Bryan Neathway Brown
AM (born 23 June 1947) is an Australian actor. He has performed in over eighty film and television projects since the late 1970s, both in his native Australia and abroad. Notable films include ''
Breaker Morant'' (1980), ''
Give My Regards to Broad Street'' (1984), ''
F/X'' (1986), ''
Tai-Pan'' (1986), ''
Cocktail
A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...
'' (1988), ''
Gorillas in the Mist'' (1988), ''
F/X2'' (1991), ''
Along Came Polly'' (2004), ''
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
'' (2008), ''
Kill Me Three Times'' (2014) and ''
Gods of Egypt'' (2016). He was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
and an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for his performance in the television
miniseries
In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
''
The Thorn Birds'' (1983).
Early life
Brown was born in
Panania, a south-western
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
suburb, the son of salesman John "Jack" Brown and Molly Brown, a pianist in the early days of the Langshaw School of Ballet and a drama student at the Edith Paull Drama School, who also worked as a house cleaner. He grew up with his younger sister, Kristine, in Panania, and began working at
AMP as an
actuarial student. He started to act in amateur theatre performances, where he discovered a passion for acting.
Career
Theatre
Brown went to Britain in 1972 and eventually won minor roles at
the Old Vic. He returned to Australia and became a member of the
Genesian Theatre, Sydney. He appeared in Colleen Clifford's production of ''
A Man for All Seasons'', before joining the
Queensland Theatre Company in 1975 for a tour of ''
The Rainmaker''.
Early films
He made his cinema debut in ''
Scobie Malone'' (1975) as a policeman. He delivered two lines and was listed last in the credits as "Brian Bronn".
In 1977, he had the lead in a short feature, ''
The Love Letters from Teralba Road'' (1977), which was written and directed by
Stephen Wallace.
Brown had small roles in ''
The Irishman'' (1978), which was directed by
Donald Crombie, ''
Weekend of Shadows'' (1978) from
Tom Jeffrey, and ''
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
''The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith'' is a 1972 Booker Prize-nominated Australian novel by Thomas Keneally, and a 1978 Australian film of the same name directed by Fred Schepisi. The novel is based on the life of bushranger Jimmy Governor, the ...
'' (1978), which was directed by
Fred Schepisi
Frederic Alan Schepisi ( ;Pauline Kael, Kael, Pauline (1984). ''Taking It All In''. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. p. 55. born 26 December 1939) is an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. His credits include ''The Cha ...
.
He had a bigger part in ''
Newsfront'' (1978), which was directed by
Phil Noyce, the miniseries ''
Against the Wind'' (1978), which was directed by
Simon Wincer, and ''
Money Movers'' (1978), which was directed by
Bruce Beresford.
Brown had the lead in the low budget film ''
Third Person Plural'' (1979) from
James Ricketson and a key role in Jeffrey's ''
The Odd Angry Shot'' (1979) and Crombie's ''
Cathy's Child'' (1979). He played the lead in a short for Wallace, ''Conman Harry and the Others'' (1979), and had a leading role in
Albie Thoms' ''
Palm Beach'' (1980).
In 1980, Brown became known to international audiences for his performance in ''
Breaker Morant'', directed by Beresford.
This was a significant turning point in his career.
Stardom
Brown played the leading role in Wallace's ''
Stir'' (1980). He had starring roles in ''
Blood Money'' (1980), a thriller, and ''
Winter of Our Dreams'' (1981), a relationship drama with
Judy Davis written and directed by
John Duigan.
Brown had a huge international success playing the lead role in the TV miniseries, "
A Town Like Alice" (1981), which won popularity in the United States. This co-starred
Helen Morse and the two of them were reteamed in ''
Far East
The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...
'' (1982), written and directed by Duigan.
Brown had another big success internationally with his role as Luke O'Neil in ''
The Thorn Birds'' (1983), starring
Richard Chamberlain and
Rachel Ward (whom he later married). Brown was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor – Miniseries or a Movie for his work.
This led to a number of international offers for Brown. He had the lead in a British TV film, ''
Kim'' (1984) (playing a British agent in Imperial India) and supported
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
in ''
Give My Regards to Broad Street'' (1984).
Brown returned to Australia for another miniseries from the makers of ''Alice'', ''
Eureka Stockade'' (1984), but it was not as popular.
[Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p192]
In the UK, Brown played an Australian hitman in ''
Parker'' (1985) and he returned home to play Cliff Hardy in ''
The Empty Beach'' (1985). He supported
Matt Dillon and
Debra Byrne in ''
Rebel'' (1985).
US career
Brown was given the lead role in the US action film ''
F/X'' (1986), which was a hit. However ''
Tai-Pan'' (1986), directed by Daryl Duke from ''The Thorn Birds'', was a huge flop, despite being based on a best seller by
James Clavell.
Brown returned to Australia to make ''
The Umbrella Woman
''The Umbrella Woman'' (released in some areas as ''The Good Wife'') is a 1987 Australian film directed by Ken Cameron and starring Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward. It also features Steven Vidler (actor), Steven Vidler and Sam Neill.
Premise
The fil ...
'' (1987) with Ward and then a new version of ''
The Shiralee'' (1987). He supported
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...
in ''
Cocktail
A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...
'' (1988) and
Sigourney Weaver in ''
Gorillas in the Mist'' (1989).
In Australia he played the lead in a World War Two drama, ''
Blood Oath'' (1990), directed by Wallace and did a romantic comedy based on a story by him and
Tony Morphett, ''
Sweet Talker'' (1991), directed by Mike Jenkins.
In the US he did ''
F/X2'' (1991), a sequel to ''F/X'', where he was also executive producer, and the TV film ''
Dead in the Water'' (1991).
