Colin Friels

Colin Friels (born 25 September 1952) is an Australian actor of stage, film and television. He has received numerous accolades, including AACTA/AFI Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (for the 1986's Malcolm) and Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama (for Nine Network's Halifax f.p.), two Helpmann Awards for Best Male Actor in a Play, and two Logie Awards.

Early life Colin Friels was born on 25 September 1952 in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland. His mother was a mill worker and French polisher, and his father a carpenter. He lived in Kilbirnie until 1963, when his family moved to Australia, arriving in Darwin, Northern Territory before settling in the Melbourne suburb of Bentleigh. He worked as a bricklayer's labourer before studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 1976.

Career Friels career began with work mostly in theatre and television. In 1980, Friels was a presenter on the Australian version of Play School, the series for young children. His first film role was in the unreleased Prisoners (1981), appearing with David Hemmings and Tatum O'Neal.

His first appearance in a released film was in Hoodwink (1981), alongside his future wife, Judy Davis.

In 1986, he played the title role in Malcolm, about a shy mechanical genius, for which he was awarded the 1986 AFI Award for Best Actor. Friels was also nominated for the Best Actor award the following year, for his role in Ground Zero, but did not win: the film received mixed reviews, with one describing him as "a proficient enough actor, but...miscast". Friels later won another AFI Award in 1995 for his starring role in the 1994 Halifax f.p. telemovie Hard Corps. Friels has played a range of other roles. He was a megalomaniac corporate executive in the 1990 feature film Darkman.

From 1996 to 1999, he played Frank Holloway on Water Rats, a role which won him the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor at the 1997 awards.

Since 2003, Friels has appeared as the main character in the BlackJack series of telemovies. In 2010 he also starred in Killing Time where he played notorious underworld figure Lewis Moran. In 2018, he played Tony Ballantyne in the TV miniseries Mystery Road, again opposite Judy Davis.

In 2021, Friels appeared as Jack Ramsay in the second season of the ABC series Total Control, a Coalition MP facing off against independent candidate Alex Irving.

Personal life Friels has been married to actress Judy Davis since 1984; the couple has two children. Their relationship was briefly in the media when Judy Davis was granted a domestic violence court order against Friels: however, they remained together.

