Australian Actor Jon Blake dies at 52

Australian actor Jon Blake has died of complications from pneumonia at the age of 52.

His funeral will be held later this week.

Blake was dubbed "the next Mel Gibson" after starring in the classic Australian film The Lighthorsemen.

But a serious car accident on the last day of filming in 1986 left the actor with permanent brain damage and ended a promising career.

After several legal battles, Blake was awarded $7.7 million in compensation for ongoing care and lost future earnings.

The judgment took into account that Blake could have achieved considerable success as an actor in the US.

Born in New Zealand and trained as a professional boxer, Blake's first major role was on the soap The Restless Years.

He appeared in a number of other shows and miniseries including A Country Practice and the Slim Dusty Movie.

But he achieved major success with a starring role in the Australian TV miniseries Anzacs.
He was also named as one of Cleo's most eligible bachelors of 1986.