Theatre Kiefel was a prolific stage actor and worked with various theatre companies throughout his career, including
Sydney Theatre Company (STC),
Bell Shakespeare, and
Queensland Theatre Company. Kiefel began working with the Queensland Theatre Company in 1988 in productions of
Night and Day and
The Recruiting Officer. While appearing as Surly in the company's 1996 production of
The Alchemist, Kiefel had to leave during one show after learning that his wife had gone into labour. His co-star Sam Wilcox took over his role for the second act. Later stage roles saw Kiefel appear in
Tom Holloway's
And No More Shall We Part for the
Griffin Theatre Company. In 2016, Kiefel performed in
The Blind Giant is Dancing for Belvoir. He had starred in the show three times previously, including the original production in 1983. telemovie
The Leaving of Liverpool, Other film roles included
No Escape (1994),
Radiance (1998),
Dogwatch (1999) and
Fresh Air (1999). Kiefel made numerous recurring and guest appearances in television series, including
Wildside,
Water Rats,
Blue Heelers,
Stingers and
Something in the Air. Following this, he guested in children's science-fiction drama
Escape from Jupiter, and joined the cast of
Heartbreak High. Kiefel was part of the ensemble cast of television film
The Junction Boys, which centres on the life of American college football coach
Bear Bryant. After appearing in the ABC television film
Fireflies in 2003, Kiefel was subsequently cast in the lead role of Sharpie in the
television series of the same name. In 2008, Kiefel appeared as political adviser Lloyd Ross in the television documentary ''
Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal. He was also part of the ensemble cast of the 2014 telemovie Schapelle''. Artist Demian Carey Gibbins painted Kiefel in 2015, and reached the semi-finals of the
Doug Moran National Portrait Prize with the piece he titled
A Familiar Face. His character was introduced as the father of the established Brennan brothers, and his arrival started a domestic violence storyline for the family. Producers had plans to bring the character back following his initial arc, but they had to change the storyline due to Kiefel's death. They introduced his character's former wife
Fay Brennan (played by
Zoe Bertram) instead. Kiefel's later television appearances were recurring and guest roles in
Tricky Business, ''
Childhood's End and Secret City''. ==Personal life==