| Honorific Suffix: | AM |
| Bryan Brown | |
| Birth Date: | 1947 6, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Panania, New South Wales, Australia |
| Children: | 3, including Matilda |
| Years Active: | 1972–present |
| Occupation: | Actor |
Bryan Neathway Brown[1] 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 (1988), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), F/X2 (1991), Along Came Polly (2004), Australia (2008), Kill Me Three Times (2014) and Gods of Egypt (2016). He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for his performance in the television miniseries The Thorn Birds (1983).
Brown was born in Panania, a south-western Sydney 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.[2] 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,[3] where he discovered a passion for acting.
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.[4]
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.[5]
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 (1978), which was directed by Fred Schepisi.
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).[6] 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).[7] [8]
In 1980, Brown became known to international audiences for his performance in Breaker Morant, directed by Beresford.[9] [10]
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 (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).[11] 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 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.[12]
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).
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 (1987) with Ward and then a new version of The Shiralee (1987). He supported Tom Cruise in Cocktail (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[13] and did a romantic comedy based on a story by him and Tony Morphett, Sweet Talker (1991), directed by Mike Jenkins.[14]
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).
Brown returned to Australia to star in Dead Heart (1996), which he also produced.[15] 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, then did a TV film for Ken Russell, 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 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 (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 (2007), and Cactus (2008), which he also co produced. He was in Dean Spanley (2008), and had a small role in Australia (2008).
Brown produced and had a small role in Beautiful Kate (2009), directed by his wife. He was in Limbo (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 short, 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.[16]
He was in Kill Me Three Times (2013), Cocktails & Dreams (2015), Deadline Gallipoli (2015), Gods of Egypt (2015), The Light Between Oceans (2016), and (2016). He had roles in Australia Day (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.[17] [18]
His 2021 crime novel, Sweet Jimmy, was published by Allen & Unwin in print[19] and as audio book, narrated by Brown.[20] His second book, The Drowning, was published in 2023 in print[21] and as audio book, narrated by Brown.[22]
Brown's production company made the series Twisted Tales and Two Twisted (similar to Alfred Hitchcock Presents). 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.
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..[23]
In June 2005, Brown was made a Member of the Order of Australia "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."[24]
The Bryan Brown Theatre & Function Centre in Bankstown, Sydney, was named after him in 2013.[25] He won Longford Lyell Award at the AACTA Awards in 2018.[26]
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.[27] They have three children, Rosie, Matilda and Joe.[27]
He is a strong supporter of Australian republicanism.[28]
| Year | Title | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Love Letters from Teralba Road | Len | Short film | |
| 1978 | Third Person Plural | Mark | Feature film | |
| 1978 | The Irishman | Eric Haywood | Feature film | |
| 1978 | Weekend of Shadows | Bennett | Feature film | |
| 1978 | The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith | Shearer | Feature film | |
| 1978 | Newsfront | Geoff | Feature film | |
| 1978 | Money Movers | Brian Jackson | Feature film | |
| 1979 | Cathy's Child | Paul Nicholson | Feature film | |
| 1979 | The Odd Angry Shot | Rogers | Feature film | |
| 1980 | Palm Beach | Paul Kite | Feature film | |
| 1980 | Breaker Morant | Feature film AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | ||
| 1980 | Stir | China Jackson | Feature film Nominated for AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role | |
| 1980 | Blood Money | Brian Shields | Feature film | |
