changed his name and started a new life in New Zealand. Fleet’s mother was devastated, but Fleet himself was able to find some humour in the situation.
“It was a pretty crazy thing to happen,” Fleety said in an interview. “But I guess it made me the comedian I am today.”
Fleety has often spoken about his father’s faked death in his comedy shows. He has said that he finds it easier to laugh about it than to be angry about it. “I think it’s important to be able to laugh at the things that are hard in life,” he said. “And my father’s faked death is definitely one of those things.”
In addition to his comedy, Fleety has also written several books, including his most recent, ‘The Good Son‘. He is a regular on the Australian comedy circuit, and he has also appeared in several films and television shows, including the Hard Knock Knocks TV show, ‘Is This Thing On?’. He is a talented and versatile performer, and he continues to entertain audiences with his unique brand of dark humour. Learn more by listening to his podcast interview.
Greg Fleet is the narrator of our online comedy course. Click here to learn from the master.