Alex O'Loughlin
Encyclopedia
Alex O'Loughlin is an Australian actor, currently starring in CBS
's Hawaii Five-0 as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. His best known earlier roles include Kevin Hiatt
in The Shield
, Mick St. John in Moonlight
, Dr. Andy Yablonski in Three Rivers
, and Stan in The Back-up Plan
. He is also the current ambassador for Donate Life America
.
and astronomy
teacher in Sydney and his mother is a nurse. His parents got divorced when he was two years old and this was particularly hard on him growing up. He suffered from asthma
, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). As a boy he wanted to become a jet fighter pilot when he grew up, but was told by his teacher that it was an unlikely dream as he suffers from asthma; this was a painful memory for him that recently evoked the response, “Always teach children to reach for the stars.” He was a fan of heavy metal music
and Monkey
. Playing dress up with items out of an old trunk was a favorite pastime for young Alex. He has fond memories of often donning a white clown suit with big red polka dots. School was a continuous struggle, caused by learning difficulties that were compounded by ADHD and OCD, and he left when he was 14, after which he held all manner of jobs in a wide range of fields.
He enrolled at the National Institute of Dramatic Art
(NIDA) in Sydney, Australia, in 1999. Despite a challenging first year, he went on to graduate from NIDA in June 2002, after completing their highly competitive three-year, full-time Bachelor of Dramatic Art program, to which only a limited number of students are accepted annually.
.
His film career started off in 2004 when he landed his first lead role in Oyster Farmer
. Continuing his career O'Loughlin appeared in Man-Thing
, Feed
, and in the Australian mini-series The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
for which he received a nomination as the Best Lead Actor in Television from the Australian Film Institute Awards
in 2005 and as Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series from the Logie Award
s in 2006. O'Loughlin joined the cast of The Shield
in 2007 as Detective Kevin Hiatt
, the newest member of the strike team.
In 2005, he screen-tested
for the movie role of James Bond
. As he told one interviewer: "I met with [director] Martin Campbell
here in Los Angeles at his office on the Sony [Pictures] lot and he asked me to fly to London and test and we tested at Pinewood
[Studios]. It was the biggest screen test I've ever done. It was very comprehensive. I had tuxedos and suits cut for it and hair cuts." Alex also performed alongside actor Justin Chatwin in the 2007 film The Invisible
. He portrayed Marcus, the boyfriend and partner in crime of Annie Newton, boosting and stealing cars.
He left The Shield after he won the lead role on the CBS
series Moonlight
, where he played private investigator and vampire
Mick St. John. The filming of Moonlight was interrupted by the Hollywood writers strike. There was speculation that the series would be dropped but fan pressure prevailed and the show was given four additional episodes to try to regain its audience share. Despite being the highest rated show in its Friday evening slot (consistently achieving over 7 million viewers), CBS did not commission a second season. After its cancellation, a fan-based charity campaign to win a second-season renewal for Moonlight by holding blood drive
s proved unsuccessful.
In August 2008, it was announced that CBS had signed a talent development deal with O'Loughlin as the star of a TV series to be developed by writer Mark Gordon
, but it never materialised. However, he was subsequently cast in the lead role of the new CBS hospital drama Three Rivers
, developed by producer Carol Barbee
, which aired Sunday evenings in the 2009–2010 season. In April 2009, he guest-starred in an episode of Criminal Minds
as a serial killer who asks the BAU for help. In December 2009 CBS pulled Three Rivers from its schedule. O'Loughlin recently starred alongside Jennifer Lopez
in the 2010 romantic comedy film
The Back-up Plan
.
In February 2010, it was announced that O'Loughlin was cast in the CBS remake of Hawaii Five-0 portraying Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Steve McGarrett, which premièred on 20 September 2010, and has been one of CBS's most successful new shows of the 2010–2011 season. Hawaii Five-0 won "Favorite New TV Drama" at the 2010–11 People's Choice Awards
.
, California, but while filming Hawaii Five-0 has a home in Honolulu, Hawaii. His son, Saxon, was born when Alex was 20-years-old. He and his son's mother split and Saxon resides in Australia with his mother but visits O'Loughlin frequently in the US.
He split from long-time girlfriend, the Australian actress/singer Holly Valance
in February 2009. He said to TV Guide, "I’m more like one of those jack-of-all-trades, master of nothing."
In November 2011 at the GQ Australia Awards, he confirmed he is dating Hawaiian professional surfer and model Malia Jones
.
He is quoted as saying about Malia: ‘I am a very lucky guy and very happy at the moment. She's amazing.’ .
