Hal Cumpston

Last updated
Hal “Big Heavy” Cumpston
Born (1999-05-29) May 29, 1999 (age 25)
Sydney, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Other namesBig Heavy
Alma mater Waverley College
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, producer
Years active2018–present
AgentCatherine Poulton Management
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Father Jeremy Cumpston
Relatives Nici Cumpston (aunt) Connor Grant (best pal)

Hal Cumpston is an Australian actor, producer and writer.

Contents

Early life

Cumpston grew up in Sydney and attended Waverley College where he was heavily involved in drama. [1] [2] Both of his parents work in the film Industry. [3] His father Jeremy Cumpston, is a doctor and a Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts graduate who founded the Old Fitzroy Theatre and has appeared in shows such as All Saints. [4] [1] [3] His mother Rachel Lane, is a nonfiction producer-director. [1] [3] Cumpston is of indigenous Australian Barkandji heritage through his father's maternal line. [5] [6]

In Cumpston's final year of school, he was shortlisted for "OnStage", which recognises excellence for high school drama performances. [7] Cumpston was also chosen as a state finalist in the highly competitive Australian Class Clowns stand up comedy competition. [2]

Career

After returning from Schoolies week, Cumpston wrote the screenplay for a teen comedy called "Bilched" that his father helped fund and direct. [8] [3] [1] His high school friends Ewen and James helped co-produce, and he called in his younger brothers and friends as part of the cast alongside bigger names like comedian Alex Williamson and Rhys Muldoon. [9] [10] [8] Cumpston wanted to make an Australian comedy teen movie because he felt there weren't any good ones. [10] [11] In three days he had written 34 pages and in less than a fortnight he had a first draft. [3] In 2018, the film was shot in 21 days in Sydney's eastern suburbs. [8] [12] In the following year Cumpston completed the post-production. [1] The plot follows protagonist Hal, who auditions for a drama school but is told his performance is not honest. [4] "Bilched" was Cumpston's first project and received a national release in Australia and at the 2019 Chelsea Film Festival, it won the award for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Fred Du Rietz) and the Grand Prix Best Feature Film. [4] [13] [3]

Three weeks after production on "Bilched" wrapped, Cumpston received his first American audition via an email that came from an American Talent Agency Industry Entertainment. [10] [3] He wasn't sure that it was real, but it turned out that actress Jenni Baird, had seen an article in a magazine featuring the Cumpston's and her partner, writer-director Michael Petroni, knew someone in an American casting office and put in a call. [3] Cumpston embodied the brief needed for Silas in The Walking Dead: World Beyond , and recorded a video audition that propelled him forward in the casting process. [1] [3] Eventually Cumpston won the role and portrays a teen making his way through an eerily familiar world changed forever by the outcome of a global pandemic. [1] [13] [3] Filming took place in Richmond, Virginia. [3]

In 2021, Cumpston played Zachary, the dead son of the Marconi family in the series Nine Perfect Strangers alongside Nicole Kidman, Asher Keddie and Melissa McCarthy. [14] The series is based on a Liane Moriarty book and centres around a group of people at a health retreat trying to find a path to a better life but are met with dilemmas. [14]

Cumpston is currently working on writing more comedy movies. [11] He is inspired by Seth Rogen, Quentin Tarantino and Evan Goldberg. [10]

In 2022, Cumpston was announced as part of the cast for SBS legal drama Safe Home in the role of Max Kerr. [15]

Filmography

Television Performances

YearTitleRoleNotes
2025 Going Dutch Corporal Elias PapadakisTV Series
2023Fairbairn in the CityTobyMini Series; 2 episodes
2023 The Artful Dodger Oliver TwistTV Series; 2 episodes
2023-2024Granny Flat ComedyHalTV Series; 3 episodes
2023 Safe Home Max KerrTV Series; 4 episodes
2020-21 The Walking Dead: World Beyond Silas PlaskettTV Series; 20 episodes
2021 Nine Perfect Strangers Zach MarconiTV Series; 5 episodes

Film Performances

YearTitleRoleNotes
2024Spin the BottleWestlin
2024 The Deb Mitch
2022Maddie's Red HotHalShort
2022The Greatest Ever Beer RunLeary
2019BlichedHal

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Griffiths</span> Australian actress (born 1968)

Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian actress. Raised primarily in Melbourne, she began her acting career appearing on the Australian series Secrets before being cast in a supporting role in the comedy Muriel's Wedding (1994), which earned her an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 1997, she was the lead in Nadia Tass's drama Amy. She had a role opposite Julia Roberts in the American romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), followed by her portrayal of Hilary du Pré in Hilary and Jackie (1998), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Rhys Muldoon is an Australian actor, writer and director who has worked extensively in film, television, music, theatre and radio. He has had leading and recurring roles in series such as Chances, The Genie from Down Under, Big Sky, The Secret Life of Us, Lockie Leonard and House Husbands. He was also a presenter on the popular children's series Play School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooke Satchwell</span> Australian actress

Brooke Kerith Satchwell is an Australian actress and former model.

Patrick Ward was an Australian actor noted for several performances on Australian television. He died from cancer on 14 October 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Morley</span> Australian actor (born 1984)

Robert Alfred "Bob" Morley is an Australian actor. He is known for his role as Bellamy Blake in The CW's The 100 (2014–2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Park (actress)</span> American actress, comedian (born 1997)

Sydney Park is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her roles as Cyndie in AMC's The Walking Dead, Gabby Phillips in Instant Mom, Caitlin Park-Lewis in Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists and Makani Young in the Netflix film There's Someone Inside Your House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susie Porter</span> Australian actress

Susie Porter is an Australian television, film and theatre actress. She made her debut in the 1996 film Idiot Box, before rising to prominence in films including Paradise Road (1997), Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), Two Hands (1999), Better Than Sex (2000), The Monkey's Mask (2000), Mullet (2001), Teesh and Trude (2002), and The Caterpillar Wish (2006). Porter is also highly recognised for her roles in television series, most notably, as Patricia Wright in East West 101, Eve Pritchard in East of Everything, as Kay Parker in Sisters of War, and as Marie Winter in the prison drama, Wentworth.