In late 1997, Friels was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. However, his treatment was successful, and he is one of the very few sufferers of this disease to go into long-term remission. His engagement with social issues has been evident in his acting work, with two prominent examples being his lead role in Ground Zero, in which he played a cameraman investigating British nuclear testing in South Australia, and his appearance in the ABC television drama Bastard Boys, in which he played union official John Coombs.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1979 The Cavity Caper Short film 1980 Big Toys TV movie 1981 Hoodwink Robert Feature film 1982 Monkey Grip Javo Feature film 1982 Prisoners Nick Feature film 1983 Buddies Mike Feature film 1983 Distinguished Guests Christopher Short film 1984 The Coolangatta Gold (aka The Gold & the Glory Adam Lucas Feature film 1985 The Man in the Iron Mask Phillippe (voice) Animated TV movie 1986 Kangaroo Richard Somers Feature film 1986 Malcolm Malcolm Hughes Feature film 1987 Ground Zero Harvey Denton Feature film 1988 Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train The Man Feature film 1988 Grievous Bodily Harm Tom Stewart Feature film 1988 High Tide Mick Feature film 1990 Darkman Louis Strack Jr Feature film 1990 Weekend with Kate Richard Muir Feature film 1991 Class Action Michael Grazier Feature film 1992 Dingo John 'Dingo' Anderson Feature film 1992 Last Man Hanged Ronald Ryan 1993 The Nostradamus Kid American Preacher Feature film 1993 The Burning Piano: A Portrait of Patrick White TV movie 1994 A Good Man in Africa Morgan Leafy Feature film 1995 Angel Baby Morris Feature film 1995 Back of Beyond Connor 1996 Cosi Errol Grier Feature film 1996 Mr. Reliable (aka My Entire Life) Wally Mellish Feature film 1998 Dark City Eddie Walenski Feature film 2000 Marriage Acts David McKinnon TV movie 2001 The Man Who Sued God David Myers Feature film 2001 My Husband, My Killer Bob Inkster TV movie 2001 Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story George Temple TV movie 2002 Black and White Father Tom Dixon Feature film 2003 Temptation Robert Francobelli TV movie 2003 Max's Dreaming Mark Bryce 2003–2007 BlackJack Jack Kempson TV movies 2004 Tom White Tom White Feature film 2005 The Illustrated Family Doctor Ray Gill Feature film 2006 Solo Jack Barrett Feature film 2006 The Book of Revelation Olsen Feature film 2006 Bom Bali Narrator Documentary film 2008 The Informant Doug Lamont TV movie 2008 Australia: Land of Parrots Narrator Documentary film 2009 Blind Company Geoff Brewster Feature film 2010 Lest We Forget Sam 2010 Matching Jack Professor Nelson Feature film 2010 The Nothing Men Jack Simpson 2010 Tomorrow, When The War Began Dr Clements Feature film 2011 A Heartbeat Away Mayor Riddick Feature film 2011 Ned's Head Narrator TV movie 2011 The Eye of the Storm Athol Shreve Feature film 2011 The Man Who Jumped Narrator 2012 Mabo Justice Moynihan Documentary film 2012 Jack Irish: Bad Debts Garth Bruce TV movie 2013 Sweat Ramon, the farmer Short film 2013 The Turning Narrator Anthology feature film (segment: "Ash Wednesday") 2013 Schapelle Mick Corby TV movie 2016 The Crossing The Captain Short film 2017 Snared Short film 2022 Fences The Farmer Short film 2022 Interceptor Frank Collins Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1980–1981 Play School Presenter TV series 1983 For the Term of His Natural Life Rufus Dawes / Richard Devine Miniseries, 3 episodes 1992 Police Rescue Lew Campbell TV series, season 2, episode 9: "Reasons to Live" 1993 Seven Deadly Sins Roger Pascoe Miniseries, 1 episode: "Pride" 1993 Stark Sly Morgan Miniseries, 3 episodes 1995 Halifax f.p. Kevin Tait TV series, season 1, episode 5: "Hard Corps" 1995 Space: Above and Beyond Lt. Colonel Fouts TV series, pilot episode 1996–1999 Water Rats Frank Holloway TV series, 109 episodes 2001 The Farm Tom Cooper Miniseries, 3 episodes 2006 Life at 1 Narrator Documentary miniseries, 2 episodes 2004 The Mystery of Natalie Wood Nick Gurdin Miniseries, episode 1 2007 Bastard Boys John Coombs Miniseries, 1 episode 2007 Air Australia Narrator Miniseries 2009 Gangs of Oz Narrator Documentary TV series 2010 Killing Time Lewis Moran Miniseries, 8 episodes 2011 Wild Boys Mad Dog Morgan TV series, episode 11 2015 Sydney Sailboat (aka Bubble Bath Bay) Terry the Tug (voice) Animated TV series, 52 episodes 2015 Go Back to Where You Came From Narrator Documentary series, 3 episodes 2016 Changed Forever: The Making of Australia Narrator Miniseries, episode 2: "ANZACS" 2016 DNA Nation Narrator 3 episodes 2016 The Secret Daughter Jack Norton TV series, 6 episodes 2016 First Contact Narrator Documentary TV series, 3 episodes 2017–2020 Filthy Rich and Homeless Narrator Documentary TV series 2018 Mystery Road Tony Ballantyne TV series, season 1, 6 episodes 2021 Wakefield Baz Madden Miniseries, episode 7 2021 Total Control Jack Ramsay MP TV series, season 2, 6 episodes 2022 Pieces of Her Older Eli Wexler TV series, episode 6 2022 Underbelly: Vanishing Act George K Miniseries, 3 episodes

