Leon Ford

Last updated

Leon Willem Ford
Born (1974-12-17) 17 December 1974 (age 49)
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s) Actor
Director
Writer
Author
Known for The Cooks
Changi
The Pacific
The Great Raid
Ten Pound Poms
Elvis
Partner Alice Bell

Leon Ford is an Australian actor who has appeared in many television and theatre productions. [1] He is best known for his roles in the television series The Cooks , Changi and the telemovie Stepfather of the Bride.

Contents

Early life

Ford attended Telopea Park School and Narrabundah College in Canberra, Australia.

Career

Film & television

Ford portrayed 1st Lieutenant Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones in the Emmy award-winning HBO miniseries The Pacific, which follows the story of World War II Marines through different battles of the Pacific theater of war.

He has also appeared in many other television series and films including All Saints , East West 101 and McLeod's Daughters , the 2005 movie The Great Raid and voiced a character in the 2008 stop motion animated movie $9.99 . He recently appeared in the joint BBC and Stan production Ten Pound Poms and Baz Luhrmann's feature film Elvis.

Stage

Stage roles include playing pious charlatan Tartuffe in the 2014 Bell Shakespeare version of Tartuffe, based on the French play originally written by Molière.

Directing/writing

In addition to acting, Ford is both a director and screenwriter. In 2010, Ford notably wrote and directed the movie Griff the Invisible , starring Ryan Kwanten as a man who is bullied by his coworkers during the day, but a superhero by night. The film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it was well received by audiences and critics. Ford attended Binger Filmlab in 2008, where he developed short film The Mechanicals. [2]

Author

Ford is also an accomplished author. In 2009, penned "What Doesn't Kill You", the story of a man waking up to find that, instead of the ideal life he'd been living, everything has gone horribly wrong overnight. He wakes up in the wrong house, his wife doesn't love him anymore, he no longer has a job, one of his friends betrayed him in the worst possible way and his car exploded.

Filmography

Television

YearTitleCreditNotes
1996 Water Rats First Probationer1 episode
2001 Changi as Young Bill DwyerMiniseries, 6 episodes
2001/08 All Saints Ian Neal / Patrick Foster2 episodes
2002 Young Lions Josef Pozinak1 episode
2002 McLeod's Daughters Mick Woodland1 episode
2002 BackBerner Blair Fife1 episode
2004-05 The Cooks Dishpig13 episodes
2005 The Great Raid American POW at PalawanMiniseries
2005 Hex Max Risen2 episodes
2006 Tsunami: The Aftermath Joe MeddlerMiniseries, 2 episodes
2007 East West 101 John Duff1 episode
2009 My Place Vernon1 episode
2010 The Pacific 1st Lt. Edward 'Hillbilly' JonesMiniseries. 3 episodes
2012Monday Bites
2013 Offspring Dean1 episode
2014 The Moodys GavinMiniseries, 1 episode
2012-14 Puberty Blues Mr Candy8 episodes
2014 ANZAC Girls Major John Prior3 episodes
2014 Devil's Playground Brother WarrenMiniseries, 6 episodes
2015 House of Hancock Alan Camp1 episode
2015 Gallipoli Charles Bean Miniseries, 7 episodes
2017-19 The Letdown Ruben11 episodes
2022 God's Favourite Idiot Reverend Milton Throp6 episodes
2023 Ten Pound Poms Bill Anderson6 episodes

Film

YearTitleCreditNotes
2004 Lost Things GaryFeature film
2004 Go Big Lars FosterTV movie
2006The Last ChipCroupier CraigShort film
2006GlitchNortonShort film
2006Stepfather of the BrideLachlanTV movie
2008 Emerald Falls Callum PetersonTV movie
2008 $9.99 Stanton (voice)Animated feature film
2010 Beneath Hill 60 Lieutenant Robert ClaytonFeature film
2012 The Great Raid American POW at PalawanTV movie
2012 Mabo Henry Reynolds TV movie
2012 Julian Mr BraybonShort film
2013Things We Do For LoveEvanShort film
2015 Ruben Guthrie DimitriFeature film
2016 Comedy Showroom: The Letdown RubenTV movie
2016 The Light Between Oceans Franz Johannes RoennfeldtFeature film
2020 Rams De VriesFeature film
2022 Elvis Tom DiskinFeature film

Writing/directing

Television

YearTitleCreditNotes
2003 Life Support Writer4 episodes
2010-11 Rush Writer3 episodes
2012Monday BitesWriter/director
2012 House Husbands WriterSeason 1, episode 8
2012-17 Offspring Writer10 episodes
2015 No Activity Writer1 episode
2018 Squinters WriterMiniseries, 6 episodes
2018 Wanted Writer1 episode
2019-20 Upright Creator/writer8 episodes
2021-23 Love Me Writer/producerMiniseries, 4 episodes

