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Identity crisis for Shane Bourne and Peter Hosking

A WHOLE new range of possible plot lines just opened for the scriptwriters working on the ABC medico-legal drama series MDA.

Local actor Peter Hosking has been cast to play a surgeon who makes a hash of a back operation on a ballet dancer.

Now Hosking's been kicking around the acting scene for a while, with regular roles in things such as Stingers, Blue Heelers, Halifax FP, Something in the Air, and State Coroner. He's also appeared in films such as Wogboy, Malcolm and Siam Sunset.

So over the years, Hosking has grown accustomed to being mistaken for AFI award-winning comic-turned-serious actor Shane Bourne, one of the stars of MDA.

But even Hosking was taken aback when he lobbed on the MDA set in South Melbourne and everybody started calling him Shane.

Then he was really rocked when a harried production assistant raced up and threw him his script.

It took a few minutes and there were red faces all round when it was noticed the new bloke had been handed the star's script.

Hosking had to explain he was there to play a doctor, not steal the Bill "Happy" Henderson role from Bourne.

Just think what the scriptwriters could do with a lawyer who could be mistaken for a doctor, and a doctor who could be mistaken for a lawyer.

Hosking's debut as the bumbling scalpel wielder on MDA goes to air next Wednesday, but you can get a squiz at him earlier on Shock Jock on the ABC Friday night line-up, where he plays the morning DJ.

But for now, that's Hosking below right [image not available] and Bourne below left… errh, no, the other way round.

No, it was OK the first time. Arrgh, one of them is Hosking and the other one is Bourne.

December 04, 2003
The Herald Sun