Ewen Leslie

Ewen Leslie
Ewen Leslie
Born	27 July 1980 (age 44); Fremantle
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1993–present

Ewen Leslie (born 27 July 1980) is an Australian stage, film and television actor.

Early life

He was born in Fremantle and attended South Terrace Elementary School. He gained a scholarship to study theatre at John Curtin College of the Arts and at age 12 was cast in the TV series Ship to Shore after his mum saw an ad in the newspaper calling for auditions. He was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts straight out of high school and graduated in 2000.

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 was offered a place in the STC Actors Company by Robyn Nevin, and in 2009 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 award-winning production of Ivanov.^[9]

Film and television

His first break came when he was cast as the lead role in Jewboy,^[10] a film that screened at the Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival for which he was nominated for an AACTA Award. He spent the next few years doing short films with David Michod, Garth Davis, Leon Ford, Luke Doolan, Ben Briand and appearing in various TV shows. In 2008 he played one of the leads in Matthew Newton's Three Blind Mice^[11] which won the FIPRESCI International Critics Award at the London Film Festival.

In 2011 he played an alcoholic shut-in named Birdmann in Julia Leigh's Sleeping Beauty which played in Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.^[12] That same year he was cast as the lead role in Dead Europe,^[13] a film directed by Tony Krawitz and based on Christos Tsiolkas' novel of the same name. He received AACTA Award, FCCA Award and Australian Film Critics Association nominations for his work in the film.

Following this he played barrister Bryan Keon-Cohen in Mabo, journalist Matt Peacock in Devil's Dust and Detective Les Paris in The Mule. In 2015 he played Keith Murdoch in Deadline Gallipoli, then played the role of devoted father Oliver in Simon Stone's film The Daughter for which he was nominated for AACTA, FCCA and AFCA awards.

In 2017 he will play a key role in the second season of Top of the Lake opposite Elizabeth Moss, Nicole Kidman and Alice Englert. He will also appear in Warwick Thornton's film Sweet Country, Pricilla Cameron's The Butterfly Tree and Jennifer Kent's The Nightingale.

Credits

Feature films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2018	The Nightingale	Goodwin
2017	Sweet Country	Harry March
2017	The Butterfly Tree	Al
2015	The Daughter	Oliver Finch	Nominated - AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated - Film Critics Circle of Australia Award Best Actor Nominated - Australian Film Critics Association Best Actor
2014	The Mule	Les Paris
2013	The Railway Man	Thompson
2012	Dead Europe	Isaac	Nominated - Film Critics Circle of Australia Award Best Actor Nominated - Australian Film Critics Association Best Actor Nominated - AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
2011	Sleeping Beauty	Birdmann
2008	Three Blind Mice	Sam
2006	Kokoda	Wilstead
2005	Jewboy	Yuri	Nominated - AACTA Award for Best Achievement in Craft in a Non-Feature Nominated - Movie Extra Filmink Awards - Best Australian Newcomer
1998	Justice	Bully #1

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2018	Fighting Season	Ted
2018	Safe Harbour	Ryan
2017	Top of the Lake: China Girl	Pyke
2016	Rake	Bevan	3 Episodes
2016	Janet King	Patrick Bocarro	5 Episodes
2015	Deadline Gallipoli	Keith Murdoch
2014	Wonderland	Nick Deakin	8 Episodes
2013	Mr & Mrs Murder	Hugo	1 Episode: The Course Whisperer
2012	Redfern Now	Mr. Parish	2 Episodes: Stand Up & Pokies
2012	Devil's Dust	Matt Peacock	Won - Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Miniseries
2012	Mabo	Bryan Keon-Cohen	Nominated - Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Miniseries
2009	My Place	Mr Bracey	1 Episode
2007	Lockie Leonard	John East	7 Episodes
2006	Love My Way	Duc	8 Episodes
2003	All Saints	Tony Hunter	3 Episodes
2002	The Junction Boys	Luke Mason	TV Film
2001	Wild Kat	Morgan	13 Episodes
1997	The Gift	Bully #1	1 Episode
1996	Bush Patrol	Dave	1 Episode
1993	Ship to Shore	Guido	52 Episodes

Short films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2016	Face	James	Dir: Luke Tierney
2015	Death in Bloom	Mr. Crumples	Dir: Dael Oates
2013	Scene 16	Luka	Dir: Katie Wall
2012	Suspended	Dave	Dir: Damian Walshe-Howling
2009	Apricot	Marcel	Dir: Ben Briand
2008	Netherland Dwarf	Dad	Dir: David Michod
2007	Katoomba	Don	Dir: Leon Ford
2005	The Mechanicals	Toast Man	Dir: Leon Ford
2004	Sold Out	Punter	Dir: Luke Doolan

