Brian Thomas Wenzel (born 24 May 1929) is an Australian former actor, comedian, director and singer.^[1] He has been in the entertainment business for 75 years, including circus, stage, television and film (including made for TV movies and theatrical release films).

After numerous character roles in Crawford Productions serials films and after appearing in the ABC serial Certain Women, he was cast in the permanent role of Sgt. Frank Gilroy, he played from 1981 and 1993.

He had a small role in 1995 in serial Neighbours as Gordon "Flakey the Clown" Orchard. He was also briefly a cast member of Rove Live in 2009.

Wenzel was born to Harold Wenzel, a grocer who served with the RAAF and Kathleen Wenzel in 1929.^[2] One of eight, he grew up in South Australia suburbs Mile End, Torrensville and Thebarton. He had an unsettled early life and spent much of his childhood in remand homes run by various organisations including the Christian Brothers and the Salvation Army. Wenzel ran away several times. At age 14, he left school and joined the Sole Bros. circus as a pony groom and dog trainer. During World War II, he was greatly criticised because of his German sounding surname^[2] but nevertheless started acting professionally in 1946 when his first performance in an acting role came at the age of 17 in a comedy stage play. He subsequently appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, pantomime and children's theatre, including production's of Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, The Imaginary Invalid and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, he has worked with the Adelaide Festival of the Arts and the South Australian Theatre Company.^[3]

In 2009 Wenzel appeared in a TV ad in the role for a sexual dysfunction therapy.^[4] His Sgt. Gilroy (now 80 years old), arrives to save the day when a newlywed wife complains about her husband "speeding" in the sack – and then prosecutes him in court. This ad created much controversy^[5][6] and Wenzel was featured on A Current Affair, defending the advert and stating that he was "an actor and this is what I do" and being thrown into the spotlight after almost 20 years out of it. In May, he appeared on a spoof of the ad that was aired on Rove Live.

Wenzel, as well as Shane Porteous and Joyce Jacobs appeared in the first episode of A Country Practice in November 1981 and stayed with the series until it ended in 1993. However, after the series was cancelled that year by the Seven Network the series was picked by rival Network Ten for a single season in 1994, with a new setting and mostly new cast, Joyce Jacobs was the only original who stayed with the show, with the returning Joan Sydney, Andrew Blackman and briefly Michelle Pettigrove, both Wenzel and Shane Porteous did not reprise their roles in the reboot.

Wenzel has been married to his English-born wife Linda Wenzel for 67 years.

He is an Australia Day ambassador for the state of Victoria, and a lifelong supporter of the Carlton Football Club.

Brian suffered 2 mini strokes in the last three years^[7]

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