|
|
|
|
| Russell
Crowe |
|
Geoffrey
Rush |
| Box Office
average of last 5 films: $56 mil |
|
Box Office
average of last 5 films: $42 mil |
| Most recent
Australian film: The Sum of
Us (1994) |
|
Most recent
Australian film: Candy (2006)
|
| See:
Proof, Romper
Stomper, The Sum of Us |
|
See:
Candy, Harvey
Krumpet, Lantana, Shine |
| Fansite: Maximum
Russel Crowe |
|
|
| Crowe has taken
over Gibson's mantle as Australia's biggest film star. As
a rugged leading man, he has no equal in Australia, and
for that matter, very few anywhere in the world. He has
contributed to some of Australia's finest films, and also
consistently turns in stellar performances in quality overseas
roles. Has an Oscar for Gladiator and two other noms for
A Beautiful Mind and Cindarella Man. If he continues on
current form, may one day be considered our finest ever. |
|
Holds the noteworthy
distinction of winning Australia's first lead actor Oscar
(for Shine in 1996), a feat he then repeated. Compared to
Crowe, Rush plays a narrower band of characters, and will
always tend to attract the antagonist or troubled figure
because of the particular combination of his non-leading-man
looks and screen presence. An international star and outstanding
Australian actor who continues to maintain a very strong
connection to the local industry. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mel
Gibson |
|
Heath
Ledger |
| Box Office
average of last 5 films: $96 mil |
|
Box Office
average of last 5 films: $21mil |
| Most recent
Australian film: Mad Max 3
(1985) |
|
Most recent
Australian film: Candy (2006) |
| See:
Gallipoli, Mad
Max trilogy |
|
See:
Candy, Two
Hands |
| |
|
Fansites:
Heathbaby,
Heath
Ledger net |
| Gibson is about
as Australian as Rupert Murdoch these days, and is under
strong consideration to be removed from this list on those
grounds. Nonethess his contribution in the 1980s should
be remembered - because it was actors like Gibson who showed
that Australians could confidantly fill leading roles in
Hollywood blockbusters, as he did with amplomb in the Lethal
Weapon films and others. Was the driving force behind the
instant classic epic Braveheart and the controversial Passion
of the Christ. |
|
Our fastest rising
young male lead? Probably. The last couple of years have
been a wild ride for the talented Ledger as he was thrown
fully into the international limelight with the unexpected
success of the breakout indy hit Brokeback Mountain. On
the that film he met his now wife and mother of his child,
actress Michelle Williams. In the last year a conflict with
local Australian papparazzi forced Ledger to rethink plans
for settling in Sydney, and so for now at least New York
will be the base of this up-and-comer. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Eric Bana |
|
Sam Neil |
| Box Office
average of last 5 films: $111 mil |
|
Box Office
average of last 5 films: $35 mil |
| Most recent
Australian film: Romulus, My Father (2007) |
|
Most recent
Australian film: Little Fish (2005) |
| See:
The Castle, Chopper |
|
See:
Evil Angels, Dead
Calm, Death In Brunswick, The
Piano, The Dish, Little
Fish |
| Fansite: Eric
Bana archive |
|
|
| Few people remember
that Eric Bana started as a stand-up comedian. This is probably
because he smashed any precopnceptions with his 'breakthough
role' when he brilliantly played the infamous Australian
criminal Chopper Read with a phenomenal balance of darkness
and light, and physical embodiment. From there he has gone
onto (literally) bigger overseas roles in The Hulk and Troy,
with no doubt more to come. |
|
This
is the most contentious listing here in terms of dubious
nationality. Born in Ireland, raised in New Zealand, Neill
has starred in many Australian films
and since the the 80s has maintained a house in Sydney.
