Simon Pryce facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Simon Pryce
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Pryce at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards, Sydney, 26 November 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Simon James Pryce |
| Born | 7 March 1972 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres | Children's, musical theatre |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Associated acts | The Wiggles |
Simon James Pryce (born 7 March 1972) is an Australian children's entertainer, singer, and actor. He is most famous as the Red Wiggle from The Wiggles since 2013. He also starred in the children's TV show The Kingdom of Paramithi.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Simon Pryce comes from a family of performers; his grandparents were opera singers. He started performing when he was young. He later studied drama at the University of Western Sydney.
Simon's Career Journey
Theatre Performances
Simon has performed in many musicals. He played Old Deuteronomy in Cats. He also appeared in Masterpiece: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Witches of Eastwick. Other shows include South Pacific and Fidelio with Opera Australia. He was also in The Sunshine Club with the Sydney Theatre Company. From 2007 to 2009, he played the main role in Phantom of the Opera over 100 times.
Television Appearances
Pryce has been in several TV shows and movies. These include Water Rats, All Saints, Home and Away, and Hunt Angels. In July 2018, he competed on Season 2 of Australian Ninja Warrior. He was on the show with his wife, Lauren Hannaford, who is a personal trainer. In September 2020, Simon was revealed as the "Puppet" on The Masked Singer Australia. He finished fourth in the second season of the show.
Joining The Wiggles
Simon Pryce joined The Wiggles team in 2002. He started as one of their main voice artists for their music CDs. From 2009 to 2010, he joined their live tours. During this time, he played Ringo the Ringmaster. He also filled in for founding member Murray Cook. Simon also played King John in The Wiggles' show The Kingdom of Paramithi.
In August 2012, it was announced that Simon would become the Yellow Wiggle, replacing Greg Page. However, Greg Page decided to stay longer. This was because Murray Cook and Jeff Fatt (the Purple Wiggle) planned to retire at the end of that year. They asked Greg to leave with them.
Simon Pryce officially became the Red Wiggle in early 2013, taking Murray Cook's place.
In 2016, The Wiggles released an album called The Carnival of the Animals. Simon Pryce wrote and narrated the story for this album. The music was based on a famous piece by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra performed it. This album helped introduce children to classical music and different musical instruments.
Simon's Personal Life
Simon Pryce has always been interested in fitness and health. He found that The Wiggles' busy performance schedule required him to be even fitter. In early 2016, he talked about his workout routine. He also mentioned how the male members of The Wiggles had a friendly competition about fitness.
In late 2015, Simon got engaged to Lauren Hannaford. Lauren is a former gymnast and a fitness professional. She created an online fitness program called FHIT. They first met four years earlier when she was touring with The Wiggles. Simon and Lauren got married in Sydney in January 2017. They welcomed their son in January 2021.
Music Releases