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Hawaii Five-0 as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. His best known earlier roles include Kevin Hiatt
Kevin Hiatt
Detective Kevin Hiatt, played by Alex O'Loughlin, is a fictional detective on the FX drama The Shield.-Background:Hiatt was originally an INS agent who spent four years on the Mexican border before joining the LAPD, where he was regarded as a rising star within the force...
in The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
, Mick St. John in Moonlight
Moonlight (TV series)
Moonlight was an American paranormal romance television drama created by Ron Koslow and Trevor Munson, who was also executive producer for all episodes with Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio, Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman. The series follows private investigator Mick St...
, Dr. Andy Yablonski in Three Rivers
Three Rivers (TV series)
Three Rivers is a medical drama, which premiered on CBS on October 4, 2009 and aired Sundays at 9 pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time. The series was set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at a fictional hospital specializing in transplants, with Alex O'Loughlin starring as a famous transplant surgeon...
, and Stan in The Back-up Plan
The Back-Up Plan
The Back-up Plan is a 2010 romantic comedy film, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin. It was released theatrically in the U.S. on April 23, 2010, and later in other regions...
. He is also the current ambassador for Donate Life America
Donate Life America
Donate Life America, founded in 1992 as the Coalition on Donation, is a nonprofit alliance of national organizations and local coalitions in the United States dedicated to educating the public about organ, eye and tissue donation. Donate Life America is composed of national organizations and 47...
.
Early life
O'Loughlin was born in Canberra, Australia. He is of Irish and Scottish descent. He was educated at Macquarie Primary School with his sister Jacqui who is a year or two younger than him. His year of birth has been given, variously, as 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978. His father is a physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
teacher in Sydney and his mother is a nurse. His parents got divorced when he was two years old and this was particularly hard on him growing up. He suffered from asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). As a boy he wanted to become a jet fighter pilot when he grew up, but was told by his teacher that it was an unlikely dream as he suffers from asthma; this was a painful memory for him that recently evoked the response, “Always teach children to reach for the stars.” He was a fan of heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and Monkey
Monkey (TV series)
Monkey is the dubbed English language version of the Japanese television series , based on the classic sixteenth century Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. It was originally produced by Nippon Television and International Television Films in association with NHK.The series ran for...
. Playing dress up with items out of an old trunk was a favorite pastime for young Alex. He has fond memories of often donning a white clown suit with big red polka dots. School was a continuous struggle, caused by learning difficulties that were compounded by ADHD and OCD, and he left when he was 14, after which he held all manner of jobs in a wide range of fields.
He enrolled at the National Institute of Dramatic Art
National Institute of Dramatic Art
The National Institute of Dramatic Art is an Australian national training institute for students of theatre, film, and television, based in the Sydney suburb of Kensington. It is supported by the federal Office for the Arts, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. NIDA is located adjacent...
(NIDA) in Sydney, Australia, in 1999. Despite a challenging first year, he went on to graduate from NIDA in June 2002, after completing their highly competitive three-year, full-time Bachelor of Dramatic Art program, to which only a limited number of students are accepted annually.
Career
Acting held the biggest appeal and O'Loughlin was already working in short film and fringe theater as a teenager in Sydney. One of the first acting jobs he recalls is being an extra in a commercial, playing a marine. After graduating from NIDA, he began his career in Australian television and film productions and some of his TV credits include roles in BlackJack: Sweet Science, Love Bytes and White Collar BlueWhite Collar Blue
White Collar Blue was an Australian television series made by Knapman Wyld Television for Network Ten from 2002 to 2003.Starring Peter O'Brien as Joe Hill and Freya Stafford as Harriet Walker, the series dealt with a division of the police force working in the city of Sydney and the personal and...
.
His film career started off in 2004 when he landed his first lead role in Oyster Farmer
Oyster Farmer
Oyster Farmer is a 2004 Australian romantic comedy / drama film about a young man who runs away to the Hawkesbury River and gets a job with eighth generation oyster farmers...
. Continuing his career O'Loughlin appeared in Man-Thing
Man-Thing (film)
Man-Thing is a 2005 straight to video then telefilm, directed by Brett Leonard and featuring the Marvel Comics creature created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. The plot is based loosely on a storyline by Steve Gerber, who wrote the most well-known series of Man-Thing comics.Agents of an...
, Feed
Feed (film)
Feed is a 2005 Australian thriller film directed by Brett Leonard. The plot involves a police investigation of the sexual fetish of feederism, where the 'feeder' will feed 'gainers' . The film explores themes of dominance, submission, love, and power...