| 1981 | Winter of Our Dreams | Rob | Feature film | |
| 1982 | Far East | Morgan Keefe | Feature film | |
| 1984 | Give My Regards to Broad Street | Steve | Feature film | |
| 1984 | Kim | Mahbub Ali | TV film | |
| 1985 | Parker | David Parker | Feature film | |
| 1985 | The Empty Beach | Cliff Hardy | Feature film | |
| 1985 | Rebel | Tiger | Feature film Nominated for AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | |
| 1986 | F/X | Roland 'Rollie' Tyler | Feature film | |
| 1986 | Tai-Pan | Dirk Struan | Feature film | |
| 1987 | The Good Wife (aka The Umbrella Woman) | Sonny Hills | Feature film | |
| 1987 | The Shiralee | Macauley | TV film | |
| 1988 | Cocktail | Doug Coughlin | Feature film | |
| 1988 | Gorillas in the Mist | Bob Campbell | Feature film | |
| 1990 | Blood Oath (aka Prisoners of the Sun) | Captain Cooper | Feature film | |
| 1991 | Sweet Talker | Harry Reynolds | Feature film | |
| 1991 | Dead in the Water | Charlie Deegan | TV film | |
| 1991 | F/X2 | Rollie Tyler | Feature film | |
| 1992 | Blame It on the Bellboy | Mike Lawton / Charlton Black | ||
| 1992 | Devlin | Frank Devlin | TV film | |
| 1993 | Age of Treason | Marcus Didius Falco | TV film | |
| 1993 | The Last Hit | Michael Grant | TV film | |
| 1995 | Full Body Massage | Fitch | TV film | |
| 1996 | Dead Heart | Ray Lorkin | Feature film | |
| 1997 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | TV film | ||
| 1998 | Dogboys | Captain Robert Brown | TV film | |
| 1998 | On the Border | Barry Montana | TV film | |
| 1999 | Dear Claudia | Walter Burton | Feature film | |
| 1999 | Two Hands | Pando | Feature film AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | |
| 1999 | Grizzly Falls | Tyrone Bankston | Feature film | |
| 2000 | On the Beach | Dr. Julian Osborne | TV film | |
| 2001 | Risk | John Kriesky | Feature film | |
| 2001 | Mullet | Publican (voice) | Feature film | |
| 2001 | Styx | Art | ||
| 2002 | Dirty Deeds | Barry Ryan | Feature film | |
| 2003 | Footsteps | Eddie Bruno | TV film | |
| 2004 | Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman | Hal Thorne | TV film | |
| 2004 | Along Came Polly | Leland Van Lew | Feature film | |
| 2005 | Spring Break Shark Attack | Joel Gately | TV film | |
| 2005 | The Poseidon Adventure | Jeffrey Eric Anderson | TV film | |
| 2006 | Two Twisted | Detective Vincent Westler | TV film | |
| 2007 | Rex Wild QC | TV film | ||
| 2008 | Dean Spanley | Wrather | Feature film | |
| 2008 | Cactus | Rosco | Feature film | |
| 2008 | Australia | King Carney | Feature film | |
| 2009 | Beautiful Kate | Bruce Kendall | Feature film Nominated for AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | |
| 2010 | Limbo | Daniel | Feature film | |
| 2011 | Love Birds | Dr. Buster | Feature film | |
| 2013 | An Accidental Soldier | Captain Foster | TV film | |
| 2014 | Kill Me Three Times | Bruce Jones | Feature film | |
| 2016 | The Light Between Oceans | Septimus Potts | Feature film | |
| 2016 | Gods of Egypt | Osiris | Feature film | |
| 2016 | Grandpa | Feature film | ||
| 2017 | Sweet Country | Sergeant Fletcher | Feature film | |
| 2017 | Australia Day | Terry Friedman | Feature film | |
| 2018 | Peter Rabbit | Mr. Rabbit (voice) | Feature film | |
| 2019 | Palm Beach | Frank | Feature film (also producer) | |
| 2023 | Anyone but You | Roger | Feature film |
| Year | Title | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Against the Wind | Michael Connor | TV miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 1981 | A Town Like Alice | Joe Harmon | TV miniseries, 3 episodes | |
| 1983 | The Thorn Birds | Luke O'Neill | TV miniseries, 3 episodes Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | |
| 1984 | Eureka Stockade | TV miniseries, 3 episodes | ||
| 1994 | The Wanderer | Adam | TV series, 13 episodes | |
| 1996 | Twisted Tales | Jack Johnson | TV series, episode: "The Confident Man" | |
| 1999 | Journey to the Center of the Earth | Casper Hastings | TV miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 2012 | The Good Wife | Jack Copeland | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 2013 | Better Man | Lex Lasry | TV miniseries, 4 episodes | |
| 2014 | Old School | Lennie Cahill | TV series, 8 episodes | |
| 2015 | Let's Talk About | TV series | ||
| 2019 | Halal Gurls | Gordon | ABC iView | |
| 2019–20 | Bloom | Ray Reed | TV series, 12 episodes | |
| 2020 | Hungry Ghosts | Neil Stockton | TV series | |
| 2021 | The Moth Effect | Ted | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 2022–present | Darby and Joan | Jack Darby | TV series, 8 episodes | |
| 2023 | Caught | Prime Minister Warren Whistle | TV series, 8 episodes | |
| 2024 | Boy Swallows Universe | Slim Halliday | TV miniseries, 7 episodes |