Peter Saide Dies: Australian Actor Passes Away at 36

Peter Saide, a renowned Australian actor who had been based in New York City since 2006, has died at the age of 36. On February 27, Saide’s friends began to mourn the actor in various posts on Facebook.

One friend, fellow actor Edward Miskie, wrote, “I am completely beside myself, and at a loss of understanding. I keep hoping I’ll wake up from this nightmare or someone will reveal that it’s an elaborate, cruel joke. I saw Peter on Monday – he was walking, and moving around, and so excited to be out of the woods from his surgery. He had things on the horizon he was pumped about, and despite his slow pace, he was still sparking for life. Peter was a good man. He was truly great in everything – hard working, the best attitude, an embarrassment of riches of talent… I truly believed he was going to be a massive star. The fact that he is gone now completely blows my mind and breaks my heart. There will never be anyone quite like Peter. God speed, brother.”

In the fall of 2018, Saide earned rave reviews for his role in the off-Broadway musical, “Desperate Measures,” a Western-styled take of Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure.”

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. According to an Instagram Post From February 14, Saide Was Being Treated in a New York Hospital

On Valentine’s Day 2020, Saide uploaded a heartbreaking post to his Instagram page in which he spoke about being in the hospital having undergone the “hardest two weeks” of his life. In updating his friends on his health, Saide paid a beautiful tribute to his girlfriend, Shelby Putlak. Saide said that Putlak had taken care of his dog, dealt with his concerned family members, all well successfully auditioning for parts on the side. Putlak is a working actor also.

Saide said that he “lay in awe” his girlfriend, adding, “Every time I open my eyes she’s there. Sitting quietly, smiling and holding my hand. She has never, for a moment, shown weakness or any sign of complaint. It’s one of the greatest acts of love I’ve received in my lifetime.”

Saide’s sister said in a Facebook post that her brother had undergone surgery to remove a bone that had been growing on his spinal cord. The surgery was successful and Saide returned home with the use of a walking stick. On February 26, Saide went to the ER due to complications from a DVT diagnosis related to his surgery. Saide’s sister said that his heart stopped and he was unable to be resuscitated. A private cremation for Saide will be held in New York City.

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2. Saide Said in 2018 That He Was a ‘Proud Australian’ but New York City Was ‘Truly Home’

Saide was a native of Toowoomba, Queensland in Australia. On his Instagram profile, Saide referred to himself as an actor and “proud dog daddy.” Saide’s final post on the page was his heartbreaking tribute to his girlfriend.

In a 2018 interview with Broadway Box, Saide spoke about living in New York City saying, “You know, I moved here for the first time 12 years ago. New York truly is my home and I’m very proud to be an Australian living here. I tend to feel most like I’m in Australia when I’m in my friends’ homes. Maybe it’s just the feeling of being with my community that reminds me of family and friends in Australia.”

During the same interview, Saide said of his adopted city, “It’s the only place outside of Australia that I’ve ever truly called home. It took me a long time and a lot of blood, sweat, tears and money to be able to be here and pursue my career and I’m ever grateful. And so SO proud.”

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3. Saide Said His Original Plan Was to Become a Criminologist & as an Actor He Likes to Play Bad Guys

Saide in a 2017 interview that he studied musical theatre at the Central Queensland Conservatory of Music. Saide added that he also wanted to become a forensic scientist. Saide said that he wanted to be involved in criminology but that now he likes to play bad guys.

In that interview, Saide said that he attained a Green Card in 2009 and that he went through a divorce in 2012. According to a Sydney Morning Herald feature from 2010, Saide’s wife was an American dancer named Harriette. Saide also told the Sydney Morning Herald that one of his first performing jobs was singing in a Broadway revue at Tokyo’s Disney World.

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4. Saide’s First Part After Getting His Green Card Was a Part in ‘Jersey Boys’

In 2010, Saide played the role of Bob Gaudio in “Jersey Boys” in Las Vegas. Saide said in an interview about the show that he first went to see it in 2007, shortly after he moved to New York City. Saide said that upon seeing the show, he didn’t believe there would ever be a part for him. Saide continued, “The Jersey Boys organization saw things in me that I didn’t even know were there. From one audition they knew me better artistically than I knew myself. I’m astounded by the synergy that I find between myself, the character of Bob and Bob the real person.”

Saide told the Sydney Morning Herald that he learned that he got the part in “Jersey Boys” shortly after he received his Green Card.

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5. Saide Appeared in ‘Other Guys’ Alongside Will Ferrell

Saide’s last performance came in the fall of 2019 when he was part of the cast of “The Last Days of Summer” in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Saide’s first professional role came in 2008 when he performed in a version of “Cinderella” in Manila in the Philippines. During his career, Saide appeared in famed shows such as “Mamma Mia,” “Oklahoma” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

According to Saide’s IMDb page, his most notable appearances on screen were as part of the “Jersey Boys” cast in the Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg movie, “Other Guys.” In 2018, Saide also made a turn in the long-running NBC series, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

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