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Leonard George Thiele AO (26 September 192214 May 1994), professionally Leonard Teale, was an Australian actor of radio, television and film and radio announcer, presenter and narrator known for his resonant baritone voice. He is best remembered for his role in the long-running Australian police procedural drama Homicide as David "Mac" MacKay.
As a professional actor he adopted Teale – a homophone of his birth surname, Thiele – as a stage name.
Following the outbreak of World War II, Thiele joined the Militia and served as a signaller. Interested in becoming a pilot, he transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 10 October 1942. He graduated from flying school the following year and was commissioned as officer. In 1944, Thiele was posted to the Mediterranean theatre, where he served with No. 458 Squadron RAAF, a maritime patrol/maritime strike unit, flying Vickers Wellingtons, from bases at Foggia, Italy, and Gibraltar. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in September 1945 and was discharged on 16 January 1946, after returning to Australia.
Thiele was a co-compère of the radio ABC Children's Session, as "Chris" from 1951 to 1954 (also playing the title role in its Muddle-Headed Wombat serial), his involvement possibly cut short by management for political reasons. At this time he was still using the surname "Thiele" professionally.
He also made regular appearances in radio variety programs such as the Bonnington's Bunkhouse Show, and voiceovers in countless commercials.
In the early 1950s, with Raymond Hanson, Roland Robinson and others, Thiele helped form the short-lived Australian Cultural Defence Movement, aimed at protecting local arts and crafts production from the perceived inroads being made by imported content, particularly from the US. However, the movement faltered after becoming a target of anti-communist activists, (His brother, Neville Thiele, was also targeted, for participating in left-wing theatre.)
Leonard Teale died of a heart attack in 1994. A documentary, Homicide: 30 Years On, aired later that year which included reminiscences from former Homicide castmates and footage of an appearance made by himself and Homicide actors George Mallaby and Alwyn Kurts in 1992 presenting a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Series partially in character (with hilarious results).
| Feature film |
| Feature film (segment: The Load of Wood) |
| Feature film |
| Feature film |
| Feature film |
| TV play |
| TV play |
| Feature film |
| Feature film |
| Feature film |
| Feature film |
| TV movie |
| Feature filmHarrison, Tony The Australian Film and Television Companion Simon & Schuster 1994; |
| TV series |
| TV series |
| TV series (narrating the novel Sundowners) |
| TV series |
| TV series |
| TV miniseries |
| TV series, Episode 6: The Buffalo Hunters |
| TV series, 357 episodes (won a Logie for Best Australian Actor) |
| TV documentary (about Homicide) |
| TV series |
| TV series |
| TV series |
| TV series, 4 episodes |
| TV series (spoken-word version of the Led Zeppelin song "Stairway to Heaven") |
| TV series |
| TV series |
| TV documentary about Homicide (posthumously via archive footage) |
| Jim Cameron | Radio 2UE serial |
| Radio 2GB, Sydney serial, 1,040 episodes | |
| Radio 2UW, Sydney, Radio 3DB, Melbourne | |
| ABC Radio serial | |
| ABC Radio serial | |
| Radio 3UZ, Melbourne serial with Grace Gibson | |
| Radio serial with Grace Gibson | |
| Radio serial with George Edwards Productions | |
| Radio serial with Grace Gibson | |
| Radio 2TM serial with Grace Gibson | |
| Radio 2KO with Nine Radio | |
| Radio 2GB, Sydney & Radio 2UW, Sydney serial | |
| Radio 2UW, Sydney serial with Grace Gibson | |
| Radio 2GB, Sydney serial |
| Empire Chambers, Brisbane with Dulcie Scott Players |
| Student Theatre, Brisbane with Dulcie Scott Players |
| Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba with Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society |
| Sydney Radio Theatre & Killara Soldiers Memorial Hall, Sydney with Mercury Theatres |
| Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson |
| Mosman Town Hall, Sydney with Mosman Children's Theatre |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Garrison Church, Sydney |
| Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Perth with J. C. Williamson |
| Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Perth |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company |
| UNSW with Old Tote Theatre Company |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| UNSW Old Tote Theatre with NIDA |
| Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company |
| Australian tour |
| Queensland tour |
| SGIO Theatre with QTC |
| Marian Street Theatre, Sydney, Hoyts Prince Theatre, Hobart, Princess Theatre, Launceston, Burnie Theatre |
| Marian Street Theatre, Sydney |
| Marian Street Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra with Northside Theatre Company for Sydney Festival |
| Parramatta Cultural Centre |
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