Film

YearTitleCreditNotes
1999The Big DateWriter/director/producerShort film
2005The MechanicalsWriter/directorShort film
2006GlitchWriter/directorShort film
2007KatoombaWriter/directorShort film
2010 Griff the Invisible Writer/directorFeature film
2016Young LaborDirector/editorShort film
2023 The Portable Door WriterFeature film

Stage

YearTitleRoleType
1998–99 Henry IV, Parts I & II Gloucester / Mouldy Boy / Messenger / Servant Athenaeum Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra with Bell Shakespeare
1999Interactive World Theatre Ensemble Theatre
2000 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander National tour with Bell Shakespeare
2001 The Coming of Stork Tony Stables Theatre with Naked Theatre Company
2002The Soldier's TaleSoldier Bell Shakespeare
2002 Hippolytus Hippolytus Government House Ballroom, Sydney with Bell Shakespeare
2002 The Credeaux Canvas Winston Stables Theatre, Sydney
2002ProgressOliver Old Fitzroy Theatre
2002 Presence Jake Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company
2003 Hamlet HamletAustralian tour with Bell Shakespeare
2004Noir Darlinghurst Theatre
2005Top Shorts Old Fitzroy Theatre
2006Shakespearealism (as part of Plays: By Himself - Three Short Plays by Josh Lawson)Ralph Old Fitzroy Theatre with Tamarama Rock Surfers Theatre Company / Naked Theatre Company
2007 Dead Caesar Cicero Wharf 2 Theatre with Push Productions
2008The Credeaux CanvasWinston Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company
2012 Old Man Daniel Belvoir Theatre Company
2013 Constellations RolandFairfax Studio, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company
2014 Tartuffe Tartuffe Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
2014 Private Lives Elyot Chase Southbank Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
2016 A Flea in Her Ear Etienne / Olympe Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
2016Double IndemnityWalter Huff Playhouse Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company
2017 The Rover Colonel Belville Belvoir Street Theatre
2018 An Enemy of the People Mayor Peter Stockmann Belvoir Theatre Company
2022 Snugglepot & Cuddlepie Mr Lizard Adelaide Festival Centre with Canute Productions / New England Theatre Company
2023 A Little Night Music Frederick Egerman Hayes Theatre Co
unknown Rope PhilipMarama Cabin Crew
unknown Macbeth Macduff / Lennox Melbourne Theatre Company

[3] [4]

Awards and nominations

YearNominated workAwardCategoryResult
2003 Hamlet Green Room Awards Best Male Actor in a Leading RoleNominated
2006The Mechanicals St. Kilda Film Festival Best Short Film (Comedy)Won
2007Katoomba Sydney Film Festival Best Australian Short Film (Dendy Award)Won
2007Katoomba AFI Awards Best Screenplay in a Short FilmNominated
2008Katoomba St. Kilda Film Festival Best FilmWon
2008Katoomba St. Kilda Film Festival Best DirectorWon
2008 IF Awards Best Rising TalentWon
2011 Griff the Invisible Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival Best Feature FilmNominated
2012 Griff the Invisible AACTA Awards Best Original Screenplay Won
2015 Offspring (episode 5.10) AWGIE Awards Best Television SeriesNominated
2019Day Six AWGIE Awards Comedy Award — Situation or NarrativeNominated
2020 Upright (episode) AWGIE Awards Best Situation or Narrative Comedy ScreenplayNominated
2020 Upright AACTA Awards Best Television Comedy Series Won
2022Love Me AACTA Awards Best Television Drama Series Nominated
2022Love Me Logie Awards Logie Award for Most Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2022Love Me Logie Awards Most Popular Drama Program Nominated
2023 Elvis CinEuphoria AwardsBest Ensemble - International CompetitionNominated

[5]

Personal life

Ford first met his wife Alice Bell at the Old Fitzroy Hotel in 2006 while appearing in Josh Lawson’s play Shakespearealism. Alice wrote a part for him in Puberty Blues .

Ford moved from Sydney to Los Angeles in 2018 with his wife and their three children, in order for Alice to work on The Expats , a U.S. series she was the writer and creator of (produced by Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films). [6]

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References

  1. "Suicidal from the outset, this Hamlet will be a troubled youth". 4 March 2003.
  2. "Binger Filmlab". Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  3. https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/238512
  4. https://markhamfroggattandirwin-cdn-1.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/13105839/Leon-Ford-CV-1.pdf
  5. https://markhamfroggattandirwin-cdn-1.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/13105839/Leon-Ford-CV-1.pdf
  6. https://if.com.au/leon-ford-takes-a-break-after-the-letdown-upright-and-rams/