Ewen Leslie

Last updated

Ewen Leslie
Born (1980-07-27) 27 July 1980 (age 44)
Occupation Actor
Years active1993–present

Ewen Leslie (born 27 July 1980) is an Australian actor.

Contents

Career

Theatre

His first work on Sydney stages was performing at the Old Fitzroy Hotel theatre in Woolloomooloo. In 2007 he was cast by Philip Seymour Hoffman in Riflemind, a play by Andrew Upton which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company. [1]

He joined the STC Actors Company in 2008 and won a Helpmann Award [2] and a Sydney Theatre Award [3] for his performance as Prince Hal/Henry V opposite Cate Blanchett in The War of the Roses (directed by Benedict Andrews). [4]

In 2010 he played Richard III at the Melbourne Theatre Company directed by Simon Philips. Alison Croggon in The Australian wrote: "This is a deeply intelligent performance, physically and emotionally unafraid. It marks the ascension of a remarkable actor". [5] He won his second Helpmann Award and a Green Room Award for this performance.

The following year he played Hamlet in a sellout season at the Melbourne Theatre Company [6] (a role he would reprise in 2013 in Sydney for Belvoir St Theatre). He played one of the lead roles in The Wild Duck (directed by Simon Stone) [7] which had successful seasons in Sydney, Melbourne and Oslo for The Ibsen Festival.

In 2013 he was The Player in STC's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead opposite Toby Schmitz and Tim Minchin. [8] In 2015 he travelled to Paris to perform in Simon Stone's production of Thyestes , and played the title role in Belvoir's production of Ivanov . [9]

In 2021 he returned to the Sydney Theatre Company to perform in Kip Williams production of Julius Caesar performed by only three actors.

Film and television

His first break came when he was cast as the lead role in Jewboy , a film that screened at the Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival. He has played lead roles in Three Blind Mice, Dead Europe , The Butterfly Tree and The Daughter . He has also appeared in Kokoda , The Railway Man , Sleeping Beauty , The Mule , Sweet Country and The Nightingale .

Notable roles on TV include Operation Buffalo , The Luminaries , The Gloaming , The Cry , Safe Harbour , Fighting Season , Deadline Gallipoli , Devil's Dust , Mabo , Redfern Now and Rake .

In 2017 he won an AACTA Award for his role as Pyke in the second season of Top of the Lake opposite Elisabeth Moss, Nicole Kidman and Alice Englert. Maureen Ryan in Variety wrote that his performance was "subtle and powerful", while Michael Idato in the Sydney Morning Herald wrote, "In a world where fame is fleeting and often hoisted upon the undeserved, Leslie is a proper revelation. He's a stunning performer, perhaps one of the best on our screens". [10]

He also voices the character of Pigling Bland in the Peter Rabbit films. [11]

In 2024, Leslie appeared in Stan series Exposure and Prosper (TV series). [12] [13] In December 2024, Leslie was named in the cast for Foxtel drama The Twelve. [14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1998JusticeBully
2002The DoppelgangersFitzShort film
2004Sold OutPunterShort film
2004Right Here Right NowSBLT Sam FisherFeature film
2005 Jewboy YuriFeature film
2005Live to GiveSebShort film
2005The MechanicalsToast ManShort film
2006 Kokoda WilsteadFeature film
2007KatoombaDonShort film
2008 Three Blind Mice SamFeature film
2008 Netherland Dwarf DadShort film
2009LonelyBobShort film
2009ApricotMarcelShort film
2011 Sleeping Beauty BirdmannFeature film
2012 Dead Europe IsaacFeature film
2012SuspendedDaveShort film
2013Scene 16LukeShort film
2013 The Railway Man ThompsonFeature film
2014 The Mule Detective Les ParisFeature film
2015 The Daughter Oliver FinchFeature film
2015Death in BloomChristopher CrumplesShort film
2017 The Butterfly Tree AlFeature film
2017 Sweet Country Harry MarchFeature film
2017FaceJamesShort film
2018 Peter Rabbit Pigling Bland (voice)Feature film
2018 The Nightingale GoodwinFeature film
2021 Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway Pigling Bland (voice)Feature film
2022 The Stranger Assistant Commissioner MillikenFeature film
TBAMr PillowUpcoming

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1993 Ship to Shore Guido Bellini52 episodes
1996Bush PatrolDave1 episode
1997The GiftBoyEpisode: "The Cockroach Rap"
2001Wild KatMorgan Ritchie13 episodes
2002 The Road from Coorain RegTelevision film
2002The Junction BoysLuke MasonTelevision film
2003 All Saints Tony Hunter3 episodes
2006 Love My Way Duc8 episodes
2007 Lockie Leonard John East7 episodes
2009 My Place Mr. Bracey1 episode
2012 Mabo Bryan Keon-CohenTelevision film
2012 Devil's Dust Matt Peacock TV miniseries
2012 Redfern Now Mr. Parish2 episodes
2013 Top of the Lake Steve (voice)Episode: "The Edge of the Universe"
2013 Mr & Mrs Murder HugoEpisode: "The Course Whisperer"
2014 Wonderland Nick Deakin8 episodes
2015 Deadline Gallipoli Keith Murdoch 1 episode
2015 No Activity Police officer (voice)6 episodes
2016 Janet King Patrick Bocarro5 episodes
2016 Rake Bevan Leigh3 episodes
2017 Top of the Lake Pyke6 episodes
2017 Sisters Abraham2 episodes
2018 Safe Harbour Ryan GallagherMiniseries
2018 Fighting Season Captain Edward "Ted" NordenfeltMain cast
2018 The Cry Alistair RobertsonMain cast
2020 The Luminaries Crosbie WellsMain cast
2020 The Gloaming Alex O’ConnellMain cast
Operation Buffalo Major Leo CarmichaelMain cast
2022 Pieces of Her Arthur Gibson4 episodes
Bali 2002 Tom Keirath1 episode
2023 The Clearing Tom Atkins1 episode
2024 Prosper Dion Quinn8 episodes
Colin from Accounts Constable Byrne1 episode
ExpsoureJim1 episode
2025The TwelveTV series

