Who knew that a crocodile-wrestling, pub-crawling denizen of Australia’s Outback would have such an influence on Hollywood?
When Paul Hogan created the character Crocodile Dundee in 1986, many Americans got a glimpse of Australian culture for the first time. Hogan’s fish-out-of-water tale–croc poacher Dundee leaves the comforts of the wilderness to rough it in New York City with a reporter played by Linda Kozlowski–was a major box-office success and led to two sequels. But more important, it piqued interest in the Land Down Under.
“It made Americans look at Australia differently,” says Jane Smith, chief executive of the New South Wales Film and Television Office in Sydney. “It put Australia on the map.”
Right around that time, another Australian (by way of Westchester County) was making the first of several movies that would turn him into an action-hero icon in the U.S. Already a cult fave for his “Mad Max” movies, Mel Gibson scored big-time success with his first “Lethal Weapon” movie in 1987.
Soon, others–Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts–followed. They and others now are among the hottest–and busiest–actors in Hollywood.
Two new films, “Ned Kelly” with Heath Ledger and Watts, and “Dogville,” starring Kidman, are among several coming movies featuring Australian actors.
So what’s behind the big surge?
“In the 1970s, state and federal government put a lot of money into creating a range of institutions around the film industry,” Smith says.
One of those organizations was the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney, which has an alum list that even Harvard would envy. Gibson, Rush, Cate Blanchett, Judy Davis and Hugo Weaving all studied there. (Watts, one of this year’s best actress Oscar nominees, reportedly was rejected when she applied there early in her career).
Of course, Australia’s ability to breed talented actors simply could be something in the water. After all, an island (New Zealand) just east of Australia was the site for one of the greatest trilogies (“The Lord of the Rings”) in Hollywood history.
Cate Blanchett
Upcoming projects: Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator” (opening this fall) and Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic” with Bill Murray.
Toni Collette
Upcoming project: “Connie and Carla” (opening April 16), in which Collette and Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) are two dinner-theater performers on the run after witnessing a mob hit.
Russell Crowe
Upcoming project: “Cinderella Man” (opening next spring), in which Crowe plays a Depression-era boxer fighting to feed his wife (Renee Zellweger) and kids and ends up in the fight of a lifetime.
Mel Gibson
Current project: Some doubted he would work again in Hollywood after his film, “The Passion of the Christ,” raised a ruckus. But given its success, he probably won’t have a problem getting in front of or behind the camera again.
Hugh Jackman
Upcoming project: “Van Helsing” (opening May 7), in which Jackman plays a 19th Century hunter. His prey? Monsters–Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man. Jackman is currently on Broadway in “The Boy From Oz.”
Heath Ledger
Current project: “Ned Kelly” (which opened in select cities, not including Chicago, last week), in which Ledger plays the title role, based on the true story of Australia’s infamous outlaw and his Kelly Gang, who went on a robbery spree in the late 1870s.
Nicole Kidman
Upcoming project: “Dogville” (opening in Chicago on April 9). The premise is simple enough: A woman (Kidman) hiding out in a small town also is hiding a secret. But with director Lars Von Trier (“Dancer in the Dark”), nothing is ever simple.
Guy Pearce
Upcoming project: “Two Brothers” (opening this summer). The title refers to a pair of tiger cubs that get separated and grow up among humans; one raised by a boy, the other by a hunter played by Pearce. The inevitable reunion is the crux of this animal tale.
Naomi Watts
Upcoming projects: In addition to “Ned Kelly,” Watts will appear in “I Heart Huckabee’s,” a comedy starring Jude Law, and “Stay,” a psychological thriller featuring Ewan McGregor, both set for release this year. Two other films, “We Don’t Live Here Anymore,” and “The Assassination of Richard Nixon,” are in the can. She’s also set to appear in “The Ring 2.” Speaking of rings, “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson has offered Watts the lead in his remake of “King Kong.”
———-
Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)
