Alex Dimitriades

Alex Dimitriades (; born 28 December 1973) is an Australian television, film and stage actor of Greek descent. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Nick Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film '' The Heartbreak Kid'' and as Nick Poulos in the 1994 television teen drama spin-off ''Heartbreak High''. He won critical acclaim for his role as Ari, a troubled second generation Greek Australian in '' Head On'' (1998). He won the Film Critics Circle of Australia award for Best Actor for the role and was nominated nominated for the AFI Award for Best Actor. In 2012, he won the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor for his role in '' The Slap''.

Early life

Dimitriades was born in Sydney, as Alexandros Dimitriades. He is the son of first generation Greek immigrants and the youngest of three siblings. He has a brother, George, and a sister, Melinda. He grew up in Earlwood, Sydney. His parents divorced when he was 12. His mother worked as a legal secretary, and she raised the children as a single mother.

Career

Film

Dimitriades first attracted national attention for his co-starring role as Nick Polides in the 1993 Australian romantic comedy film '' The Heartbreak Kid'', for which he received positive reviews and acclaim.

In 1998, he played the protagonist Ari in the Ana Kokkinos film '' Head On'', based on the book '' Loaded'' by Christos Tsiolkas. Dimitriades' performance in the role was critically acclaimed and earned him an AFI Award nomination. The film was controversial for its graphic violence, sex scenes and LGBT subject matter, but it earned mostly positive reviews. It screened at dozens of festivals around the world, including the Director's Fortnight at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.

His other film roles include the Australian comedies ''Let's Get Skase'' (2001) and '' La Spagnola'' (2001), the Greek film ''To Gamilio Party'' (English title ''Bang Bang Wedding'', 2008), '' Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos'' (2010), and ''Summer Coda'' starring with Rachael Taylor. He had roles in the Hollywood films ''Ghost Ship'' (2002) and '' Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo'' (2005).

In 2015, he co-starred in '' Ruben Guthrie'' with Patrick Brammall.

Television

After making his acting debut in the film '' The Heartbreak Kid'', he starred in a television spin-off ''Heartbreak High'', in which he played Nick Poulos. He went on to play underworld figure, Warren Lanfranchi, in the 1995 drama television series '' Blue Murder''. The following year, Dimitriades played estate agent Steve George in the television soap opera ''Neighbours''. In 1997, he took a role in the police drama '' Wildside''.

In 2002, he appeared in '' Young Lions''. In years to follow, he had a small guest role in the Australian science fiction series ''Farscape''. In 2008, Dimitriades starred in the drama series ''Underbelly''.

In 2011, he featured in '' The Slap'', the TV adaptation of the novel of the same name by Christos Tsiolkas. He was awarded the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama for his role as the protagonist, Harry. In 2015, he starred in ''The Principal'', a SBS four-part crime drama screened over two weeks in October, for which he won a Logie Award. The series received positive reviews and various accolades, including several nominations from the Australian Film Institute in 2016. He appeared in the shows '' Secret City'' and '' Seven Types of Ambiguity''.

In late 2018, Dimitriades had a recurring role in the BBC One drama '' The Cry'' as Detective Peter Alexiades and in the Netflix series ''Tidelands'', again playing a police officer.

In 2021, Dimitriades appeared in the second season of ABC drama ''Total Control (TV series)'' in the role of Nice Pearce. Dimitriades also appeared in Channel 9 drama ''Amazing Grace (Australian TV series)'' as Kirk.

In 2022, Dimitriades played the Greek gangster, Kosta, in the TV series '' The Tourist'' with Jamie Dornan and Danielle Macdonald.

Theatre

In 1996 and 1997, Dimitriades, along with Nick Giannopoulos and Vince Colosimo, toured as part of the '' Wogboys'' comedy stage shows.

Dimitriades has appeared in many theatre productions, including two plays by Louis Nowra for Griffin Theatre Company, '' The Woman with Dog's Eyes'' (2004) and '' The Emperor of Sydney'' (2006); ''The Nightwatchman'' (2007) and ''Rain Man'' in 2010; and the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' in 2014.

DJ

Dimitriades, an avid collector of vinyl records, has stated that his love of music started in childhood. He has a passion for both hip hop and dance music and has stated he is inspired by Kings Go Forth because of their "’70s sound." He works as a DJ professionally across Australia, often referred to as DJ Boogie Monster. Dimitriades has headlined and performed at numerous events, including Derby Day, and as the headline act for the relaunch of the popular South Melbourne nightclub Motel.

Although Dimitriades is primarily known as an actor, his DJ work predates his acting work:

It's partly my fault, I was a DJ before I was an actor, but I wasn't known and haven't been known as one. It's two sides of me that will never go away.”

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Personal life

Dimitriades had an 8-year relationship with Terry Biviano in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 2005, he was the subject of a portrait that was a finalist in the Archibald Prize, by fine artist Michael Zavros.

In 2008, Dimitriades was arrested driving under the influence. It was reported that he had a blood alcohol reading of .11, more than twice the legal limit in Australia. The charge resulted in the suspension of his driver's licence.

In September 2009, his mother died after a long-time illness.

References

External links

*
Interview with Paul Fischer

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimitriades, Alex
1973 births
20th-century Australian male actors
21st-century Australian male actors
AACTA Award winners
Australian male film actors
Australian male soap opera actors
Australian male stage actors
Australian people of Greek descent
Living people
Logie Award winners
Male actors from Sydney