Theatre credits

YearShowRoleVenue
2003 Woyzeck Doctor Old Fitzroy Theatre
2003Chicks Will Dig You!Seb Belvoir St Theatre (Downstairs Theatre)
2004Cross SectionsAaronTamarama Sock Surfers
2004This Blasted EarthFather/Scarlett Tamarama Rock Surfers
2005ShakesperealismLewis Tamarama Rock Surfers
2007 Paul Yeshua Belvoir St Theatre
2007 Dead Caesar Cassius Sydney Theatre Company (Wharf 2 Theatre)
2007RiflemindLee Sydney Theatre Company (Wharf 1 Theatre)
2008The Serpent's TeethSam Lewis Sydney Opera House - Drama Theatre (Sydney Theatre Company)
2008GallipoliBilly Hughes / Atatürk Sydney Theatre
2009 The War of the Roses Prince Hal/Henry V Sydney Theatre
2009 The Promise Marat Belvoir Street Theatre
2010 Richard III Richard III Melbourne Theatre Company
2010 The Trial Josef K. Malthouse Theatre (Sydney Theatre Company)
2011 The Wild Duck Hjalmar Ekdal Belvoir Street Theatre
2011 Hamlet Prince Hamlet Melbourne Theate Company
2013 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Brick Pollitt Belvoir Street Theatre
2013 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead The Player Sydney Theatre Company
2013 Hamlet Prince Hamlet Belvoir Street Theatre
2015ThyestesAtreus Belvoir Street Theatre
2015 Ivanov Nikolai Ivanov Belvoir Street Theatre
2021 Julius Caesar Multiple roles Sydney Theatre Company (Wharf 1 Theatre)
2022 The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde/Others Sydney Theatre Company (Roslyn Packer Theatre)

Awards and nominations

YearCeremonyCategoryWorkResult
2005AFI AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Craft in a Non-Feature Jewboy Nominated
2006Movie Extra Filmink AwardsBest Australian NewcomerNominated
2009 Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Lead Role The War of the Roses Won
Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play Won
2010 Best Male Actor in a Play Richard III Won
Green Room Awards Best Male ActorWon
2011 Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Lead Role The Wild Duck Nominated
2012 Australian Film Critics Association AwardsBest Actor Dead Europe Nominated
Film Critics Circle of Australia AwardsBest ActorNominated
Green Room Awards Best Ensemble - Theatre Companies The Wild Duck Nominated
Best Male ActorNominated
2013 Equity Ensemble Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Miniseries Mabo Nominated
Devil's Dust Won
Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Nominated
2014Glug AwardsBest Supporting ActorNominated
Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play Nominated
AACTA Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Dead Europe Nominated
2015 Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Lead Role Ivanov Nominated
2016 AACTA Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role The Daughter Nominated
Film Critics Circle of Australia AwardsBest ActorNominated
2017 Australian Film Critics Association AwardsBest ActorNominated
AACTA Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role The Butterfly Tree Nominated
Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama Top of the Lake Won
2018 Logie Awards Most Outstanding Actor Safe Harbour Nominated
2019 Australian Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Sweet Country Nominated
Equity Ensemble Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Miniseries Safe Harbour Nominated
Logie Awards Most Outstanding Supporting Actor Fighting Season Nominated
AACTA Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama Fighting Season Nominated
AACTA Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama The Cry Nominated
2020 New Zealand Film and Television Awards Best Supporting Actor The Luminaries Nominated
2020 AACTA Awards AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama Operation Buffalo Nominated

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References

  1. Waites, James (12 October 2007). "Riflemind | Sydney Theatre Company". Australian Stage. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  2. "Past nominees and winners". Helpmann Awards . Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  3. "2009". Sydney Theatre Awards . Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  4. Boland, Michaela (22 January 2009). "The War of the Roses – Part 1 and Part 2". Variety . Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  5. Croggon, Alison (3 May 2010). "This Richard III is one of the greats". The Australian . Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  6. Boland, Michaela (11 August 2011). "Hamlet too successful for Melbourne Theatre Company's own good". The Australian . Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  7. Woodhead, Cameron (23 February 2012). "The Wild Duck". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  8. Blake, Jason (11 August 2013). "Alive yet alone, Stoppard players shine together". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  9. Blake, Jason (24 September 2015). "Ivanov review: Entertaining Ewen Leslie brings dry Australian laughs to Russian tale of woe". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  10. Idato, Michael (22 August 2017). "Top of the Lake: China Girl is Nicole Kidman's finest hour". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  11. Martyn, Shona (4 February 2019). "Lunch with: The Cry actor Ewen Leslie". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  12. Knox, David (24 May 2024). "Airdate: Exposure | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  13. Knox, David (17 November 2023). "Airdate: Prosper | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  14. Writer, Staff. "Cast revealed for third season of award-winning anthology series, THE TWELVE: CAPE ROCK KILLER". Screenwest. Retrieved 10 December 2024.