Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh (born 23 January 1962)[1] is an Australian actor, writer, producer, and director. He is the recipient of a number of accolades across film, television, and theatre, including three AACTA Awards (including AFI), three Logie Awards, and two Helpmann Awards.
Richard Roxburgh | |
|---|---|
Roxburgh in 2013 | |
| Born | 23 January 1962 Albury, New South Wales, Australia |
| Education | Australian National University (BEc) National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
He began his career working with the Sydney Theatre Company. He went on to appear in Australian and international productions such as Baz Luhrmann's films Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Elvis (2022), the ABC series Rake (2010–2018), and the action films Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), and Van Helsing (2004).
Early life
Roxburgh was born at the Mercy Hospital in Albury, New South Wales, to John (d. July 2011) and Mary Roxburgh; he is the youngest of six children. John was a successful accountant. Roxburgh played Willy Loman in the Albury High School production of Death of a Salesman in 1978.[citation needed]
Roxburgh studied economics at the Australian National University in Canberra,[2] where he resided at Garran Hall and graduated with a B.Ec. in 1984.[3][4] After graduating from ANU, he decided to become an actor and was admitted to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) on his second audition attempt.[5]
Career
Roxburgh began working with the Sydney Theatre Company as soon as he graduated from NIDA.[6] He came to public attention for his portrayal of New South Wales Police Force detective Roger Rogerson in the 1995 television miniseries Blue Murder. Through the 1990s, he appeared in several Australian film and stage productions including a critically acclaimed turn as Hamlet alongside Geoffrey Rush, Jacqueline McKenzie and David Wenham in the 1994 Company B production at the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney. In December 2007, he played the lead character, Roland Henning, who suffered writer's block in Michael Gow's play, Toy Symphony, at the Belvoir St Theatre, winning the 2008 Helpmann Award for best male actor in a play.
In 2000, Roxburgh appeared in the first of several international blockbuster films as the main villain's henchman Hugh Stamp in the John Woo-directed Mission: Impossible 2, which was filmed in Sydney. Also filmed in Sydney was Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! (2001), in which Roxburgh played the Duke of Monroth.
Roxburgh appeared as three iconic characters over the next three years: he played Sherlock Holmes in 2002's The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes's nemesis Professor Moriarty in 2003's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Count Dracula in 2004's Van Helsing. He is one of only two actors to have played all three of these characters, the other being Orson Welles, who played them in separate radio programs.
Roxburgh directed his first film, Romulus, My Father starring Eric Bana, released in 2007. This film won the AFI Award in December 2007 and was nominated for several more. In 2008 and 2009, he played the lead role of Art Watkins in the ABC drama series East of Everything.[7]
In July 2010, Roxburgh played former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke in a telemovie based on Hawke's life.[7] He reprised the role in the 2020 episode "Terra Nullius" of the Netflix series The Crown.[8]
In November 2010, Roxburgh co-created and began starring in the critically acclaimed ABC1 television comedy-drama series Rake as the brilliant but self-destructive Sydney criminal barrister Cleaver Greene, a role for which he won the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama in 2012. He stars in Matching Jack, which was released in August 2010, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, released in September 2010.
Returning to the stage, Roxburgh played Vanya opposite Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and John Bell in Sydney Theatre Company's 2010 production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.[9] In 2013, he again performed at the STC with Weaving as the protagonists in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, Weaving as Vladimir and Roxburgh as Estragon.[10] In 2014, Roxburgh played the title role in Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac at the STC.[11] In 2015, Roxburgh appeared in Andrew Upton's adaptation of Chekhov's play Platonov, titled The Present, for the STC. It was directed by John Crowley and featured Cate Blanchett, Jacqueline McKenzie, Marshall Napier, and Toby Schmitz.[12] That production moved in 2016/17 to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City for the Broadway debut of Roxburgh and the rest of the cast.[13]
Roxburgh appeared in Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe as a parody of his previous role in Rake in 2023.[14]
Children's literature
Roxburgh wrote and illustrated the well-received, 240-page children's adventure fiction title, Artie and the Grime Wave, published by Allen & Unwin in October 2016 (ISBN 9781760292140).
