Helmut Bakaitis | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupation(s) | Director, actor, screenwriter |
Years active | 1964-present [1] |
Helmut Bakaitis (born 26 September 1944) is a German-born Australian director, actor and screenwriter and playwright. [1] He is best known for his role in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions as the character the Architect.
Bakaitis was born in Dresden [1] or Lauban, Lower Silesia, Germany (now Lubań, Poland), to Lithuanian parents, Vincas and Eugenia Bakaitis, who were fleeing Lithuania at the time. He spent his first five years in UN transit camps in Germany and Austria, while his father worked as a translator.
Bakaitis arrived in Australia with his family in 1950 at the age of six. They initially lived in immigration centres. His father, an academic, hoped to become a teacher or lecturer, but was forced to dig sewers to support the family. Bakaitis was educated at Fort Street High School, Sydney, where he had earned a scholarship. Bullied at school, he immersed himself in books, language, film and the performing arts. He formed a drama group and performed in amd directed school productions, and eventually began to write plays. He left home at 16, and worked as a stenographer while still studying.
Bakaitis won a scholarship to the National Institute for Dramatic Art (NIDA). While there, he formed his own theatre company together with a group of fellow students, including Jim Sharman. NIDA supported the student initiative and toured one of the productions. Before Bakaitis had graduated (in 1965), he was offered his first professional acting role at the Theatre Royal in Hobart. [2] [3]
Bakaitis spent seven years with the Melbourne Theatre Company as an actor and head of the youth workshops, followed by stints with the Old Tote Theatre, the Sydney Theatre Company. and as co-director of Adelaide's Come Out Youth Festival. He subsequently studied a post-graduate diploma in Drama and Education at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and established youth programs in inner London. [4]
On his return to Melbourne, he became founding artistic director of St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Melbourne, where he worked for 5 years, then the Director of the New Moon Company in Cairns for 3 years. Back in Sydney he became Director of Penrith's Q Theatre for 7 years, [4] followed by Head of Directing at NIDA for nine years until 2007. [5] He then started teaching directing at Australian Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA), [6] [7] now the Australian Institute of Music – Dramatic Arts (AIMDA).
Year | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | Stork | Clyde | Feature film |
1972 | Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens | Harold | Feature film |
1985 | I Can't Get Started | Sidney | TV film |
2000 | Drama School | Himself | |
2001 | The Farm | Judge Wescott | |
2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | The Architect | Feature film |
The Matrix Revolutions | Feature film | ||
Syntax Error | Doctor | Short film | |
2005 | The Illustrated Family Doctor | John | Feature film |
2006 | Happy Feet | Live Action Cast | Feature film |
2009 | Lucky Country | Connolly | Feature film |
2015 | Truth | Dick Thornburgh | Feature film |
Crushed | Sgt O'Reilly | ||
2016 | Hacksaw Ridge | Minister | Feature film |
2018 | Jack Irish | Thornton Finch | TV film |
Year | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
1967–70 | Homicide | Larry Fenton / Tommy Fraser / Don Lambton | TV series, 3 episodes "Taken Care Of", "Dead Shot", "The Living Death" |
1987 | Melba | John Lemonne | TV miniseries |
1988 | Home and Away | George Morris | TV series |
1996 | Police Rescue | Dr. Mayfield | TV series, episode: "Nobby's Place" |
1997–99 | Home and Away | Peter Fraser | TV series |
1998 | A Difficult Woman | Chancellor #2 | TV miniseries |
2003 | All Saints | Salvator Forlano | TV series, 3 episodes: "To Forgive, Divine", "Wrong Call", "Older and Wiser" |
2005 | The Surgeon | Dr. Gearhardt | TV series |
2009 | Satisfaction | Marty Volkering | TV series |
2012 | Howzat! Kerry Packer's War | Bob Parish | TV miniseries |
2016 | Rake | Judge Barton | TV series |
Year | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens | Screenwriter | Feature film |
Year | Title | Role | Company / venues |
---|---|---|---|
1966, 1968 | Pageant of Love Tree | Playwright | Russell Street Theatre, Victorian Country Tour |
