Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia. He studied law at the University of Melbourne, where he began collaborating with Santo Cilauro and Rob Sitch during the 1983 Law Revue Legal A.I.D.S. He later wrote and performed in the 1985 Melbourne University Revue Too Cool for Sandals, and was credited as a writer on The D-Generation (1986–87), although not as a regular performer.
Early career and The D-Generation
Gleisner made occasional guest appearances on The D-Generation, particularly in its second season while covering for Rob Sitch. He also featured on the album The Satanic Sketches. He went on to perform in the group’s late-1980s Triple M radio show and the spin-off album The Breakfast Tapes.
The Late Show and comedy work
He later starred in and wrote for ABC’s The Late Show (1992–1993). His roles included the newsreader for Late Show News, co-host of Countdown Classics with Jane Kennedy, and interviewer in the sketch Shitscared. He also appeared in recurring roles such as “Wallaby Jack,” as well as various supporting sketches.
Funky Squad and Working Dog Productions
After The Late Show, Gleisner played mute cop Poncho in the 1994 ABC series Funky Squad, which he co-created and helped write, produce, and direct. He is a co-founder of Working Dog Productions alongside Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, and Rob Sitch.
Through Working Dog, he served as writer, producer, and director on Frontline (1994–1997), and also appeared as photocopier repairman Colin Konica.
Film and television projects
Gleisner co-wrote the Working Dog films The Castle (1997) and The Dish (2000). He also co-hosted and executive produced The Panel (1998–2003) on Network Ten.
He appeared alongside Rob Sitch in the ABC documentary series A River Somewhere (1997–98), and wrote and directed All Aussie Adventures (2001–02), starring Glenn Robbins.
He later worked on Thank God You’re Here (2006–2009) as a judge, and co-wrote and co-produced The Hollowmen (2008) and Utopia (2014).
Recent work
Tom Gleisner continues to appear on Network 10’s popular panel program Have You Been Paying Attention?, contributing to its ongoing success in Australian comedy television.
