Ben Esler
Encyclopedia
Ben Esler is an Australian actor.
He was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, the son of Rosemary and Murray Esler
. Esler is a graduate of the University of Melbourne
, and while there competed at the University's highest level of amateur disc golf
, earning himself the sobriquet 'Frolf Harris'.
He has appeared in prominent roles in HBO's Tom Hanks
and Steven Spielberg
-produced and Emmy-nominated miniseries The Pacific as World War II
Marine Charles "Chuck" Tatum
, the Australian police drama Blue Heelers
, and the ABC Australia made-for-TV movie Curtin
.
Esler is a series regular in Hell on Wheels
, a Western focusing on the construction of the transcontinental railroad
, to be screened on the AMC Network, in the role of Sean.
After portraying Tatum in The Pacific, Esler was invited to contribute an additional chapter to Tatum's WWII memoir, Red Blood, Black Sand which was used as source material for the series. The book, including Esler's contribution, is scheduled for re-release in late 2010.
He was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, the son of Rosemary and Murray Esler
Murray Esler
Professor Murray David Esler is a clinical cardiologist and medical scientist, based at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, where he is the Associate Director of the Heart Centre. He is a Professor of Medicine at Melbourne's Monash University...
. Esler is a graduate of the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, and while there competed at the University's highest level of amateur disc golf
Disc golf
Disc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
, earning himself the sobriquet 'Frolf Harris'.
He has appeared in prominent roles in HBO's Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
and Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
-produced and Emmy-nominated miniseries The Pacific as World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Marine Charles "Chuck" Tatum
Charles "Chuck" Tatum
Charles "Chuck" Tatum is a World War II veteran and a former racing driver.When Tatum was seventeen he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He became a machine gunner under Sgt. John Basilone, and served in the Battle of Iwo Jima in Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine...
, the Australian police drama Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
, and the ABC Australia made-for-TV movie Curtin
Curtin (2007 film)
Curtin is a telemovie about the wartime Prime Minister of Australia, John Curtin.-Plot:The film covers the period from just before Curtin became Prime Minister until the return of the 6th and 7th Divisions to Australia at the start of the Pacific war....
.
Esler is a series regular in Hell on Wheels
Hell on Wheels (TV series)
Hell on Wheels is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton. Set in 1865, the series centers on the settlement that accompanied the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, referred to as "Hell on Wheels" by the company men, surveyors, support...
, a Western focusing on the construction of the transcontinental railroad
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
, to be screened on the AMC Network, in the role of Sean.
After portraying Tatum in The Pacific, Esler was invited to contribute an additional chapter to Tatum's WWII memoir, Red Blood, Black Sand which was used as source material for the series. The book, including Esler's contribution, is scheduled for re-release in late 2010.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Hell on Wheels Hell on Wheels (TV series) Hell on Wheels is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton. Set in 1865, the series centers on the settlement that accompanied the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, referred to as "Hell on Wheels" by the company men, surveyors, support... |
Sean | |
| 2010 | The Pacific The Pacific (miniseries) The Pacific is a 2010 television series produced by HBO, Seven Network Australia, Sky Movies, Playtone and DreamWorks that premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010.... |
Charles "Chuck" Tatum | |
| 2007 | Curtin Curtin (2007 film) Curtin is a telemovie about the wartime Prime Minister of Australia, John Curtin.-Plot:The film covers the period from just before Curtin became Prime Minister until the return of the 6th and 7th Divisions to Australia at the start of the Pacific war.... |
John Jnr | |
| 2004–2005 | Blue Heelers Blue Heelers Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :... |
Wayne Dixon |