Matthew Johns
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Matthew Johns (born 27 July, 1971) is an Australian entertainer who had previously enjoyed a successful career in rugby league. He has adopted a couple of comic personaes namely Reg Reagan, a retired 1970s footballer and Trent the flight steward. In 2005 we have been introduced to the American fitness freak of Yugoslav origin, Randy Discotelli.
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Rugby League Career
Matthew Johns was born in Cessnock, the son of a coal miner and country rugby league player. After playing junior rugby league in Cessnock, he joined the Newcastle Knights in 1991.
He played as five-eighth for the Knights, playing outside his younger brother Andrew Johns at halfback for nine seasons. The highlight of his career with the Knights was the 1997 Australian Rugby League grand final victory over the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. Salary cap problems led to him leaving the Knights at the end of 1999 to play a season with the Wigan Warriors. He returned to the National Rugby League in 2002 to play a season with the Cronulla Sharks before a shoulder injury forced his retirement at the end of the season.
Johns was part of the Australian squad that won the 1995 Rugby League World Cup, playing eight matches for his country. He also played four State of Origin matches for New South Wales.
Entertainment Career
| The Many Faces of Matthew Johns |
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| Missing image Reg_Reagan.jpg Image:Reg_Reagan.jpg |
| Reg Reagan |
| Missing image Trent_The_Flight_Steward.jpg Image:Trent_The_Flight_Steward.jpg |
| Trent The Flight Steward |
Matthew Johns first foray into entertainment began in 1999 when he adopted the personae of Reg Reagan in a low budget film In Search of the Holy Grail which appeared at the Newcastle Film Festival. The film also starred fellow Knights players Andrew Johns, Matthew Gidley and Robbie O'Davis. The Nine network showed excerpts of the film on the Sydney Footy Show.
The Reg Reagan character was developed further in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2000 where Johns described the character as a late 1970s Australian (or ocker) who smoked only Winfield Reds and drank KB beer.
In 2002, Johns became a regular on the Footy Show with Reagan and a new character, Trent, a gay flight attendant from San Francisco. Fans of his new side Cronulla started wearing copies of the T-Shirt worn by Reagan with the slogan "Bring Back the Biff" to games.
After his retirement, Johns signed deals with the Nine Network and Sony Music Entertainment. He appears on the Footy Show and as a commentator on Nine's broadcasts of rugby league matches. He has recorded a DVD titled "All of Me" released in June 2004 featuring skits by Reg Reagan and Trent the flight attendant.
Johns recorded a song called "Am I Ever Going to See the Biff Again" in 2004 to the tune of The Angels 1977 Australian hit "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" credited to Reg Reagan. His backing band the Knucklemen featured John Brewster of the Angels and Kevin Borich of the Kevin Borich Express on guitars, Paul deMarco of Rose Tattoo on drums and Paul Christie of Mondo Rock and The Party Boys on bass. Released in June 2004, it made a top twenty debut on the Australian singles charts on 5 July 2004. He will also release a book through Pan McMillan in August 2004.
Johns will make his first feature film appearance in a film adapation of You Wouldn't Be Dead For Quids by Robert G Barrett as Billy Dunne, a bouncer and main character Les Norton's best mate at the Kelly Club.
Works
- In Search of the Holy Grail (film) (1999)
- All of Me (DVD) (2004)
External links
- Reg Reagan web site (http://www.regreagan.com.au/home/index.do/)
- Australian Speakers Bureau page (http://www.eservice.com.au/x/austrn/speaker359.html/)