He did a comedy with
Dudley Moore, ''
Blame It on the Bellboy'' (1992), followed by some thrillers: ''
Devlin'' (1992), ''
The Last Hit'' (1993), and ''
Age of Treason'' (1994); in the latter he was a detective in Ancient Rome.
Brown had the lead in a short lived British TV series ''
The Wanderer'' (1994) and starred in the popular cable film ''
Full Body Massage'' (1995).
Return to Australia
Brown returned to Australia to star in ''
Dead Heart'' (1996), which he also produced. He produced and starred in ''
Twisted Tales'' (1996) which led to an anthology TV series. He played
Ned Land in the 1997 miniseries ''
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' with
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...
, then did a TV film for
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of ...
, ''
Dogboys'' (1998) and a thriller ''On the Border'' (1998). In 1999 Brown starred in the romantic comedy ''
Dear Claudia'' and had a support role in ''
Two Hands'' (1999) with
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film care ...
and
Rose Byrne.
Brown starred in ''
Grizzly Falls'' (1999), and ''
Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (1999). In Australia he had a support role in ''
Risk
In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environ ...
'' (2000) and the lead in ''
On the Beach'' (2000) and ''
Dirty Deeds'' (2002) which he also produced. He produced a short film by his wife, ''The Big House'' (2001). Brown had support roles in ''
Footsteps'' (2003), ''
Along Came Polly'' (2004), ''
Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman'' (2005), ''
Spring Break Shark Attack'' (2005), and ''
The Poseidon Adventure'' (2005). He produced a short feature directed by his wife, ''
Martha's New Coat'' (2005) and made ''
Two Twisted'' (2005). Back in Australia Brown was in ''
Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback'' (2007), and ''
Cactus'' (2008), which he also co produced. He was in ''
Dean Spanley'' (2008), and had a small role in ''
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
'' (2008).
Brown produced and had a small role in ''
Beautiful Kate'' (2009), directed by his wife. He was in ''
Limbo
The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...
'' (2010) and ''
Love Birds'' (2011) and guest starred on ''
The Good Wife''. He had the lead in ''
Better Man'' (2013) and appeared in ''
An Accidental Soldier'' (2013) also directed by his wife. He and his daughter did a series of shorts, ''
Lessons from the Grave'' (2013). He starred in the ghost film ''The Darkside'' (2013) and had the lead in a TV series ''
Old School'' (2013). In 2014 he appeared on stage for the
Sydney Theatre Company at the
Wharf Theatre with
Alison Whyte in
David Williamson's play ''
Travelling North''.
He was in ''
Kill Me Three Times'' (2013), ''
Cocktails & Dreams'' (2015), ''
Deadline Gallipoli'' (2015), ''
Gods of Egypt'' (2015), ''
The Light Between Oceans'' (2016), and ''
Red Dog: True Blue'' (2016). He had roles in ''
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...
'' (2017), and ''
Sweet Country'' (2017) and is in ''Palm Beach'' directed by his wife, and the 2019 TV series ''
Bloom''.
Brown appeared in the opening ceremony of the
2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
In June 2024, Brown would return to ''
Darby and Joan (TV series)'' after the show was renewed for a second series.
Writing
His 2021 crime novel, ''Sweet Jimmy'', was published by
Allen & Unwin
George Allen & Unwin was a British publishing company formed in 1911 when Sir Stanley Unwin purchased a controlling interest in George Allen & Co. It became one of the leading publishers of the twentieth century and established an Australian ...
in print
["Bryan Brown's first crime novel is 'an extraordinary piece of work](_blank)
by Brian McFarlane, ''The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'', 3 September 2021 and as audio book, narrated by Brown.
''Sweet Jimmy'' was highly praised by film historian and author
Brian McFarlane, who called it "an extraordinary piece of work".
His second book, ''The Drowning'', was published in 2023 in print
[; ] and as audio book, narrated by Brown.
Production work
Brown's production company made the series ''
Twisted Tales'' and ''
Two Twisted'' (similar to ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...
''). The second series had an additional twist: both stories in each episode were connected in some way, and the audience was invited to try to spot the connection.
Honours and awards
Brown was inducted into the
Logie Hall of Fame in 1989. He received the
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for ''
Breaker Morant'' (1980) and for ''
Two Hands'' (1999). In 2024 Brown was nominated and won a Logie for Best Supporting Actor for his work in
''Boy Swallows Universe..''
In June 2005, Brown was made a Member of the
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
"for service to the community through a range of charitable organisations committed to providing assistance and support to families and young people and to the Australian film and television industry."
The Bryan Brown Theatre & Function Centre in
Bankstown, Sydney, was named after him in 2013. He won Longford Lyell Award at the
AACTA 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 cinema of Australia, film and ...
in 2018.
Personal life
When Bryan Brown was first introduced to
Rachel Ward on the set of the TV miniseries ''
The Thorn Birds'' in 1983, he read her palm and predicted she would have three children. They married a few months after filming wrapped.
They have three children, Rosie,
Matilda and Joe.
[
He is a strong supporter of ]Australian republicanism
Republicanism in Australia is a movement to change Australia's system of government from a constitutional monarchy to a republic; presumably, a form of parliamentary republic that would replace the monarch of Australia (currently King Charle ...
.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
Bryan Brown
Australian Film Commission
Bryan Brown's official website
New Town Films
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Bryan
1947 births
Australian male film actors
Australian male stage actors
Australian republicans
Australian male television actors
Logie Award winners
Members of the Order of Australia
Living people
Male actors from Sydney
20th-century Australian male actors
21st-century Australian male actors
Best Supporting Actor AACTA Award winners