FLETCHER
Alan

• 1. Career

Alan Fletcher is an Australian actor of stage, television and film. He is also a singer and musician.

Fletcher is best known for his TV soap opera role in Neighbours, as Dr. Karl Kennedy.

Having appeared in the series since 1994, Fletcher is the third longest serving actor in an Australian television serial, after Home and Away actors Ray Meagher and Lynne McGranger.

Career

Fletcher was born in Perth, Western Australia, and attended Wesley College in Perth. He appeared briefly in the US drama The Love Boat, in 1981, locally however his first major television role was in the police drama Cop Shop as Frank Rossi from 1982 until production ceased the following year and he appeared in various Australian feature films, TV movies, and miniseries including Fran and Mercy Mission.

He briefly acted in Neighbours in 1987 as Greg Cooper, a run-down, dishonest boxer working in Jim Robinson's (Alan Dale) garage. In 1994, Fletcher successfully auditioned for the role of Karl Kennedy in the soap, a role which he continues to play.

His on-screen wife is Susan Kennedy is played by Jackie Woodburne, who coincidently previously played his sister in Cop Shop.

In 2005, Fletcher starred as Henry Higgins in a production of My Fair Lady at the Melbourne Comedy Theatre. He is also a prominent member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, a role which saw him become a vocal critic of the 2004 US-Australia Free Trade Agreement, including an appearance on the political talk-show Meet the Press.

In 2008, Fletcher starred as Frank McGee in the workshop performance season of Call Girl the Musical and as Captain Hook in the Pantomime Peter Pan at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen.

In 2011, Fletcher spent time in Old Melbourne Gaol to raise money for the charity Whitelion. In order to break out, Fletcher and fellow Neighbours cast members Stefan Dennis, Jordy Lucas and Valentina Novakovic had to each raise $1,000.

In May 2013, along with Saskia Hampele, he presented the award of Best Newcomer to Joseph Thompson at the British Soap Awards. Fletcher appeared in a documentary special celebrating Neighbours' 30th anniversary titled Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015.