Australian Actors,
Famous People from Australia
Australian actors gain international recognition because the training they receive is world class, as Hugh Jackman, the patron of the Actors Centre in Sydney states on the website of this organisation.
There are many acting courses that are offered at universities, independent schools or community programs throughout the country.
No wonder that Australian celebrities make it to Hollywood, Broadway or other prominent stages across the world. Heath Ledger, Hugh Jackman and Eric Bana are three of the famous Australians who have made it to the top. Below is a brief overview of their achievements.
Australian Actors - Heath Ledger
Photo courtesy of John GriffithsIn spite of his short life that ended tragically at just 28, Heath Ledger was an accomplished actor who received posthumous awards for his performance. He started his career with various small roles in television series filmed in Perth and Sydney. In search for more opportunities he flew to the United States in 1998. Not much success there so he happily accepted the role of a young crook in the Australian film "Two Hands" under the direction of Gregor Jordan. His acting was recognised by critics and he received 2 nominations for best actor from the Australian Film Institute and the Film Critics Circle in 1999. He repeated the performance of achieving exactly the same two nominations for his role in "Ned Kelly", 4 years later in 2003. 2005 marked his breakthrough with "Brokeback Mountain". The film gained him multiple nominations and awards from various film organisations across the world, including a Golden Globe nomination and an Oscar nomination for best actor. It was the beginning of what had to be a brilliant career. An Australian film, "Candy", followed in 2006 and brought him 3 more nominations for best actor. In 2007 he was one of the six characters inspired by Bob Dylan in the film "I’m Not There". One of the other famous Australians, actress Cate Blanchett played a further character. The cast and crew of the film received the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award. Unfortunately Heath Ledger died one month before the award from a combination of prescription drugs. The role that won him numerous posthumous awards, including the Oscar and the Golden Globe for best supporting actor was the Joker in "The Dark Knight". His unfinished film was the "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus". Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell have all contributed to finalise the role.
Australian Actors – Hugh Jackman
Wolverine - Photo courtesy of Chesi Hugh Jackman is a versatile actor, singer and dancer and to top it all he is a producer too. He graced the stage of the 2009 Oscars by hosting the event and presenting the awards.
As a teenager he was part of his high school’s production of the musical "My Fair Lady" but he didn’t go for an acting career immediately. He did a degree in communications before enrolling to a one year program at the Actors Centre in Sydney, and then graduating from the Academy of Performing Arts in Perth.He went on to play in various musicals in Melbourne, televisions series and a couple of films. This early stage of his career was rewarded with a nomination for best actor from the Australian Film Institute and an award from the Film Critics Circle of Australia for his role in "Erskinville Kings". Hugh Jackman’s international career started with theatre in London. His performance in the musical "Oklahoma" won him an Olivier award nomination in 1998. Two years later he took on the Wolverine role in "X-Men" and rose to celebrity status. He continued with this role in several sequels in 2003, 2006 and 2009. In 2001 Hugh Jackman received a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in the movie "Kate & Leopold". His love for music and the stage won him a Tony Award for his performance in the "Boy from Oz" on Broadway in 2004. Among the many other movies that followed a controversial one was "Australia", where he starred next to Nicole Kidman. Despite the big budget and high publicity, the film did not meet all the expectations of the box office and the reviews were rather cold.
Australian Actors - Eric Bana
Opening night of Star Trek in Sydney - Photo courtesy of Penny B. DreadfulEric Bana tried his hand at acting to entertain customers while he was working as a barman in a Melbourne pub. Then went on to write and perform for television shows impersonating various celebrities like Tom Cruise or Arnold Schwarzenegger and ended up having his own "Eric Bana Show", for a short time. While the show did not get enough audience to continue, the actor won a Loggie award for most popular comedy personality in 1997. His first movie was "The Castle" in 1998, followed by "Chopper" in 2000, where he played the role of a criminal. His performance earned him a best actor award of the Australian Film Institute and the attention of international film industry. Director Ridley Scott cast Eric in "Black Hawk Down" in 2001. Three movies later, he played next to Brad Pitt in "Troy" and then next to Daniel Craig in "Munich", directed by Steven Spielberg. His performance in the 2007 film, "Romulus, My Father" was acknowledged by Australian Film Institute with another best actor award. Bana’s career goes from strength to strength with roles in "The Other Boleyn Girl" (2008), "Star Trek", "The Time Traveler’s Wife", "Funny People" (2009).
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