Nicholas John Tate (born 18 June 1942) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as pilot Alan Carter in the 1970s science fiction series Space: 1999 and James Hamilton in the 1980s soap opera Sons and Daughters. He has also had a successful voiceover career in movie trailers, animation and video games.
Tate was born on 18 June 1942 in Sydney, New South Wales. His parents were the actors John Tate and Neva Carr Glyn. His maternal grandparents were also actors, originally from Ireland and Great Britain, who performed in vaudeville. His father, of Russian descent, also had a connection to the works of Space: 1999 creator Gerry Anderson, being a secondary voice actor in Thunderbirds.
Tate grew up amongst parties and opening nights, and was often back stage while his parents performed in the theatre. He acted in all his school plays, before being scouted by the Sydney Opera Company to play Amahl in Menotti’s light opera Amahl and the Night Visitors.
At the age of twelve, Tate's parents separated. The same year, as an avid surfer, he joined Sydney's Mona Vale Surf Club, where the club captain was actor Rod Taylor.
Wanting to direct, Tate joined the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) which was starting up Australian television. A television role as the singing telegram boy in Thornton Wilder’s Skin of our Teeth prompted Tate to quit school. He graduated from studio hand to assistant director, while working on a variety of series. In 1964 he joined an actors' workshop as his interest turned to acting, but unsure of what direction to take, he joined the Australian commandos for a year. Eventually, his surfing skills afforded him a lead role as a surfer in the thriller miniseries The Purple Jacaranda.
Tate's big break came with a lead role in the award-winning Australian television series My Brother Jack, followed by a stage production of the musical The Canterbury Tales where he played 'Nicholas the Gallant' for eighteen months on tour throughout the country. This was followed by the 1970 Australian television series Dynasty about a rich, powerful family, where he joined his father John Tate for the first time onscreen – the two playing father and son roles.
Tate portrayed astronaut Alan Carter in the British science fiction series Space: 1999, which was broadcast from 1975 to 1977, though the series began production in late 1973. In 1976, he broke through in film with an AACTA award-winning role in the movie The Devil's Playground. He continued to work in film with supporting roles in a number of theatrical films, including The Year My Voice Broke, Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom, Return from the River Kwai, Evil Angels, and Steven Spielberg's Hook. From 1985 to 1986, he portrayed James Hamilton in the Australian soap opera Sons and Daughters. Tate has also made guest appearances on numerous American TV shows, such as The X-Files, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Star Trek: The Next Generation (in the 1990 episode "Final Mission"), Murder, She Wrote, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (in the 1998 episode "Honor Among Thieves"), Farscape and in the Lost episode "Tabula Rasa".
On stage, Tate appeared in the TRIP (Tony Rudlin Ingrid Pitt Productions) stage production of Duty Free (later known as Don't Bother to Dress), by Emmerdale writer Neville Siggs, which ran from 1976 to 1977 at the Bristol Hippodrome. In 2006 he played the leading role of Captain Edward J. Smith in the Australian premiere of the musical Titanic.
Tate is also known for his voiceover work in Hollywood theatrical trailers for such films as Jurassic Park, Braveheart, Schindler's List, Austin Powers, Deep Impact Independence Day, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is not Enough and Double Jeopardy and clip-on bumpers for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment from 2005–2006. He has also voiced in commercials, including Lexus, Kodak and HP, and Guinness beer spots airing from 2006. Tate and four other well-known voice artists (Don LaFontaine, John Leader, Mark Elliot, and Al Chalk) parodied their individual voiceover styles en route to an awards show in a 1997 short film, 5 Men and a Limo. He has also performed voiceover work in various video games, including the voice for the Australian tycoon Ozzie Mandrill in the 2000 game Escape from Monkey Island.
Tate resides in both Australia and the US.
Tate married his wife, Hazel Butterfield at Dulwich College Chapel, UK in September 1977, and their son Thomas was born in 1979. They moved to Australia in 1981, where they had a second child, Jessie Josephine in 1986. Through Tom and Jessie, they have three grandchildren.
Tate also has a keen interest in technical drawing and carpentry, and has designed and built seven of his family homes.
He played Dirgo in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode "Final Mission" and Liam Bilby in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine sixth season episode "Honor Among Thieves". Tate had originally lost out to actor Charles Hallahan for the latter role, but accepted it after Hallahan died suddenly of a heart attack before filming began.