What is not in question is that, through a succession of
great characters, Neill has made an important contribution
to Australian film. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hugh
Jackman |
|
Naomi
Watts |
| Box Office
average of last 5 films: $69 mil |
|
Box Office
average of last 5 films: $40 mil |
| Most recent
Australian film: Erskinville Kings (1999) |
|
Most recent
Australian film: Ned Kelly (2004) |
| Fansite:
Jackman's
Landing |
|
Fansite:
Naomi
Watts org |
| Like Naomi Watts, Jackson has
actually left the Australian film scene far behind in his
rapid rise to international fame. Brilliant as Wolverine
in the X-Men series, a couple of average rom-coms, and Jackman
is now winning new fans as Peter Allen in runaway broadway
hit The Boy From Oz, which has recently made its way down
under! So his talent seems quite unbounded, and its hard
to imagine he won't succeed in any acting project he applies
himself to. With looks and talent to burn, anything goes. |
|
An Australian actor
who 'flew the coop' even earlier than Jackman, Watts sought
her fame from a Hollywood location for several years, and
has now managed to acheive considerable status as a quality
actor via a great performances in Mulholland Drive and King
Kong, although the latter film failed to get the critical
approval it deserved due to its overwhelming blockbuster
status. Her only major role of note in Australia has been
the disapointing Ned Kelly, alongside Heath Ledger. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nicole
Kidman |
|
Hugo
Weaving |
| Box Office
average of last 5 films: $64 mil |
|
Box Office
average of last 5 films: $170 mil |
| Most recent
Australian film: Moulin Rouge
(2001) |
|
Most recent
Australian film: Little
Fish (2005) |
| See:
Dead Calm, Moulin
Rouge |
|
See:The
Interview, Little Fish,
Priscilla, Proof |
| Fansite:
Nkidman
com |
|
Fansite:
Hugo
Weaving org |
| An underated actress who for
years was both weighed down by, yet undoubtedly publicised
for, being Mrs Tom Cruise (something now happening again
with his new partner Katie Holmes). Over the years she has
transformed from a gangly teen in BMX Bandits to a stunning
classical beauty. Dead Calm remains her most impressive
Australian role, and To Die For her best overall. Moulin
Rouge has been her biggest hit. She will need to be careful
to keep quality standards up as her latest US efforts, The
Stepford Wives and Bewitched were dire bombs. |
|
Weaving is a brilliant
local talent who has been involved with some of the biggest
hits in world cinema via roles as Elrond in the Lord of
the Rings trilogy and Mr Smith in The Matrix films. These
have boosted his profile enormously, yet his most impressive
work is in local productions such as The Interview and Proof,
both of which he won Best Actor AFI awards for. A great
talent, but due to lacking 'matinee idol' looks is unlikely
to compete with Jackman or Ledger as an overseas leading
man' rather more likely catching smaller overseas roles
between Australian projects. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Toni
Collette |
|
Cate
Blanchett |
| Box Office
average of last 5 films: $18 mil |
|
Box Office
average of last 5 films: $39 mil |
| Most recent
Australian film: Japanese
Story (2003) |
|
Most recent
Australian film: Little
Fish (2005) |
| See:
The Boys, Japanese
Story, Muriel's Wedding |
|
See:
Little Fish |
| Fansite:
Toni
Collette org |
|
Fansite:
Cate
Blanchett net |
| Shot to local fame
in the title role of Muriel's Wedding, a feelgood hit coming
in the same year as Priscilla, thus helping to produce a
wave of optimism about Australian cinema. Came to international
notice for a meaty performance in The Sixth Sense, and has
since starred in several more quality pieces such as About
A Boy and most recently Little Miss Sunshine which is getting
rave reviews. And of course during this time she also did
Japanese Story, an exemplary Australian film which rightly
took out the AFI awards. Somewhat disturbingly, she is now
following Russel Crowe's lead in trying out a musical career,
to a (at best) luke warm reception. |
|
Her
fragile, ephemeral beauty made her perfect for the role
of the Elf Queen in Lord of the Rings, which remains her
biggest profile hit, but far from her best performance.
That credit could go to any one of a number of excellent
portrayals in Heaven, the Shippng News or Elizabeth to name
but a few - the last of which she was Oscar nominated for
and, perhaps unfairly, lost to Gweneth Paltrow in a weaker
performance. With her husband, playwright Andrew Upton,
she is now co-director of the Sydney Theatre Company and
the star couple reportedly have big plans for the emerald
city's biggest thespian establishment. |