Jeremy Cumpston is an Australian doctor, actor and director, best known for his work as Connor Costello in Australian hospital drama All Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne Strahovski</span> Australian actress (born 1982)

Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski, known professionally as Yvonne Strahovski, is an Australian actress. She is known for roles as Sarah Walker in the spy comedy drama series Chuck (2007–2012), Hannah McKay in the drama series Dexter (2012–2013) and Kate Morgan in the event series 24: Live Another Day (2014). Strahovski stars as Serena Joy Waterford in the drama series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–present), for which she has received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Hany</span> Australian actor

Don Hany is an Australian film, television and stage actor.

Brandon Walters is an Indigenous Australian actor known for his performance as Nullah in the 2008 film Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Younes</span> Australian actor (born 1992)

Lincoln Younes is an Australian actor. He made his debut in an episode of City Homicide in 2009, before playing Romeo Kovac in Showcase drama series Tangle until 2012. He received the ASTRA Award for Most Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor for the role. From 2011 until 2014, Younes portrayed Casey Braxton in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. After leaving the serial, he went on to appear in two seasons of Love Child as Chris Vesty, as well as the miniseries Hiding. In 2019, Younes played main character Danny Garibaldi in American series Grand Hotel, which was cancelled after one season. He then joined the supporting cast of Doctor Doctor for its fifth and final season in 2021. The following year, Younes starred in After the Verdict, and began portraying John Ibrahim in the Paramount+ miniseries Last King of the Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Blair (director)</span> Indigenous Australian actor

Wayne Blair is an Australian writer, actor, and director. He was on both sides of the camera in Redfern Now, and directed the feature film The Sapphires. He played a prominent role in the 2021–2024 drama series Total Control.

Sachin Joab is an Australian actor. He took an interest in acting during primary school and attended various acting schools and workshops. Since graduating from the National Theatre, Joab has appeared in several films and television, including City Homicide, Rush, My Year Without Sex, 10 Terrorists, and Conspiracy 365. In 2011, Joab successfully auditioned for the recurring role of Ajay Kapoor in the soap opera Neighbours. He was later promoted to the main cast. Joab left the show in May 2013. The actor has since appeared in SBS miniseries Better Man, feature films Lion (2016) and Hotel Mumbai (2018), and television series Pine Gap, The Hunting, Upright, and Jack Irish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Eaton</span> Australian actress (born 1996)

Courtney Jane Eaton is an Australian actress. She began her career as a model before making her acting debut in the 2015 post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road. Eaton next starred in the fantasy action film Gods of Egypt (2016). Since 2021, she has appeared on the Showtime thriller drama series Yellowjackets. She also appeared in Parachute (2023).

Meyne Wyatt is an Aboriginal Australian actor, known for his stage, film, and television roles.

Tyler De Nawi is an Australian actor and human rights activist.

The Old Fitzroy Theatre is a pub theatre in Woolloomooloo in central Sydney, Australia.

<i>The Walking Dead: World Beyond</i> 2020 American television series

The Walking Dead: World Beyond is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television limited series created by Scott M. Gimple and Matthew Negrete that premiered on AMC on October 4, 2020. It is a spin-off series to The Walking Dead, which is based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, and is the third television series within The Walking Dead franchise. The first season consisted of 10 episodes. The second and final season premiered on October 3, 2021, and also consists of 10 episodes with the final episode airing on December 5, 2021. Matthew Negrete, who previously wrote for The Walking Dead, is the showrunner for the series.

<i>Nine Perfect Strangers</i> (TV series) 2021 American drama television series

Nine Perfect Strangers is an American drama television series based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty. Created by David E. Kelley who also developed the series alongside John-Henry Butterworth, starring Nicole Kidman and an ensemble cast, the series premiered on August 18, 2021, on Hulu.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Quinn, Karl (3 October 2020). "How a Sydney teen walked into a role on Amazon's Walking Dead spin-off". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Silas Character Bio | Played by | The Walking Dead: World Beyond | TWDU". universe-ap.cds.amcn.com. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Cockrell, Eddie (2021). "Unknown Aussie TV star tames The Walking Dead".
  4. 1 2 3 "Hal Cumpston jumps from his first Aussie feature to 'The Walking Dead'". IF Magazine. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  5. ↑ Steed, Words Suzie Keen | Main photo Saul (10 July 2020). ""You can see something and it can look really beautiful, but what's the underlying story?"". SALIFE. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  6. ↑ SBS Australia - Indigenous teen makes coming-of-age film | Facebook , retrieved 27 September 2021
  7. ↑ "Hal Cumpston". CPMGT. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "Bilched review – coming-of-age teen dramedy with authentic attitude". the Guardian. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "Bilched". FilmInk. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Here to Party". Issuu. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Hal Cumpston on joining the Walking Dead universe in 'World Beyond' - Exclusive Interview". Courageous Nerd. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "Bilched". www.shanekavanagh.net. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  13. 1 2 Valentine, Claire (9 October 2020). "Hal Cumpston On Playing Silas In The Eerily Timed 'Walking Dead: World Beyond'". Nylon. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  14. 1 2 Petski, Denise (22 October 2020). "Elizabeth Mitchell Joins 'Outer Banks'; 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Casts Hal Cumpston". Deadline. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  15. ↑ Knox, David (19 July 2022). "Filming underway on Safe Home for SBS | TV Tonight". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.