Jon Blake, Australian actor, died from pneumonia he was , 52.

 Jon Blake was an Australian actor of the 1980s died from pneumonia he was , 52. He appeared in several TV shows and films before a car accident in 1986 left him severely disabled.

(26 June 1958 – 29 May 2011)

Biography

Paul Jon Blake was born in New Zealand in 1958. An only child, he moved to Australia with his parents when he was 13, and he trained as a professional boxer before becoming a popular actor on Australian television. He quickly progressed from a role in the soap opera The Restless Years (in which he was credited as Sonny Blake) to television miniseries and films. One of his highest-profile roles was a starring role in the Australian television miniseries Anzacs. His good looks led to him being named by Cleo magazine as one of the most eligible bachelors of 1986.
His charismatic presence and fast-rising star led to him being dubbed "the next Mel Gibson", with mentions of several work opportunities in the United States and talk of a new Mad Max film. In December 1986 he was badly injured in a car accident while driving home after the last day of filming on The Lighthorsemen in the South Australian desert. An oncoming car appeared on his path and he swerved to avoid it, crashing into a car which was parked on the side of the road. He was not expected to survive the accident. His only external injury was a light graze on his left cheek, but he sustained permanent brain damage in the accident, and was unable to care for himself.^{[citation needed]}

Court cases

After several long and complex legal battles and appeals,^{[1][dead link]} Blake was finally awarded $7.7 million in compensation for his care taking and lost future earnings. The amount was decided on the thought that there was a 60% to 70% chance that Blake would have achieved considerable success as an actor in the United States (earning $1 to $2 million a movie) and a 30% chance of reaching the superstar bracket. Academy Award winning filmmaker George Miller testified at the court case.^{[citation needed]}
Until her death in 2007, his mother, Mascot Blake, was his primary caregiver. After her death, Jon Blake's son Dustin cared for his father until Blake's death.^[2]

Death

Blake died on 29 May 2011, aged 52, from complications from pneumonia.^[3]

Filmography

Film and television credits
Title	Year	Role	Notes
The Restless Years	1977–1980	Alan Archer
The Slippery Slide	1980	Chris Newsbury
Freedom	1982	Ron
Early Frost	1982	Peter Meadows
A Country Practice	1982–1984	Steve Vargas
Boy in the Bush	1984	Tom Ellis	TV mini-series
Five Mile Creek	1984	Trooper Wilson	1 episode
The Slim Dusty Movie	1984	Young Slim Dusty
Anzacs	1985	Private Flanagan	TV mini-series
Cool Change	1986	Pete
The Lighthorsemen	1987	Scotty
Running from the Guns	1987	Davie

 

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