1968 | The Titillators | Director / playwright | La Mama Theatre |
1969 | The Little Lady Steps Out | Playwright | La Mama Theatre |
1970 | Mutants | Playwright | Sydney |
1971–72, 1975 | The Incredible Mind-Blowing Trial of Jack Smith | Playwright | Melbourne, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne, Traralgon, Playhouse Adelaide, Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator, Ipswich |
1972 | Shadows of Blood | Playwright | Nimrod Street Theatre |
1974 | The One Show | Devisor / director | Carclew Stables, Adelaide |
1975 | The Lay of Sir Orfeo | Devisor / director | Space Theatre, Adelaide |
1975–76 | Carlota and Maximilian | Director / playwright | Melbourne, Space Theatre Adelaide |
1976 | Le Chateau d'Hydro-Therapie Magnetique | Playwright | Jane Street Theatre |
1979 | The Sensational South Yarra Show | Playwright / director | St Martins Youth Arts Centre |
1980 | The Two Fiddlers | Director | Scott Theatre, Adelaide |
1980 | Cain's Hand | Director | Scott Theatre, Adelaide, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Nimrod Upstairs |
1981 | A Sign in Space | Playwright | Theatre 62, Adelaide |
1981 | When Lips Collide | Director / lyricist | Playbox Theatre, Melbourne |
1982 | Sweaty Weather | Director | St Martins Youth Arts Centre |
1983 | The Incredible Mind-Blowing Trial of Jack Smith | Writer | St Michael's College, Adelaide |
1983 | Spring Awakening | Director | St Martins Youth Arts Centre |
1983 | La Dispute | Adaptor | St Martins Theatre |
1983 | Snuff Bingo | Director | St Martins Theatre |
1984 | Beach Blanket Tempest | Director | Townsville, Cairns Civic Theatre, Theatre Royal Mackay, Rockhampton, Mt Isa, Araluen Arts Centre, Playhouse Adelaide, Canberra Theatre, University of Sydney with New Moon Company |
1984 | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | Director | North Queensland tour with New Moon Company |
1984 | Key Largo | Director | North Queensland tour with New Moon Company |
1985 | Guys and Dolls | Director | North Queensland tour with New Moon Company |
1985 | On Our Selection | Director | North Queensland tour with New Moon Company |
1985 | Trumpets and Raspberries | Director | North Queensland tour with New Moon Company |
1997 | Mistletoe Magic | Director / playwright | Sydney Opera House |
1988 | A Different Drummer | Director | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane |
1990 | Operation Holy Mountain | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1990 | The Government Investigator | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1990 | Rome Tremble – Crumbs from a Feast of Callas | Director | Wharf Theatre |
1990 | Beach Blanket Tempest | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1991 | The Christian Brothers | Director | Ensemble Theatre, Q Theatre Penrith, University of Newcastle [11] |
1991 | The Caretaker | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1991 | The Killing of Sister George | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1991 | Kenny's Coming Home | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1992 | Better Known as Bee | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1992 | Lipstick Dreams | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1993 | Daylight Saving | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1993 | Wet and Dry | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1993 | Lumps | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1994 | A Winning Day | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1995 | Chair in a Landscape | Director | Q Theatre, Penrith |
1996 | Working: A Musical | Director | Glen Street Theatre |
1998 | The Curse of the House of Atreus | Director | NIDA Theatre |
1999 | Le Legs et La Dispute | Director | NIDA Theatre |
1999 | The Telephone / Wolfboy / The Post Office / The White Room | Producer | NIDA Theatre |
1999 | Meadowlark, Excerpts from The Baker's Wife / Dracula / Action | Producer | NIDA Theatre |
1999 | Glory | Director | NIDA Theatre |
2000 | The Ugly Man | Director | NIDA Theatre |
2000 | Variety, Vaudeville & Basic Burlesque | Director (Australian Vaudeville) | NIDA Theatre |
2001 | Titus Andronicus | Director | NIDA Theatre |
2001 | Goodnight Children Everywhere | Director | NIDA Theatre |
2003 | Antigone | Director | Parade Theatre |
2005 | Too Young for Ghosts | Director | NIDA |
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