, and in the Australian mini-series The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant is a 2005 film loosely based on the life of Mary Bryant, a Cornish girl convicted of petty theft and is transported to the Australian Penal Colony on the First Fleet with other prisoners bound for Botany Bay. It is written by Peter Berry and directed by Peter...
for which he received a nomination as the Best Lead Actor in Television from the Australian Film Institute Awards
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
in 2005 and as Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series from the Logie Award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
s in 2006. O'Loughlin joined the cast of The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
in 2007 as Detective Kevin Hiatt
Kevin Hiatt
Detective Kevin Hiatt, played by Alex O'Loughlin, is a fictional detective on the FX drama The Shield.-Background:Hiatt was originally an INS agent who spent four years on the Mexican border before joining the LAPD, where he was regarded as a rising star within the force...
, the newest member of the strike team.
In 2005, he screen-tested
Screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable...
for the movie role of James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
. As he told one interviewer: "I met with [director] Martin Campbell
Martin Campbell
-Life and career:Campbell was born in Hastings, New Zealand. He directed two James Bond films, 1995's GoldenEye, starring Pierce Brosnan, and 2006's Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig, and was the first Bond director since John Glen to direct more than one film, as well as the oldest director in...
here in Los Angeles at his office on the Sony [Pictures] lot and he asked me to fly to London and test and we tested at Pinewood
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
[Studios]. It was the biggest screen test I've ever done. It was very comprehensive. I had tuxedos and suits cut for it and hair cuts." Alex also performed alongside actor Justin Chatwin in the 2007 film The Invisible
The Invisible (film)
The Invisible is a 2007 American supernatural thriller teen film starring Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Chris Marquette, Marcia Gay Harden, and Callum Keith Rennie...
. He portrayed Marcus, the boyfriend and partner in crime of Annie Newton, boosting and stealing cars.
He left The Shield after he won the lead role on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series Moonlight
Moonlight (TV series)
Moonlight was an American paranormal romance television drama created by Ron Koslow and Trevor Munson, who was also executive producer for all episodes with Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio, Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman. The series follows private investigator Mick St...
, where he played private investigator and vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
Mick St. John. The filming of Moonlight was interrupted by the Hollywood writers strike. There was speculation that the series would be dropped but fan pressure prevailed and the show was given four additional episodes to try to regain its audience share. Despite being the highest rated show in its Friday evening slot (consistently achieving over 7 million viewers), CBS did not commission a second season. After its cancellation, a fan-based charity campaign to win a second-season renewal for Moonlight by holding blood drive
Blood donation
A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions or made into medications by a process called fractionation....
s proved unsuccessful.
In August 2008, it was announced that CBS had signed a talent development deal with O'Loughlin as the star of a TV series to be developed by writer Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon is an American television and film producer.- Background :Gordon was born in Newport News, Virginia on October 10, 1956...
, but it never materialised. However, he was subsequently cast in the lead role of the new CBS hospital drama Three Rivers
Three Rivers (TV series)
Three Rivers is a medical drama, which premiered on CBS on October 4, 2009 and aired Sundays at 9 pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time. The series was set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at a fictional hospital specializing in transplants, with Alex O'Loughlin starring as a famous transplant surgeon...
, developed by producer Carol Barbee
Carol Barbee
Carol Denise Barbee is an American television writer, actress and producer.-Biography:Barbee graduated from Central Cabarrus High School in Concord, North Carolina and attended Wake Forest University for Undergraduate School. She graduated from UCLA for Graduate School.She is married to actor...
, which aired Sunday evenings in the 2009–2010 season. In April 2009, he guest-starred in an episode of Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
as a serial killer who asks the BAU for help. In December 2009 CBS pulled Three Rivers from its schedule. O'Loughlin recently starred alongside Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
in the 2010 romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
The Back-up Plan
The Back-Up Plan
The Back-up Plan is a 2010 romantic comedy film, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin. It was released theatrically in the U.S. on April 23, 2010, and later in other regions...
.
In February 2010, it was announced that O'Loughlin was cast in the CBS remake of Hawaii Five-0 portraying Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Steve McGarrett, which premièred on 20 September 2010, and has been one of CBS's most successful new shows of the 2010–2011 season. Hawaii Five-0 won "Favorite New TV Drama" at the 2010–11 People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
.
Personal life
He lives in West HollywoodWest Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
, California, but while filming Hawaii Five-0 has a home in Honolulu, Hawaii. His son, Saxon, was born when Alex was 20-years-old. He and his son's mother split and Saxon resides in Australia with his mother but visits O'Loughlin frequently in the US.
He split from long-time girlfriend, the Australian actress/singer Holly Valance
Holly Valance
Holly Valance is an Australian actress, singer, and model, who has dual United Kingdom citizenship. Valance began her career as Felicity "Flick" Scully on the Australian soap opera Neighbours...
in February 2009. He said to TV Guide, "I’m more like one of those jack-of-all-trades, master of nothing."
