Move Over, Hollywood: 6 Australian Actors Everyone Is Crazy About
In the mid-90s and early 2000s, Mel Gibson and Hugh Jackman were probably the most prominent Australian actors who managed to gain the love of both famous Western filmmakers and ordinary audiences.
After the 2000s came the 2010s and the number of talented actors coming from the faraway continent had increased rapidly. By early 2020s being an actor with citizenship of the country of koalas and kangaroos have already become synonymous with good looks and outstanding performance.
1. Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger’s conquest of Hollywood started back in the late 90s. The Australian actor starred in the romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, which instantly turned him into a hero of girls' dreams. Five years later Ledger had a fateful role in Brokeback Mountain, which brought him his first Oscar nomination.
However, that year the desired statuette passed the actor. Oddly enough, it was Nolan's Joker that brought Ledger his Award. The role that left a mark in the history of Hollywood.
Sadly, the work in The Dark Knight was the last one for Heath Ledger. The actor died of an accidental overdose of medications.
2. Eric Bana
Eric Bana became famous after the film Chopper directed by Andrew Dominik. The success of the movie guaranteed the actor an easy way into Hollywood. There were big movie studios in LA ready to sign important contracts with him. However, the road to success was rather convoluted.
After the release of the not-so-successful Hulk directed by Ang Lee, Eric Bana starred in the epic historical war film Troy, which, although it was a success with the audience, was not a blockbuster. Fortunately, that was the end of a long losing streak in his life. Bana was cast in The Time Traveler's Wife and The Other Boleyn Girl, the films that made a big name for the actor and cemented his status as a real talent.
3. Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth, seemingly destined to be a star, also began his journey with a failure.
Despite having a perfect match in appearance, the Australian actor was never cast in Kenneth Branagh's Thor. The movie about the Scandinavian god was on the verge of being without our beloved Australian. Fortunately, Hemsworth's agent somehow managed to get through to Kevin Feige personally and he agreed to meet the actor. A couple of minutes after the meeting, the decision was made. Chris became the new Marvel superhero.
Subsequently, the popularity of Thor helped him get other, equally interesting roles in the films Rush, The Cabin in the Woods, In the Heart of the Sea.
4. Jacob Elordi
The youngest on this list is 24-year-old Jacob Elordi, who has managed to become Hollywood's number one ladykiller in the last two years. The actor's meteoritic career began after the release of the Netflix romcom The Kissing Booth, in which Elordi played high-schooler Finn, the main character's lover. The Kissing Booth’s ratings went through the roof, and Jacob got noticed by major American studios.
In 2019, the actor was offered the role of Nate Jacobs in Sam Levinson's Euphoria, an HBO show that also became extremely successful. At the moment, Elordi is actively shooting new films and we hope that all of his biggest roles are yet to come.
5. Cody Fern
Australian Cody Fern, just like Jacob Elordi, has gained widespread popularity through the TV industry. In 2017, the young and attractive actor was noticed by American screenwriter Ryan Murphy. It was he who eventually offered Cody a role in his new project, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. The show subsequently won several major awards, including two Golden Globes.
A year after that Fern participated in another Murphy project, the eighth season of American Horror Story, where he got the role of Satan's son. After that he got a part in the final season of House of Cards, which finally turned Fern into a real star.
6. Guy Pearce
As a young man, Guy Pearce never thought of becoming an actor. The Australian was a successful bodybuilder and dreamed of tying his life to big sports. However, at some point, fate took a different turn.
He became interested in acting, and then turned this hobby into a job. After years of filming in the soap opera Neighbors, Guy Pearce got a role in the cult road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Then a series of not very successful projects led the actor to the famous L.A. Confidential. This film made Guy Pearce one of the most popular actors in the world.
However, the real recognition came after the release of the noir thriller Memento, where the Australian managed to show off everything he got.