Wombats we have loved (or Fatso the Wombat, This is your Life!)
An alcoholic wombat? Fatso the Wombat rose to prominence in the tumultuous 80s, a decade famous for leaving many animal stars broke, broken and drug-dependent
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Here he is in one of his classic Aussie poses, ass-out, feet up.
Fatso, (Uncommon, and mostly likely unconfirmable fact: He was formerly known as Derek Pophler) had been performing janitorial services (mopping up pre-audition puke from nervous wannabe actors) in the Brisbane studios of Channel 7 when he was plucked from obscurity after being accidentally shoved into an audition room where parts for the popular A county Practice TV show were being auditioned.
Today we know him as the quintessential wombat, the lovable Aussie larrikin, but outside the limelight, Fatso was living a double life.
(Source) His single "When Wombats Cry"
failed to please the critics who called him derivative.
Even while displaying his formidable chops and helping to set the careers of soon-to-be-stars, Grant Dodwell and Lorrae Desmond (who??) Fatso struggled with addiction. His penchant for bananas has been likened to Clintons infamous cigar fetish and while little has been written on this subject to date, Fatso’s closest friends paint a picture of debauchery, gluttony and an irresistible urge to dig burrows. (Author’s note: This may be a euphemism, I'm not sure).
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Fatso moved quickly up the ranks, narrowly missing a Logi nomination for his role on the children’s smash TV hit Wombat and honorable mention for appearances on Boris’ Breakfast Club.
It was a combination of these minor setbacks and rumors that he'd had an inappropriate relationship with Anne-Marie from Boris’ Breakfast Club that finally put an end to Fatso’s career.
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Despite this unfortunate end, Fatso remains one of the best Australian actors and many feel disappointed we could not see him take his place on the international stage (as Wolverine for example) where he could have really shown his acting skills.
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Join us in raising a beer in salute to Fatso the Wombat!
This is hilarious! And I remember Grant Dodwell and Lorrae Desmond. A Country Practice was one of the tv highlights of my childhood.
I used to watch that show every week. I was thinking about wombats the other day (as you do) and just wondered what happened to old Fatso. Lol thanks for reading and commenting!
Loving the Aussie culture references @thinknzombie and the writing but think we need a new warning on Steemit besides NFW that warns the reader to empty the mouth of all beverages prior to reading... liquid is not good for the keyboard lol
A spit take warning? That's a good idea.