Paul Mercurio hospitalised with heart scare after election win

An iconic Australian film star turned politician who “didn’t feel crash hot” has undergone emergency surgery after a heart scare.

An icon of Australian film has been rushed to hospital with heart problems.

Paul Mercurio, who starred in Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 1992 Strictly Ballroom, told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Wednesday morning that he was released from hospital on Tuesday after undergoing an ablation to treat atrial fibrillation.

He was admitted to a cardiac critical care unit.

Paul Mercurio in Strictly Ballroom in 1992. Mercurio was admitted to a cardiac critical care unit this week.

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat.

Mr Mercurio, 59, who was recently elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Hastings as a Labor member, said he thought the stress of electioneering made his heart condition worse.

“I didn’t leave much behind,” Mr Mercurio said on Wednesday morning.

Mr Mercurio, 59, was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly earlier this month as a Labor member for the seat of Hastings. Picture: Supplied

He said he experienced four “attacks” of atrial fibrillation during the campaign.

“I didn’t feel crash hot,” Mr Mercurio said.

Mr Mercurio said he was diagnosed in March with atrial fibrillation, which research suggests can be a key indicator for the risk of a stroke, but he had experienced “palpitations” throughout his life.

He said his heart condition was “worse” since a Covid diagnosis.

He was a picture of physical health during the shooting of Strictly Ballroom.

“I don’t want to blame Covid for everything, but certainly (...) since then my atrial fibrillation has been worse,” Mercurio said.

He said with the “pounding of the pavements” associated with campaigning he “might have burnt myself out a bit”

Mr Mercurio said he was “kind of hoping the stress would drop” once he began life as a parliamentarian.

He narrowly defeated Liberal candidate Briony Hutton after preferences.

Last week, Ricky Ponting, former captain of the Australian cricket team, was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart scare while on media duties for Australia’s Test match against the West Indies in Perth.

Ponting’s heart concerns come in a year in which cardiac health has been placed under the spotlight, with cricket great Shane Warne and Labor senator Kimberley Kitching both suffering fatal heart attacks.

Originally published as Paul Mercurio hospitalised with heart scare after election win