{"id":2374,"date":"2025-03-19T17:08:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T18:08:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/?p=2374"},"modified":"2025-03-20T18:29:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T18:29:58","slug":"reclusive-80s-actor-close-to-death-while-caught-up-in-squatting-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/19\/reclusive-80s-actor-close-to-death-while-caught-up-in-squatting-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"Reclusive 80s actor \u2018close to death\u2019 while caught up in squatting battle"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Editorial\t<\/div>
An 80s film star has been accused of squatting in an elderly man’s home (Picture: Goldwyn\/ Kobal\/ Rex\/ Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yahoo Serious has claimed he was \u2018very close to death very recently\u2019 as he faces a battle over squatting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Australian actor, born Greg Pead, is best known for starring in the films Young Einstein, Reckless Kelly and Mr. Accident.<\/p>\n

However, after the success of the final film, which was released in 2000, he\u2019s rarely been seen in public since. Last year he was spotted in Sydney looking completely unrecognisable<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s now been revealed the 71-year-old star is in the middle of a serious dispute after he was accused of squatting in the home of a man with dementia.  <\/p>\n

Earlier this month Serious returned to the public eye when details of the incident were made public.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been claimed he\u2019s been squatting in the home of Charles \u2018Phillip Porter, an elderly man with dementia.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"CIRCA\t<\/div>
Yahoo Serious is best known for starring in movies including Young Einstein (Picture: Hulton Archive\/ Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Serious has said he was invited to live in a granny-flat in Porter\u2019s home in the upscale suburb of Palm Beach after falling on difficult times and also acting as a carer for the older man.<\/p>\n

However, he\u2019s now being \u2018persecuted\u2019 after Porter\u2019s power of attorney Margaret Charlton took action to have him removed.<\/p>\n

Taking the case to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, she wants the house to be vacated so it can be sold to fund Porter\u2019s care in the nursing home where he now lives.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s also alleged Serious does not pay any bills or maintain the home which had \u2018placed considerable strain on the finances\u2019. \u2018Additionally, he is preventing us from accessing the property to prepare it for sale,\u2019 she added.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the media after the hearing, the actor also shared a health update.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m greatly improving, I was very close to death very recently \u2026 I just, I\u2019m coming good but I\u2019m having trouble with just, recall of day-to-day things,\u2019 he told The Daily Telegraph<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"SYDNEY,\t<\/div>
He’s rarely been seen out in public since his last movie in 2000 (Picture: Patrick Riviere\/ Getty Images for Palace Cinemas)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018It will be a very complex thing, there\u2019s been advice by \u2013 he goes by Phillip \u2013 Phillip\u2019s lawyer has advised that I should stay in the property and be the caretaker.\u2019<\/p>\n

During the hearing, Serious told the tribunal his health was \u2018very difficult\u2019, while it\u2019s been reported he\u2019s also recently been treated for a form of cancer.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a very complex case and a humanitarian, it\u2019s very, I\u2019ve been persecuted for the past two or three weeks, there\u2019s people watching where I go all the time,\u2019 he told the tribunal.<\/p>\n

\u2018(The rental situation) was a verbal agreement \u2013 I really am sorry, but my brain can\u2019t do it, I know it sounds crazy, but really my brain has to leave.\u2019<\/p>\n

Despite this, Porter\u2019s lawyers have said the actor\u2019s claims he can stay at the home are not true.<\/p>\n

\u2018Due to his diagnosis of dementia, Mr Porter has been placed in a nursing home, and I hold power of attorney for his affairs,\u2019 the original complaint to the court from Charlton read.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Public Trustee has instructed me to sell the property in order to fund Mr Porter\u2019s ongoing care.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Mandatory\t<\/div>
The actor said he was recently ‘very close to death’ (Picture: Sipa\/ Rex\/ Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Failure to do so will result in his removal from his current care facility as he is an elderly patient with dementia.\u2019<\/p>\n

Serious shot to fame in 1988 for writing, directing, producing and starring in Young Einstein, which was a quirky fictionalised account of Albert Einstein.<\/p>\n

It grossed $13,383,377 (\u00a36 million) at the Australian box office and became the fifth biggest opening in Australian film history behind movies like Crocodile Dundee before going on to make $25 million globally against a $5 million (\u00a32.5 million) budget.<\/p>\n

In 2020 Serious was evicted from his rental property for unpaid rent totalling $27,000 (\u00a313,500) and was ordered to pay $15,000 (\u00a37,500) in arrears to his landlord. He later resorted to sleeping in his car while homeless.<\/p>\n

Got a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page – we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An 80s film star has been accused of squatting in an elderly man’s home (Picture: Goldwyn\/ Kobal\/ Rex\/ Shutterstock) Yahoo Serious has claimed he was \u2018very close to death very recently\u2019 as he faces a battle over squatting. The Australian actor, born Greg Pead, is best known for starring in the films Young Einstein, Reckless Kelly and Mr. Accident. However, after the success of the final film, which was released in 2000, he\u2019s rarely been seen in public since. Last … Continue reading “Reclusive 80s actor \u2018close to death\u2019 while caught up in squatting battle”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2374"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2374"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2380,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2374\/revisions\/2380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isshicare.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}