Theatre

Year	Production	Role	Director	Company	Notes
2015	Ivanov	Ivanov	Eamon Flack	Belvoir St Theatre	Nominated - Sydney Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role
2015	Thyestes	Atreus	Simon Stone	Belvoir St Theatre	Performed at Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers in Paris.
2013	Hamlet	Hamlet	Simon Stone	Belvoir St Theatre
2013	Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead	The Player	Simon Philips	Sydney Theatre Company	Nominated - Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play Nominated - Sydney Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated - Glug Award for Best Supporting Actor
2013	Cat on a Hot Tin Roof	Brick Pollitt	Simon Stone	Belvoir St Theatre
2011	Hamlet	Hamlet	Simon Phillips	Melbourne Theatre Company
2011	The Wild Duck	Hjalmar Ekdal	Simon Stone	Belvoir St Theatre	Nominated - Green Room Award for Best Male Actor Nominated - Sydney Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role
2010	The Trial	Josef K	Matthew Lutton	Malthouse Theatre/Sydney Theatre Company
2010	Richard III	Richard III	Simon Phillips	Melbourne Theatre Company	Winner - Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play Winner - Green Room Award for Best Male Actor
2009	The Promise	Marat	Simon Stone	Belvoir St Theatre
2009	The War of the Roses	Prince Hal/Henry V	Benedict Andrews	Sydney Theatre Company	Winner - Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play Winner - Sydney Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role
2008	Gallipoli	Billy Hughes/Atatürk	Nigel Jamieson	Sydney Theatre Company
2008	The Serpent's Teeth	Sam Lewis	Pamela Rabe and Tim Maddock	Sydney Theatre Company
2007	Riflemind	Lee	Philip Seymour Hoffman	Sydney Theatre Company
2007	Dead Caesar	Cassius	Tamara Cook	Sydney Theatre Company
2007	Paul	Yeshua	Wesley Enoch	Belvoir St Theatre
2005	Shakesperealism	Lewis	Tamara Cook	Tamarama Rock Surfers
2004	This Blasted Earth	Father/Scarlett	Leland Kean	Tamarama Rock Surfers
2004	Cross Sections	Aaron	Chris Mead	Tamarama Rock Surfers
2003	Chicks Will Dig You!	Seb	Tamara Cook	Belvoir St Theatre - Downstairs
2003	Woyzeck	Doctor	Leland Kean	Tamarama Rock Surfers
2002	Etta Jenks	James	Kim Hardwick	Darkinghurst Theatre Company

Awards and Nominations

Year	Category	Award	Production	Result
2017	Best Actor	Australian Film Critics Association	The Daughter	Nominated
2016	Best Actor	Film Critics Circle of Australia	The Daughter	Nominated
2016	AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role	6th AACTA Awards	The Daughter	Nominated
2015	Best Actor in a Lead Role	Sydney Theatre Awards	Ivanov (Belvoir)	Nominated
2014	AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role	3rd AACTA Awards	Dead Europe	Nominated
2014	Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play	Helpmann Awards	Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (STC)	Nominated
2014	Best Supporting Actor	Glug Awards		Nominated
2013	Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Sydney Theatre Awards		Nominated
2013	Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Miniseries	Equity Awards	Devil's Dust	Won
2013	Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Movie or Miniseries	Equity Awards	Mabo (TV film)	Nominated
2012	Best Male Actor	Green Room Awards	The Wild Duck (Malthouse Theatre)	Nominated
2012	Best Ensemble - Theatre Companies	Green Room Awards	The Wild Duck (Malthouse Theatre)	Nominated
2012	Best Actor	Film Critics Circle of Australia	Dead Europe	Nominated
2012	Best Actor	Australian Film Critics Association	Dead Europe	Nominated
2011	Best Actor in a Lead Role	Sydney Theatre Awards	The Wild Duck (Belvoir)	Nominated
2010	Best Male Actor	Green Room Awards	Richard III (MTC)	Won
2010	Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play	Helpmann Awards	Richard III (MTC)	Won
2009	Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play	Helpmann Awards	War of the Roses (STC)	Won
2009	Best Actor in a Lead Role	Sydney Theatre Awards	War of the Roses (STC)	Won
2006	Best Australian Newcomer	Movie Extra Filmink Awards	Jewboy	Nominated
2005	Outstanding Achievement in Craft in a Non-Feature	AFI Awards	Jewboy	Nominated

References

External links

Interviews

[1] ttp://www.australianstage.com.au/reviews/sydney/riflemind--sydney-theatre-company-756.html

[2] ttp://www.helpmannawards.com.au/2009/past-nominees-and-winners/theatre

[3] ttp://www.sydneytheatreawards.com/history/2009

[4] ttp://variety.com/2009/film/awards/the-war-of-the-roses-part-1-and-part-2-1200473138/amp/?client=safari

[5] ttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/arts-arc/this-richard-iii-is-one-of-the-greats/news-story/6e74e48ba07c702bb13da8023cff35d5

[6] ttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/hamlet-too-successful-for-melbourne-theatre-companys-own-good/news-story/e518b6bf8f9e12a1e721f882bc13a6df

[7] ttp://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/the-wild-duck-20120222-1to0k.html

[8] ttp://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/alive-yet-alone-stoppard-players-shine-together-20130811-2rppi.html

[9] ttp://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/stage/ivanov-review-20150924-gjttte.html

[10] ttp://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/jewboy-1200525696/

[11] ttp://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=16095&s=video_files

[12] ttps://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/may/12/cannes-film-festival-sleeping-beauty-review?client=safari

[13] ttp://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s3621561.htm

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