Brendan Cowell

Last updated

Brendan Cowell
Brendan Cowell on February 10, 2013.jpg
Born
Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)Actor, screenwriter, playwright
Years active1986-present

Brendan Cowell is an Australian actor and writer.

Early life and education

Cowell was born in Sydney and grew up in the beachside suburb of Cronulla. He credits his mother and high school drama teacher with encouraging him to explore his creative side. [1]

Contents

He attended Charles Sturt University in Bathurst to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre/Media. [1]

Career

Stage

Cowell won the Patrick White Playwrights' Award for his third play, Bed [2] along with a collection of other awards. His play Ruben Guthrie showed at the Belvoir St Theatre in 2009 to sell-out houses. [3] It had a new production at La Boite Theatre in 2011, starring Gyton Grantley and directed by David Berthold. [4]

He won some acclaim for his portrayal of the title role in Bell Shakespeare's 2008 Production of Hamlet [5] and acted in Sydney Theatre Company's production of True West , directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, in 2010. [6]

The Sublime (Melbourne Theatre Company) was shortlisted for the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting in the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards 2015. [7] His play Happy New was performed in London in 2013, starring Joel Samuels, Lisa Dillon and William Troughton. It had previously premiered in Australia. [8]

In 2017 he starred as Galileo Galilei in the Young Vic's production of Bertholt Brecht's Life of Galileo . [9]

Television

Cowell played the enigmatic Tom on Australian cable TV's Love My Way , for which he also wrote several episodes, and played Todd for the first two seasons on Life Support on SBS TV, for which he also wrote sketches.[ citation needed ]

In 2017 Cowell joined the cast of the HBO series Game of Thrones in Season 7 as Harrag, an Ironborn sea captain allied to Theon Greyjoy.[ citation needed ]

In 2024, it was announced that Cowell had begun filming for ABC drama Plum. [10]

Film

Cowell's acting work in film include roles in the 2007 crime drama Noise , the World War 1 war film Beneath Hill 60 , the romantic comedy I Love You Too .[ citation needed ] and a notable role in Avatar: The Way of Water as Captain Mick Scoresby.

Other writing

In 2010 Cowell published his first novel, How it Feels . [11]

Personal life

Cowell dated Rose Byrne for six years until they parted ways amicably in early 2010. [12]

Filmography

Film

Key
Denotes productions that have not yet been released
YearTitleRoleNotes
1986The Siege of Barton's Bathroom [13] [14] Dominic BartonShort
1999 Kick Macca
Monster!NateTV film
2000 Bored Olives Robert
The Monkey's Mask Hayden
2001 To End All Wars Wallace Hamilton
2003ClutchBrianShort
2004FloodhouseHerringbone John
2005 Deck Dogz Kurt
2006 Suburban Mayhem InterviewerVoice role
2007 Noise Graham McGahan
2008 Three Blind Mice Glenn Carter
Ten Empty Shane Hackett
2010 Beneath Hill 60 Oliver Woodward
I Love You Too Jim
Bee StingTom StannersShort
2011 Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away Benny O'ConnellTV film
2012 Save Your Legs! Rick
I Missed My Mother's FuneralYoung ManShort
2013The Darkside
The Outlaw Michael Howe British SoldierTV film
2015 Last Cab to Darwin Publican
ObservanceEmployer
Black ChookJim BlokeShort
2016A Thousand WordsJamesShort
Broke Kirk
Comedy Showroom: The Letdown HarryTV film
2017 National Theatre Live: Yerma John
The Current War Confederate Soldier
2022 Avatar: The Way of Water Captain Mick Scoresby
2024 Avatar 3

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001 Water Rats Jonathan FreemanEpisode: "Family Matters"
2001-2002 Life Support ToddSeries regular
2002 Young Lions Jason Doone2 episodes
White Collar Blue Daniel Hudson1 episode
2003Fat Cow MotelJack GreenMini-series
2004 Salem's Lot Dud RogersMini-series
2004-2007 Love My Way Tom JacksonSeries regular
2008 Review with Myles Barlow As himselfSeason 1 Episode 3
2010 Rush Blake FincherEpisode: "Cooked"
2011 The Slap CraigEpisode: "Richie"
2012 Howzat! Kerry Packer's War Rodney MarshMini-series
2013 The Borgias Mattai the Hebrew5 episodes
2014Wastelander PandaIsaac6 episodes, voice role
Soul Mates Harry CunstonEpisode: "Self Destruction"
2014-2016 Black Comedy Various roles4 episodes
2016 Brock Allan MoffatMini-series
2017 Game of Thrones Harrag3 episodes
2017-2019 The Letdown Harry3 episodes
2018 Press Peter LangleySeries regular
2020 The End Christopher Brennan4 episodes
2022The TwelveGarry Thorne10 episodes
2023 The Castaways Mike Brasse5 episodes
2025Plum [15] Peter Lum6 episodes

