Aden Young
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Aden Young (born 30 November 1971) is a Canadian-Australian actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Daniel Holden in the
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drama '' Rectify'', for which he was twice nominated for the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) to recognize the work done by television actors. It was introduced in 2011 when ...
. He has appeared in American, Canadian and Australian productions and since 2024 has performed the lead role of Det. Henry Graff in '' Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent''.


Early life

Young was born in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, Canada. His father Chip Young, an American born in
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, was a well-known
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broadcaster and children's book author, as well as composer of Canadian classic 'Honky The Christmas Goose', while his mother is a nurse from
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
, Australia. His family left Toronto for Australia in 1981. Young attended Galston High and Australian Theatre for Young People as a teenager.


Career

Young was cast in his first role, as a young Frenchman in
Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director, opera director, screenwriter, and producer. He began his career during the Australian New Wave, and has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally ...
's religious epic '' Black Robe'' (1991) on his 18th birthday. International acclaim followed and Young was dubbed "the next
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''
" in France and "the next Mel Gibson" in Hollywood but returned to Australia to support the local industry and focus on projects that he was more drawn to. He took the lead role in Australian arthouse noir film '' Broken Highway'' (1993), directed by pioneering female filmmaker Laurie McInnes, which screened in competition in Cannes but received polarized reviews. Paul Cox's ''
Exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
'' was filmed soon after, described in ''
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'' as "an ambitious, sometimes hallucinatory drama that tackles themes difficult to bring off successfully in the cinema". The two clashed dramatically during filming, but formed a lifelong friendship that led to Young becoming part of Cox's film family (
Chris Haywood Chris Haywood (born ) is an English-born Australian actor, writer and producer, with close to 500 screen performances to his name. Haywood has also worked as a casting director, art director, sound recordist, camera operator, gaffer, grip, lo ...
explains "Working with Cox is not dissimilar to being one of the Musketeers or part of a pirate crew") editing, appearing and helping out on many Cox productions. ''Exile'' screened in competition at
Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...
,
Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (), commonly abbreviated MWFF in English or FFM in French, was an annual film festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1977 to 2019.Toronto Film Festival Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and
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but did not receive a theatrical release. Young was nominated for an
Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Cinema of Australia, Australian film indu ...
Best Actor award and won a
Film Critics Circle of Australia The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) is an association of cinema critics and reviewers. It includes journalists in "media, television, major national and state papers, radio, national and state, online and freelance writers, Australian ...
Best Actor award for his role as the "ratty-looking loser" Psycho Joe opposite
Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his break-out role in '' The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987). He gained international attention for his starring role in the crime d ...
in '' Metal Skin'' (1994), Geoffrey Wright's examination of suburban hopelessness and revhead subculture, which screened internationally in competition at
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
and Stockholm Film Festival among others. One reviewer wrote that "Young's depiction of this unsettling metamorphosis is central to the film's success." Geoffrey Wright stated "There could be no dispute that he is one of the best actors in the country." After making Australian films ''River Street'', ''
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'', '' Hotel de Love'' and ''Paradise Road'' in quick succession, Young portrayed a starving Polish sculptor who spurns his lover
Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...
in US film '' Cousin Bette'' and as slacker desperado Buck in ''Under Heaven'', a modern reworking of
Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
novel ''
The Wings of the Dove ''The Wings of the Dove'' is a 1902 novel by Henry James. It tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress stricken with a serious disease, and her effect on the people around her. Some of these people befriend Milly with honourable ...
''. The early 2000s saw him starring as a traumatized Canadian soldier in ''War Bride'', a German priest in ''Serenades'', and smaller roles in '' The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course'' and a doctor in Cox's ''
Molokai Molokai or Molokai ( or ; Molokaʻi dialect: Morotaʻi ) is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its g ...
''. In 2004 he signed onto the
Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...
production of ''
Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage.Meyer, Michael Lever ...
'' as
Cate Blanchett Catherine Élise Blanchett ( ; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor and producer. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognised for Cate Blanchett on screen and stage, her versatile work across stage and scre ...
's tortured alcoholic lover Ejlert Lovberg. The production also had a 2006 season at
Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts center in Brooklyn, New York City. It hosts progressive and avant-garde performances, with theater, dance, music, opera, film programming across multiple nearby venues. BAM was chartered in 18 ...
and spawned documentary ''In the Company of Actors''. Young directed the short film ''The Rose of Ba Ziz'' (2007), adapted from a children's book written by his father; the film was made over five days on a shoestring budget of $700 and featured
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is a British actor. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA) and has been recognised as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia. Born in Colonia ...
, Roy Billing, Odessa Young and an appearance by his significant other, Australian singer
Loene Carmen Loene Carmen (born 1970), better known by stage name Lo Carmen, is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, music producer, author and actress with multiple albums in the indie rock vein. She records, performs and tours solo or with long tim ...
, who also co-composed the film's score with Jed Kurzel. Additionally, Young directed the AFI award-winning 25-minute film ''The Order'' (1999). Film roles followed, in World War I drama '' Beneath Hill 60'' and French film ''The Tree'', as
Charlotte Gainsbourg Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British and French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress and singer Jane Birkin and French singer Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the ...
's husband before starring as a besieged father dying from tetanus in the
Kriv Stenders Kriv Stenders is an Australian writer, film producer, and director, best known for his 2011 film '' Red Dog'' (2011) and the 2014 thriller film '' Kill Me Three Times''. His new film '' The Correspondent'', based on a memoir by Australian journ ...
period gothic western ''Dark Frontier'' aka '' Lucky Country''. Young reunited with Beresford for '' Mao's Last Dancer'' (2009), based on the 2003 best-selling autobiography of Chinese ballet dancer Li Cunxin, playing a Texan oil tycoon. Beresford stated that Young's "a very cooperative and thoughtful actor." Young mimed the hit song "Even Though I'm A Woman", by the Australian female indie supergroup Seeker Lover Keeper, in the 2011 music video directed by Natalie Van Dungen. He played American techno geek Meier in the
Jason Statham Jason Statham ( ; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor. He is known for portraying tough, gritty, or violent characters in various action thriller films, and has been credited for leading the resurgence of action films during the 2000s and 2 ...
/
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
action film '' Killer Elite'' and performed a cameo as Dr Victor Frankenstein in ''
I, Frankenstein ''I, Frankenstein'' is a 2014 American science fantasy action film written and directed by Stuart Beattie, based on the digital-only graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux. An international co-production between the United States and Australia, the fi ...
''. Young edited Paul Cox documentaries ''Kalaupapa Heaven'' ''Tajiri'' and feature film ''Salvation''. He also directed Carmen's music videos for "Everyone You Ever Knew (Is Coming Back To Haunt You" (2015) and " Nashville High" (2007) as well as editing her music video " Mimic the Rain" (2009). In June 2012, Young was announced as the lead character Daniel Holden in the
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Southern Gothic Southern Gothic is an artistic subgenre of Gothic fiction, fiction, Popular music, music, Gothic film, film, theatre, and television that are heavily influenced by Gothic fiction, Gothic elements and the Southern United States, American South. ...
series '' Rectify'', which follows Holden's journey when he is released back to his family in a small Southern town after 19 years on Death Row for the murder of his girlfriend, following new evidence. His critically acclaimed performance was hailed as "a haunted wonder" with ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' proclaiming "Aden Young's portrait of Daniel is one of the greatest performances to ever grace any screen, without question. It's a travesty he hasn't been nominated for every single acting award in the TV world. The entertainment industry should make up new awards just to give to him." ''Rectify'' was announced as a
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
winner in April 2015 and Young has received two Critics Choice Best Actor nominations for Seasons 2 and 3. ''Rectify'' was in the 2018
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as "Highest Rated TV Series" for its
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
rating of 99. Young played lawyer Stephen Roche in the well received '' Don't Tell'', the true story of a young Queensland woman who sued the church over sexual abuse she suffered at her Anglican school. The film also starred Jack Thompson and
Rachel Griffiths Rachel Anne Griffiths (born 1968) is an Australian actress. List of awards and nominations received by Rachel Griffiths, Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, three AACTA Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award and four Primetime Em ...
. Young was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the
Film Critics Circle of Australia The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) is an association of cinema critics and reviewers. It includes journalists in "media, television, major national and state papers, radio, national and state, online and freelance writers, Australian ...
Awards. In 2017 Young took the lead in ''
Damnation Damnation (from Latin '' damnatio'') is the concept of divine punishment after death for sins that were committed, or in some cases, good actions not done, on Earth. In Ancient Egyptian religious tradition, it was believed that citizens woul ...
'' before departing over creative differences. He played villain Cyrus Mendenhall in Canadian indie drama '' Angelique's Isle'' in 2018, and starred in the 2019 romantic comedy '' Elsewhere''. In 2023 he appeared in Christian Sparkes's thriller drama '' The King Tide'' as Beau, a doctor left essentially irrelevant after a child with mystical healing powers turns up in a village.


