Mike Preston, 'Mad Max 2' Actor, Dies at 93

Q: What forgotten music career did this 'Mad Max' actor have before his iconic role?

Before becoming a familiar screen presence in “Mad Max 2,” Mike Preston had an earlier career as a pop singer in Britain. Born Jack Davis, he broke through in the late 1950s as a U.K. chart act and scored three Top 40 hits. That music success came before his move to Australia, where he continued performing as a nightclub singer and entertainer. He also became a television host on “In Melbourne Tonight” before shifting more fully into acting. So the “forgotten” career was not in film at all, but in music: Preston was a chart-topping U.K. singer and live performer years before he played Pappagallo in “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.”

3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jul 21

Mike Preston, who played Pappagallo in “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” and Detective Bob Delaney in “Homicide,” died June 8 in Florida at 93; his wife, Josie Preston, confirmed the death.
Born Jack Davis, Preston first found fame as a late-1950s U.K. singer with 3 Top 40 hits before moving to Australia, where he hosted “In Melbourne Tonight” and built a screen career.
42 episodes of “Homicide” helped establish him on Australian television, alongside roles in “Bellbird,” “Dixon of Dock Green,” “Tandarra,” “Chopper Squad” and “Cop Shop.”
1969 film “Stoney” launched his feature career, which later included George Miller’s “Mad Max 2,” the lead in “Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn,” and 8 episodes of “Hot Pursuit.”
2002 video game “The Getaway” marked his final credited role, capping a career that stretched across music, television, film and voice work; he is survived by his wife and 2 daughters.