Theatre

YearPlayRoleVenueNotes
2000 The Recruit Jimmy Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company
MenGuy Old Fitzroy Theatre, Woolloomooloo, Sydney, New South Wales
2001Happy NewLyle Old Fitzroy Theatre, Woolloomooloo, Sydney, New South Wales
2003 The Shape of Things Adam Sorenson Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company
2004 Far Away Todd Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company
2006Dissident, Goes Without SayingPhillipe Wharf 2Loud Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company
2008 Hamlet Prince Hamlet Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, New South Wales with Bell Shakespeare
2010 True West Austin Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company
2011 The Dark Room Stephen Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Company B
2013 Miss Julie Jean Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Belvoir Sydney
The Wild Duck Hjalmar Ekdal Vienna Festival & Holland Festival with Belvoir Sydney
2014 Once in Royal David's City Will Drummond Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Belvoir Sydney
The Wild Duck Hjalmar Ekdal Barbican Centre, London & UK Tourwith Belvoir Sydney
2016 Yerma Juan Young Vic, London
2017 Life of Galileo Galileo Galilei Young Vic, London
2018 Dance Nation Dance Teacher Pat Almeida Theatre, London
Yerma Juan Park Avenue Armory, New York City

Writing

YearTitleNotes
2002Sweet Dreams
Running Down These Dreams
Free
Wasted on the Young
I Love U
Baggage Claim
The Doppelgangers
Chrono-logic
2004-2007 Love My Way [16] [17] [18] 8 episodes
episodes: (#1.3) (#1.7) (#2.6) (#2.7) (#2.9) (#3.1) (#3.5) (#3.8)
2005Europe [19]
2010How It Feels
2007 Ten Empty [20]
2011 The Slap [19] Episode #1.3: "Harry"
2012 Save Your Legs! [21]
2013 The Outlaw Michael Howe
2015 Ruben Guthrie
2025PlumWriter / Exec Producer 6 episodes

Directing credits

YearTitle
2005 Europe
2013 The Outlaw Michael Howe
2015 Ruben Guthrie

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2005 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor Love My Way Nominated
2006 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor Love My Way Nominated
2007 AFI Awards Best Lead Actor Noise Nominated
AWGIE Awards Television - Series Love My Way Nominated
Inside Film Awards Best Actor Noise Nominated
Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor Love My Way Nominated
2008 ASTRA Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor Love My Way Nominated
Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Actor Noise Won
2010 AFI Awards Best Lead Actor Beneath Hill 60 Nominated
2011 Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Actor Beneath Hill 60 Nominated
Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production The Dark Room Nominated
2012 AACTA Awards Best Screenplay in Television The Slap Won
AWGIE Awards Television Mini-Series - Adaptation (with Emily Ballou, Alice Bell, Kris Mrksa & Cate Shortland) The Slap Won
2015 AACTA Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Guthrie Nominated
AWGIE Awards Feature Film - Adaptation Ruben Guthrie Won
ZOOM AwardsBest Director The Outlaw Michael Howe Won

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References

  1. 1 2 "Brendan Cowell – Actor-writer-director-producer". Alumni.csu.edu.au. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  2. "Sydney Theatre Company – Patrick White Playwrights' Award". Sydneytheatre.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  3. "Ruben Guthrie, Productions | Belvoir St Theatre". Belvoir.com.au. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  4. "All things Ruben Guthrie: An Interview with David Berthold (La Boite)". Aussietheatre.com.au. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  5. "Hamlet | Bell Shakespeare". Australianstage.com.au. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  6. "True West | Sydney Theatre Company". Australianstage.com.au. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  7. "New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards" (PDF). SL Magazine. 8 (4): 36. Summer 2015.
  8. Bleakley, Paul (28 May 2013). "Happy New | Chickens, childhood and Brendan Cowell". Australian Times News. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  9. "Life of Galileo". 6 May 2017.
  10. https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/01/production-underway-on-new-abc-drama-plum.html [ bare URL ]
  11. Theo Chapman (11 January 2011). "How It Feels | Book Review | Brendan Cowell's First Novel". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  12. Dennehy, Luke (7 February 2010). "Rose Byrne and Brendan Cowell split". Sunday Herald Sun . Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  13. Leerentveld, Erwin (29 March 2023). "Film : The Cast: Bartons on the Web". Bartons on the Web.
  14. Leerentveld, Erwin (29 March 2023). "Jocelyn Moorhouse Interview". Bartons on the Web.
  15. https://if.com.au/abc-to-serve-up-plum-with-brendan-cowell-asher-keddie-leading-the-cast/ [ bare URL ]
  16. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  17. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
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  19. 1 2 "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  20. "Pan Macmillan Australia: About the Book". Panmacmillan.com.au. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  21. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. Retrieved 8 April 2020.