Jack Thompson reveals he had a special celebrity visitor at his iconic nude shoot

LEGENDARY actor Jack Thompson has opened up about his iconic 1972 nude shoot for a magazine, revealing he had a special celebrity visitor. WARNING EXPLICIT IMAGE

Sydney - May 7, 2014: Australian actor Jack Thompson poses for a photograph with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background (Photo by Jamie Williams/City of Sydney)

LEGENDARY actor Jack Thompson has opened up about his iconic 1972 nude shoot for a magazine.

Thompson, now 74, stripped off for Cleo, at the request of then-editor Ita Buttrose, to make a statement about nudity.

“The concept of being naked was being debated. In this day and age, you regularly see nudity on television in prime time. That’s not even argued about. Back then, it was a major issue that would close theatres.”

For the midmorning shoot, Thompson went nude on a couch in a house he shared with film makers, writers and actors, including Michael Caton.

Australian actor Jack Thompson. Picture: City of Sydney

Caton woke up bleary-eyed and saw Thompson sprawled on the couch. “He probably thought I’d got drunk the night before and fallen asleep naked on the couch,” Thompson said.

When Caton walked into the shot, the photographer went ballistic. Jack laughed: “It was hardly a private moment.”

Meanwhile, Thompson will narrate Spirit of the Anzacs, an arena show honouring our servicemen and women, at Rod Laver Arena on September 11.

The show also stars Lee Kernaghan and Lisa McCune.

Thompson will also read letters from the Australian War Memorial Archives, from World War 1 to present day conflicts.

“If you’ve had a relative or friend who’s been involved in active service, you know none of them ever want to glorify war. What they remember is the courage of their mates, what they remember is the awfulness of war. That’s in those letters.”

Originally published as Jack Thompson reveals he had a special celebrity visitor at his iconic nude shoot