Theatre Year Title Role Theatre Co. 1975 Rio Rita NIDA with Old Tote Theatre Company 1975 Three Sisters Soliony NIDA Theatre, Sydney 1976 A Midsummer Night's Dream Newcastle, NIDA Theatre, Sydney 1976 Miss Hook of Holland Joost de Coop NIDA Theatre, Sydney 1977 The School for Scandal Sir Harry Bumper Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1977 The Cherry Orchard Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1977 Fall Out Follies STCSA 1977 Family Lore James Singer Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1977 Swansong for Antlers Damien Anderson Theatre 62, Adelaide with STCSA 1977 The Right Man Policeman / Interjector Theatre 62, Adelaide with STCSA 1977 Annie Get Your Gun Tommy Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1977 Macbeth Macduff Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1977 They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Space Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA 1978 Oedipus the King / Oedipus at Colonus Chorus of Theban & Athenian Elders Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1978 Ah Romance! Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1978 Cedoona Garrie Space Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA 1978 Henry IV, Part 1 & Henry IV, Part 2 Poins Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1978 The Les Darcy Show Les Darcy Space Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA 1978 Peer Gynt Cowgirl / Eunuch Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA & Magpie Theatre Company 1978; 1979 A Manual of Trench Warfare Barry Moon Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA / Seymour Centre, Sydney 1978 Cymbeline Cloten Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1978; 1979 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Johnnie Dowd Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1979 Hamlet Laertes Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1979 American Buffalo Bobby Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1979 The Shaughraun Reilly Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1979 The Caucasian Chalk Circle Simon Chachava Sydney Opera House with STC 1979; 1980 Twelfth Night Sebastian Playhouse, Adelaide with STC 1979 The Matchmaker Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1980 Traitors Joseph Rubin Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney 1980 Oresteia Old Person of Aros / Elektra / Orestes Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney 1980 Inside the Island Private O'Neill / Bert / Private Watson Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney 1980 Volpone Bornario / Peregrine Nimrod Theatre, Sydney with STC 1981 The Man from Mukinupin Jack Tuesday / Harry Tuesday Sydney Opera House with STC 1981 Hamlet Hamlet Sydney Opera House with STC 1981; 1985 Cloud Nine Betty / Edward Nimrod Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company 1982 Macbeth Sydney Opera House with STC 1982 Butterflies of Kalimantan Women in Arts Festival 1983 Miss Julie Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney 1983 The Bear Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney 1984 King Lear Edmund Bankstown District Sports Club, Sydney, Seymour Centre, Sydney with Nimrod Theatre Company 1985 Il Magnifico Lorenzo Medici Seymour Centre, Sydney with Nimrod Theatre Company 1985 Zastrossi Zastrossi Seymour Centre, Sydney with Nimrod Theatre Company 1986 Sweet Bird of Youth Chance Wayne Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Opera Theatre, Adelaide, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Princess Theatre, Melbourne with Davis Morley & Harold Pinter Productions 1986 Hedda Gabler Ejlert Løvborg Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 1987 The Winter’s Tale Leontes Seymour Centre, Sydney with Nimrod Theatre Company 1988 Orphans Treat Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre, Regal Theatre, Perth with Gary Penny Productions 1991 The Cherry Orchard Lapakhin Suncorp Theatre with Queensland Theatre 1992 Shadow & Splendour Viktor Sager Suncorp Theatre with Queensland Theatre, Playhouse, Adelaide 1994 The Temple Laurie Blake Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 1994 Macbeth Macduff Sydney Opera House with STC 1995 The Incorruptible Ion Stafford Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre 1999 Macbeth Macbeth STC 2001 The School for Scandal Sir Peter Teazle Sydney Opera House with STC 2001 Dom Juan STC 2002 Copenhagen Heisenberg Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Glen Street Theatre, Sydney with STC 2004 Victory: Choices in Reaction Charles II Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 2011 Zebra Larry Sydney Theatre Company 2012; 2013 Red Mark Rothko The Sumner, Melbourne with MTC, Playhouse, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre 2012 Death of a Salesman Willy Loman Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Geelong Arts Centre, Theatre Royal Sydney 2013 Moving Parts Sean NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney 2015 Endgame Hamm Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 2015 Mortido Detective Grubbe Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney 2015 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Roo STCSA 2016 Skylight Tom Sergeant Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 2016 Faith Healer Francis Hardy Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Southbank Theatre, Melbourne 2018 Scaramouche Jones Scaramouche Jones Fairfax Studio with Arts Centre Melbourne, Space Theatre, Adelaide 2016 Dance of Death Edgar Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney / STCSA 2019 Life of Galileo Galileo Galilei Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney 2024 Into the Shimmering World Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC

Awards & nominations Year Work Award Category Result 1986 Malcolm AFI Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role 1987 Ground Zero AFI Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role 1991 Dingo AFI Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role 1995 Halifax f.p.: Hard Corps AFI Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Drama 1997 Water Rats Logie Awards Most Outstanding Actor 2000 Water Rats Logie Awards Most Outstanding Actor 2002 Copenhagen Mo Awards Best Male Actor in a Play 2003 Copenhagen Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor 2004 Tom White AFI Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role 2004 Tom White Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actor – Male 2006 Solo Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actor – Male 2006 The Book of Revelation Film Critics Circle Awards Best Supporting Actor 2022 Wakefield Logie Awards Most Outstanding Supporting Actor