“It was a difficult time…. Dad had gone through three open heart surgeries.” Actor Julian Maroun joined our Father’s Day symposium with brother, Luke, and father, Tony, to share the story of his family’s resolve and resilience.

Actor Julian Maroun (Aftertaste, Fighting Season, Romper Stomper) has made a career out of playing brave and complex characters, but it is real life role as carer for brother, Luke, that few people know about. Along with fiancé, Elise and his family, including mother May and sister Daniela, Julian has created a life of wonder and joy for the vivacious Luke, who was born with cerebral palsy and down syndrome.

2022 was tough for Julian and the Maroun family. Father Tony Maroun, the former Mayor of Strathfield and Burwood in Sydney, was given a 5% chance of living following consecutive open-heart surgeries. Tony pulled through, and it was M.J. Bale’s honour that he and Luke joined Julian for our recent Father’s Day breakfast.

Julian Maroun

“To talk about dad… it’s pretty remarkable. We’re pretty happy that dad is here today. I mean, this time last year that wasn’t a certainty. It was a difficult time. In the space of three months, Dad had gone through three open-heart surgeries to deal with this infection in his aorta, the major valve. I was in L.A. at the time of the first one and was able to come back. But one thing that I witnessed from dad, not only in that time, in those very difficult circumstances, but always saw from him, is tenacity and resilience in the face of adversity and discomfort. We’ve had our fair share of challenges over the last 20 years, and he’s always dealt with it with gratitude and contentment and resilience. I think that’s what we take from him. Oh, and Luke gets his good looks from him…”

Tony Maroun

“Building on what Julian said, I come from a very supportive family. We have three children, Daniela, Julian, and Luke, but I have to be honest, and I say this with all honesty, that the rock of my family is my wife May, who is not here today. She has really done so much, and she has kept us together. We’ve had some hard times, but she’s always looked on the positive side. And my children have been very, very encouraging. We’ve been through a lot, but we’re still together. It’s beautiful to have a family. I mean, it’s so nice when you have children. When you’re single you don’t think about it but when you have a family it’s just incredible. I’m so honoured and lucky to have all my family around me. So, I’m honoured to be here. As Julian was saying, and I don’t want to dwell on the negative, but last year around this time I was in intensive care. They didn’t give me much chance of survival but thank God for my family… they helped me so much, and it’s all behind me. My philosophy in life is, ‘Don’t look back, unless you intend on walking that way”, so try and move forward in life. Again, I’m honoured to be here, thank you for inviting me.”