Personal life
Roxburgh married Italian-born opera singer, actress, blogger, cookbook author, and television cookery show personality Silvia Colloca in 2004. They met on the set of Van Helsing, playing Count Dracula and his bride, respectively. They have three children.[15]
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Riddle of the Stinson | Proud | Television film |
| 1989 | The Saint: Fear in Fun Park | Justin | Television film |
| 1990 | The Paper Man | 'Gracie' Fields | Mini-series |
| 1992 | Tracks of Glory | Hugh Mcintosh | Mini-series |
| 1993 | Police Rescue | Tim Warne | 1 episode |
| Crimebroker | Harrison | Television film | |
| Seven Deadly Sins | Gluttony | Mini-series | |
| 1995 | Halifax f.p. | Sergeant Paul Santos | 1 episode |
| Blue Murder | Roger Rogerson | Mini-series | |
| 1996 | Twisted Tales | Ben | 1 episode |
| 1997 | The Last of the Ryans | Ronald Ryan | Television film |
| 1998 | Frontier | Superintendent William Hobbs | Mini-series |
| 2001 | Blonde | Mr. R | Mini-series |
| 2002 | The Road from Coorain | Bill | Television film |
| 2008–2009 | East of Everything | Art Watkins | 13 episodes |
| 2010 | Hawke | Bob Hawke | Television film |
| 2010–2018 | Rake | Cleaver Greene | Main role; co-creator and producer |
| 2011 | Ice | Thom Archer | Mini-series |
| 2019 | Catherine the Great | Grigory Orlov | Mini-series |
| 2019 | The Hunting | Nick | Mini-series |
| 2020 | The Crown | Bob Hawke | 2 episodes ("Terra Nullius", "48:1") |
| 2021 | Fires | Duncan Simpson | |
| 2022 | Shantaram | Marty Nightingalem | |
| Bali 2002 | Graham Ashton | ||
| 2023 | Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe | Rake | Portraying his character from "Rake" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Performance in a Supporting Role | The Homecoming | Won | [16] |
| 1994 | Freelance Director | That Eye, the Sky | Won | ||
| Best New Play or Musical | Won | ||||
| Best Performance by an Actor | Hamlet | Nominated | [17] | ||
| 1995 | Green Room Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Australian Film Institute Television Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Halifax f.p. | Nominated | ||
| 1996 | Australian Film Institute Television Awards | Blue Murder | Nominated | ||
| Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Won | |||
| 1997 | Verona International Film Festival | Best Actor | Thank God He Met Lizzie | Won | |
| Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Doing Time for Patsy Cline | Won | ||
| 1998 | Film Critics Circle of Australia | Best Actor – Male | Won | ||
| 1999 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Passion | Nominated | |
| 2001 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
| 2004 | Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst Fake Accent – Male | Van Helsing | Won | [18] |
| 2006 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | The Silence | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Nominated | ||
| Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor in a Lead Role | Toy Symphony | Won | ||
| Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Direction | Romulus, My Father | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | Film Critics Circle of Australia | Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | Toy Symphony | Won | ||
| 2010 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Rake | Won | ||
| Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor | Uncle Vanya | Won | [19] | |
| Australian Film Institute Television Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Hawke | Won | ||
| 2011 | Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Nominated | |||
| Rake | Won | ||||
| Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels | Actor – TV Series | Won | |||
| Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | Uncle Vanya | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Rake | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | Waiting for Godot | Won | |
| Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor | Cyrano de Bergerac | Won | ||
| AACTA Awards | Best Television Drama Series | Rake | Nominated | ||
| Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Nominated | ||||
| 2015 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | The Present | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Rake | Nominated | |
| 2019 | AACTA Awards | Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama | The Hunting | Won | |
| 2020 | AACTA Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | H is for Happiness | Nominated | |
| 2021 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Fires | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Fires | Won | |
References
- ^ "Australian Actor Richard Roxburgh" 16 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine by Shaun Doherty, London Academy of Media Film & TV (24 March 2011)
- ^ Harvey, Shannon (19 May 2007). "Richard Roxburgh". The Sunday Times.
- ^ "Richard Roxburgh". Talking Heads. ABC.
- ^ ANU Alumni. "ANU Alumni – Congratulations to alumnus Richard Roxburgh". Facebook. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
- ^ Lehmann, Megan (1 February 2014). "Richard Roxburgh plays Cleave Greene with conspicuous conviction". The Australian.
- ^ "Archive: Richard Roxburgh". Sydney Theatre Company Magazine. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- ^ a b "Richard Roxburgh in East of Everything, and Bob Hawke". Herald Sun. 26 August 2009.
- ^ Idato, Michael (15 November 2020). "Bringing the drama down under, The Crown breaks the spell of a royal moment in time". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ Uncle Vanya at the Sydney Theatre Company
- ^ Roxburgh, Richard (9 November 2013). "Waiting for Tamas". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ Cyrano de Bergerac, performance details, Sydney Theatre Company
- ^ The Present, production details, Sydney Theatre Company
- ^ "Broadway season gives Cate Blanchett her shot at a Tony" by Michaela Boland, The Australian, 10 December 2016
- ^ Buckmaster, Luke (11 April 2023). "Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe review – sketch comedy trio scramble for laughs in new show". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Maddox, Gary (19 May 2007). "Proud father". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ "Richard Roxburgh - Actor" (PDF). Shanahan. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ "Richard Roxburgh". The Kennedy Centre. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ . The Stinkers. Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ "2010". Sydney Theatre Awards. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
External links
- Media related to Richard Roxburgh at Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Roxburgh at IMDb
- Richard Roxburgh at the Internet Broadway Database
- Eyeforfilm.co.uk – Interview with Richard Roxburgh about Romulus, My Father