Personal life

Young has two sons, Dutch (born 2007) and Chester (born 2011), with his longtime partner, Australian singer-songwriter-musician-actress
Loene Carmen Loene Carmen (born 1970), better known by stage name Lo Carmen, is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, music producer, author and actress with multiple albums in the indie rock vein. She records, performs and tours solo or with long tim ...
. They married in Zebulon, Georgia while filming season 2 of '' Rectify'' in 2014. A portrait of Young by artist James Powditch was a 2008
Archibald Prize The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...
finalist. Young also appears in Powditch's 2012 work ''Berserk Warriors''.


Filmography


As actor


Film


Television


As director/writer/editor


Awards and nominations

*Film Critic's Association of Australia Best Actor Supporting Role Nomination for''Don't Tell' *Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival Award for Best Actor – Winner for The Unseen (2016) *
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) to recognize the work done by television actors. It was introduced in 2011 when ...
Nomination for ''Rectify'' (2016) *
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) to recognize the work done by television actors. It was introduced in 2011 when ...
Nomination for ''Rectify'' (2015) *
Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scien ...
Nomination for ''Rectify'' (2013) *
Australian Film Institute Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industr ...
Nomination for Best Actor in a Lead Role for ''River Street'' (1996) *
Australian Film Institute Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industr ...
Nomination for Best Actor in a Lead Role for ''Metal Skin'' (1995) *Australian Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for ''Metal Skin'' (1995)


References


External links

*
Aden Young ('Rectify') on Critics' Choice nod for playing 'confused and broken' ex-con
– Gold Derby 2015
Aden Young – Rectify Golden Globes InterviewAden Young Delivers Fiery Response To Critics Of His Slowburning Series Rectify
– Daily Telegraph 2014
Seeker Lover Keeper clip 'Even Though I'm A Woman'
– 2011

– 2011
"The Young And Restless"
– The Sunday Age by Peter Wilmoth, 24 April 1994 {{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Aden 1972 births Living people Male actors from Toronto Australian male film actors Australian film directors Australian male television actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian emigrants to Australia Film directors from Toronto Canadian people of American descent