David Wenham

David Wenham
Wenham at the premiere of the film The Turning at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival
Born	(1965-09-21) 21 September 1965 Marrickville, Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1987–present
Partner(s)	Kate Agnew (1994–present)

David Wenham (born 21 September 1965) is an Australian actor who has appeared in movies, television series and theatre productions. He is known in Hollywood for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Carl in Van Helsing, Dilios in 300 and its sequel 300: Rise of an Empire and Neil Fletcher in Australia. He is also known in his native Australia for his role as Diver Dan in SeaChange.

Early life

Wenham was born in Marrickville, Sydney, the son of Kath and Bill Wenham. He has five older sisters; Helen, Anne, Carmel, Kathryn, and Maree; and one older brother, Peter. He was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and attended Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham.^[1][2]

Career

Wenham started his career as an actor after graduating from Theatre Nepean at the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Performing Arts) in 1987.^[3] Wenham's television credits include several telemovies, such as his AFI award winning role in the 1996 telemovie Simone de Beauvoir's Babies; and his role as the outwardly laid back but deeply enigmatic diver Dan Della Bosca in the 1998 and 1999 seasons of the highly successful ABC television series SeaChange. His role as "Diver Dan" has made the actor something of a sex symbol, although he dislikes thinking of himself as such,^[4] and he has been voted Australia's "sexiest man alive".^[5] A portrait of Wenham by artist Adam Cullen won the Archibald Prize in 2000.^[6][7] Wenham is signed to Storm Model Management in London.^[8]

Australian films Wenham has starred in include the critically acclaimed The Boys (1998) based on the play of the same name premiered at Griffin Theatre Company and in turn based on the murder of Anita Cobby; Molokai (1999), based on the life of Father Damien; The Bank (2001); Gettin' Square (2003); Stiff (2004); The Brush Off (2004) and Three Dollars (2005). Wenham has periodically appeared in Hollywood films; he is known for playing Faramir, son of Denethor II, in New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

He was also seen in Van Helsing playing Hugh Jackman's sidekick, Friar Carl. His character, Dilios, narrated and appeared in the movie 300. Minor roles of Wenham's in overseas films include in The Crocodile Hunter as a park ranger, and briefly in Moulin Rouge! as Audrey. Wenham stars in the music video for Alex Lloyd's single "Brand New Day". In 2008's Australia, he reunited with Hugh Jackman playing antagonist Neil Fletcher who seeks to acquire the ranch Jackman's character is employed with.

In both Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and 300, Wenham's character is the sole survivor returned from an ill-fated battle (the Battle at Osgiliath and the Battle of Thermopylae, respectively). He reprises his role of Dilios in the videogame 300: March to Glory for Sony PlayStation Portable, which contains a substantial amount of new dialogue.

In 2009 he again took to the stage, this time as the lead actor, Jerry Springer, in the British musical Jerry Springer: The Opera. During its 6-day run at the Sydney Opera House he played in sold-out performances alongside ARIA award winning singer Kate Miller-Heidke.

In 2010, Wenham starred as the disgraced Melbourne lawyer Andrew Fraser in the Australian TV series Killing Time. This ten-part series shows Fraser's fall from grace as he defends many Melbourne criminals during the 1980s and 1990s. It was shown on TV1 in late 2011.

Wenham plays New Zealand detective Al Parker^[9] alongside Elisabeth Moss^[10] in the 2013 BBC series Top of the Lake.

In 2013, Wenham returned to the stage to play the lead role of John Proctor, in the Melbourne Theatre Company's mid-year production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible.

In 2014, Wenham started as Patrick, in Paper Planes to released in 15 January 2015. In 2015, Wenham voiced the role Jacko a frilled-neck lizard, in Blinky Bill the Movie.

Personal life

He has two daughters, Eliza Jane and Millie, with his longtime girlfriend, Kate Agnew.^[11]

Wenham read a poem by Rupert McCall at the memorial service for Steve Irwin. The poem was entitled "The Crocodiles are Crying".^[12]

Wenham is a Sydney Swans supporter.^[13]

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

• Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actor in Television Drama for Simone de Beauvoir's Babies (1997) – winner^[15]
• Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actor in Television Drama for Answered by Fire (2006) – winner^[15]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Wenham.

• David Wenham at the Internet Movie Database
• Urban Cinefile