The casts of The Lighthorsemen have paid tribute to late actor, Jon Blake, hailed as Australia’s “next Mel Gibson” for his promising career in the 1980s cut short by the unfortunate road accident that left him in ‘near-vegetative state’ until he succumbed to death on May 29.

Fellow Australian actor, Gary Sweet has opened up expressing his grief following Blake’s death due to complications from pneumonia. Sweet described his friend’s deterioration as devastating as he was bedridden for 25 years due to permanent brain damage resulting from the accident Blake had on the last night of filming The Lighthorsemen near Port Augusta. In 1986.

He recalled how Blake was as a friend and as an actor.

Sweet: “We got on very well... we used to sit around and shoot the breeze, and he was very popular with the ladies. (After the accident) we tried anything just to get him to wake up. It was quite devastating."

Blake’s other The Lighthorsemen star,Peter Phelps also shared the good times he had with Blake and other film’s casts especially when on location shoot for Lighthorsemen and Blake and costars would bond, having fun.

Phelps: "We had formed a really good friendship in The Lighthorsemen, going up to the hills and to the pub together.”

Phelps also conveyed hopes that his friend did not suffer as he succumbed to death.

“ There was always some hope that with the mystery of a brain injury there was a chance. I hope there was no pain (in his death)," Phelps was quoted as saying by ContactMusic.com.

It was a sigh of relief however, for another fellow actor, Tony Bonner as he calls his death a blessing in hopes that his friend is out of pain.

Bonner: "It's a blessing of some kind that John is not travelling in any more pain. I hope that he is in a peaceful place now."
Contact Music noted that Blake’s funeral is set to be held later this week.

Earlier report:
He was once hailed Australia’s “next Mel Gibson” while at the peak of his career in the late 1980s. But an unfortunate road accident had left Jon Blake permanently incapacitated as he was described in ‘near-vegetative state” until his death Sunday. He was 52.

Reports said that the actor has been confirmed dead due to pneumonia on Sunday. His death ends his long-years of battle from the incident that had confined him to bed for almost two and a half decades.

Jon Blake was on his way home on the last day of filming The Lighthorsemen near Port Augusta when he crashed into another car parked on the side of the road after swerving to avoid an oncoming car.

The Herald Sun said in a report that though the Australian actor, with the promising career before the incident, did not incur serious physical injuries from the road mishap.

But the incident had left the New Zealand-born Australian actor to be permanently brain-damaged and under the care of nurses, medical volunteers and family members. His mother, Mascot Blake, was Jon Blake’s permanent full-time and primary caregiver for years until her death in 2007. Jon was then left under the care of his son Dustin.

After years and complicated legal battles, Jon Blake was finally awarded recently of record breaking $7.7 million in compensation for the actor’s medical care and estimated lost earnings. The award was based on the perception that Blake could have been successful as an actor had he not been involved in the unfortunate vehicular accident.

Jon Blake, or Paul Jon Blake in real life was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia with his parents at the age of 13. His online biography said that Jon Blake was first trained as a professional boxer before finding his spot in Australian television.

Blake appeared in a number of TV series including soap opera The Restless Years and Anzacs. He also appeared on A Country Practice and the Slim Dusty Movie. Blake was named one of the Cleo's most eligible bachelors of 1986.

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Aussie actor, Jon Blake dies at 52 after long years in bed

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