Ewen Leslie
Encyclopedia
Ewen Leslie is an Australian actor.
Born in Fremantle, Western Australia
, he started appearing in various TV shows from the age of 12. He received a scholarship to study acting at John Curtin College of the Arts
and was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
straight out of high school.
Award for his lead performance in Jewboy
, a film that screened in Un Certain Regard
at the Cannes Film Festival
and the Discovery Section at the Sundance Film Festival
. His other film credits include Three Blind Mice, Kokoda, Sleeping Beauty. His television credits include Ship to Shore, Love My Way, The Junction Boys and Lockie Leonard.
Actor's Company where he performed in The Serpent's Teeth, Gallipoli and played Prince Hal in War of the Roses, a Sydney/Perth Festival production directed by Benedict Andrews, for which he received a Helpmann Award
and a Sydney Theatre Award. His other STC credits include Riflemind which was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman
, and Josef K in an adaption of The Trial.
For Belvoir St Theatre
Theatre he has performed in Howard Brenton's Paul, Aleksei Arbuzov's The Promise and an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck by Simon Stone
and Chris Ryan.
In 2010 he played Richard III
for the Melbourne Theatre Company
. Alison Croggon
in The Australian
wrote: This is a deeply intelligent performance, physically and emotionally unafraid, in which Richard's grotesquely misshapen body belies his agile treachery. By turns comic, savage, grotesque, bestial, sly and tragic, Leslie dominates the stage. More disturbingly, he exerts his evil fascination on the audience; we cannot but be moved by him. His Richard will be talked about for years: it marks the ascension of a remarkable actor. Absolutely not to be missed'. He received his second Helpmann Award
and a Green Room Award for this performance.
In 2011 he played Hamlet
in a sellout season for the Melbourne Theatre Company
.
Nominations:
Born in Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, he started appearing in various TV shows from the age of 12. He received a scholarship to study acting at John Curtin College of the Arts
John Curtin College of the Arts
John Curtin College of the Arts is a high school with student intake from the greater Fremantle area, in Western Australia. The school currently has over 1100 students attending....
and was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts , Edith Cowan University was established in 1980 to provide performing arts tuition comparable to the highest calibre of national and international training benchmarks to be able to meet industry needs around the globe.The school is located in the...
straight out of high school.
Film & Television Credits
He was nominated for an Australian Film InstituteAustralian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
Award for his lead performance in Jewboy
Jewboy
Jewboy is a 2005 Australian film directed by Tony Krawitz. The film stars Ewen Leslie, Chris Hayward, Saskia Burmeister, and Nicholas Eadie. It won the 2005 Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Short Fiction Film, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay in a Short.The film tells of a young...
, a film that screened in Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and the Discovery Section at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. His other film credits include Three Blind Mice, Kokoda, Sleeping Beauty. His television credits include Ship to Shore, Love My Way, The Junction Boys and Lockie Leonard.
Theatre Credits
In 2007 he was invited to join the Sydney Theatre CompanySydney Theatre Company
The Sydney Theatre Company is one of Australia's best-known theatre companies operating from The Wharf Theatre near The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Sydney Theatre and the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre....
Actor's Company where he performed in The Serpent's Teeth, Gallipoli and played Prince Hal in War of the Roses, a Sydney/Perth Festival production directed by Benedict Andrews, for which he received a Helpmann Award
Helpmann Award
The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006...
and a Sydney Theatre Award. His other STC credits include Riflemind which was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
, and Josef K in an adaption of The Trial.
For Belvoir St Theatre
Belvoir St Theatre
Belvoir St Theatre is an Australian theatre venue in Sydney. The venue in Belvoir Street, Surry Hills previously operated as the Nimrod Theatre, and was founded as "Belvoir St" in 1984 by Sue Hill and Chris Westwood...
Theatre he has performed in Howard Brenton's Paul, Aleksei Arbuzov's The Promise and an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck by Simon Stone
Simon Stone
Simon Stone is an Australian theatre director, writer and actor.-Film and Television:Stone has acted in the television series John Safran's Music Jamboree, MDA , Blue Heelers, Rush , City Homicide, and the films Jindabyne, Kokoda, Balibo, Blame, and The Eye of the Storm.-Theatre:In 2007 Stone...
and Chris Ryan.
In 2010 he played Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
for the Melbourne Theatre Company
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...
. Alison Croggon
Alison Croggon
Alison Croggon is a contemporary Australian poet, playwright, fantasy novelist, and librettist.-Life:Born in the Transvaal, South Africa, Alison Croggon's family moved to England before settling in Australia, first in Ballarat then Melbourne. She has worked as a journalist for the Sydney Morning...
in The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
wrote: This is a deeply intelligent performance, physically and emotionally unafraid, in which Richard's grotesquely misshapen body belies his agile treachery. By turns comic, savage, grotesque, bestial, sly and tragic, Leslie dominates the stage. More disturbingly, he exerts his evil fascination on the audience; we cannot but be moved by him. His Richard will be talked about for years: it marks the ascension of a remarkable actor. Absolutely not to be missed'. He received his second Helpmann Award
Helpmann Award
The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006...
and a Green Room Award for this performance.
In 2011 he played Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
in a sellout season for the Melbourne Theatre Company
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...
.
Awards
Wins:- 2010 Green Room AwardsGreen Room AwardsThe Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne....
Best Male Actor for RICHARD III - 2010 Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Play for RICHARD III
- 2009 Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Lead Role for WAR OF THE ROSES
- 2009 Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for WAR OF THE ROSES
Nominations:
- 2006 Movie Extra Filmink Awards Best Australian Newcomer for JEWBOY
- 2005 Australian Film Institute AwardsAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe 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,...
Outstanding Achievement in Craft in a Non-Feature for JEWBOY
Interviews
- Interview with Art Nation ABC TV 2010
- 'He that plays the King' Interview with Alison Croggon for The Australian 2010
- 'From Villain to Victim' Interview with Raymond Gill for The Age 2010
- 'Hue and Cry about Ewen' Interview with Stephen Bevis for The West Australian 2010
- Interview with Frank Hatherley for Stage Whispers 2010
External links
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1191900/