In November 2011 at the GQ Australia Awards, he confirmed he is dating Hawaiian professional surfer and model Malia Jones
Malia Jones
Malia Jones is a model and surfer.- Life and career :Jones was born in Loma Linda, California, although she returned to Kailua, Hawaii, at the age of two. Jones is of Hawaiian, Spanish-Filipino, German and English descent . She began to surf competitively in her early teens, and at age 15 won the...
.
He is quoted as saying about Malia: ‘I am a very lucky guy and very happy at the moment. She's amazing.’ .
Filmography
| Filmography | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | Oyster Farmer Oyster Farmer Oyster Farmer is a 2004 Australian romantic comedy / drama film about a young man who runs away to the Hawkesbury River and gets a job with eighth generation oyster farmers... |
Jack Flange | |
| 2005 | Man-Thing Man-Thing (film) Man-Thing is a 2005 straight to video then telefilm, directed by Brett Leonard and featuring the Marvel Comics creature created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. The plot is based loosely on a storyline by Steve Gerber, who wrote the most well-known series of Man-Thing comics.Agents of an... |
Eric Fraser | |
| 2005 | Feed Feed (film) Feed is a 2005 Australian thriller film directed by Brett Leonard. The plot involves a police investigation of the sexual fetish of feederism, where the 'feeder' will feed 'gainers' . The film explores themes of dominance, submission, love, and power... |
Michael Carter | |
| 2006 | The Holiday | Kissing Couple | |
| 2007 | The Invisible The Invisible (film) The Invisible is a 2007 American supernatural thriller teen film starring Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Chris Marquette, Marcia Gay Harden, and Callum Keith Rennie... |
Marcus Bohem | |
| 2007 | August Rush August Rush August Rush is a 2007 drama film directed by Kirsten Sheridan and written by Paul Castro, Nick Castle, and James V. Hart, and produced by Richard Barton Lewis.-Plot:... |
Marshall | |
| 2009 | Whiteout | Russell Haden | |
| 2010 | The Back-up Plan The Back-Up Plan The Back-up Plan is a 2010 romantic comedy film, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin. It was released theatrically in the U.S. on April 23, 2010, and later in other regions... |
Stan | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2003 | White Collar Blue White Collar Blue White Collar Blue was an Australian television series made by Knapman Wyld Television for Network Ten from 2002 to 2003.Starring Peter O'Brien as Joe Hill and Freya Stafford as Harriet Walker, the series dealt with a division of the police force working in the city of Sydney and the personal and... |
Ian Mack | 1 episode: 2:01 |
| 2004 | Love Bytes | Dave | 1 episode: Net Nanny |
| 2004 | Black Jack: Sweet Science | Luke Anderson | |
| 2005 | Mary Bryant The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant is a 2005 film loosely based on the life of Mary Bryant, a Cornish girl convicted of petty theft and is transported to the Australian Penal Colony on the First Fleet with other prisoners bound for Botany Bay. It is written by Peter Berry and directed by Peter... |
Will Bryant | Nominated – Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actor in Television Australian Film Institute Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,... Nominated – Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Logie Awards of 2006 The 48th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Sunday May 7, 2006 at the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne and televised on the Nine Network.... |
| 2007 | The Shield The Shield The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons... |
Kevin Hiatt Kevin Hiatt Detective Kevin Hiatt, played by Alex O'Loughlin, is a fictional detective on the FX drama The Shield.-Background:Hiatt was originally an INS agent who spent four years on the Mexican border before joining the LAPD, where he was regarded as a rising star within the force... |
7 episodes |
| 2007–08 | Moonlight Moonlight (TV series) Moonlight was an American paranormal romance television drama created by Ron Koslow and Trevor Munson, who was also executive producer for all episodes with Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio, Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman. The series follows private investigator Mick St... |
Mick St. John | 16 episodes (Won People's Choice Award 2007–08 as best drama series) |
| 2009 | Criminal Minds Criminal Minds Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime... |
Vincent Rowlings | 1 episode ("The Big Wheel") |
| 2009–10 | Three Rivers Three Rivers (TV series) Three Rivers is a medical drama, which premiered on CBS on October 4, 2009 and aired Sundays at 9 pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time. The series was set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at a fictional hospital specializing in transplants, with Alex O'Loughlin starring as a famous transplant surgeon... |
Dr. Andy Yablonski | 13 episodes |
| 2010–present | Hawaii Five-0 | LCDR Steve McGarrett | Won: Best New TV Drama – People's Choice Awards People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett... 2010–2011 |