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Fans know him as Nick Schultz on Blue Heelers, but William McInnes was a ‘prankster’ to crew

What has William been up to since his Blue Heelers days?
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William McInnes stole hearts across Australia when he took on the role as Senior Constable Nick Schultz in the popular drama series, Blue Heelers.

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The first episode of Blue Heelers aired in September 1993, with William putting on his police uniform in 1994 and did so for an incredible 214 episodes.

William now stars in NCIS: Sydney. (Credit: Getty/Paramount)

However, there were many times when William wouldn’t take his Victorian police officer uniform off, like the odd prank.

“The first caterers on that were lovely people, but the food was not great. We hit on the idea of going through all the drive-throughs of Werribee. They were giving us free food, and we’d take it back to the crew,” he admitted in an interview with TV Tonight.

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“Neil Cosgrove was the Police Commissioner at the time, and I think it worked up to him, and he rang up Channel Seven and we got baked for it!”

William wrapped up with filming in 2005, with the last episode of Blue Heelers airing in 2006. Despite its finale airing nearly two decades ago, dedicated fans remain faithful as they often reminisce about their favourite moments.

William played Nick Schultz (back middle). (Credit: Supplied)

The Australian actor continued to make waves in the local entertainment industry in the 90s as he appeared on shows like Country Practice and Sea Change. After a hiatus, William, 61, returned to the screen with appearances in Total Control, The Newsreader, and NCIS: Sydney.

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During this hiatus, William prioritized his personal life – most importantly, his family.

William found love in fellow film actress, animator and director Sarah Watt. Sadly, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, and secondary bone cancer in 2009.

William with his wife, Sarah. (Credit: Getty)

William, with his two children Clem and Stella – who were 18 and 13 respectively at the time – bid one final farewell to their mother in 2011. The couple unfortunately lost their first son, Cosmo, at birth.

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In 2018, William touched on grief in an interview with Woman’s Day.

“It’s the possibilities, all the days you though you’d have together,” he said at the time.

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