Craig Stott

Craig Matthew Stott is an Australian actor, perhaps best known for his role as Josh Watkins in the ABC television drama East of Everything (2008–09), and as the co-lead character John Caleo in Neil Armfield's Holding the Man.

Personal life and career Stott was born in Craigieburn, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, in 1990. A student of the University of Melbourne, Stott studied Middle Eastern Politics and Immigration Studies, and wrote articles on Middle Eastern affairs. Since 2016, he has been based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

He was cast in the 2006 Australian adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, in the role of Fleance. The film, directed by Geoffrey Wright, starred Sam Worthington as Macbeth. For his work in Macbeth, Stott was nominated for the Best Newcomer Award in 2006 by the Australian Film Institute. Also in 2006, Stott appeared in an Australian short film, Teenage Lust. In 2008, Stott appeared in the fourth episode of the eighth season of drama series McLeod's Daughters as Jamie Mitchell, a teenager who has run away from home. Throughout this period in Stott's career, he starred in multiple episodes of the SBS comedy drama Kick in 2007, a guest appearance in the second series of crime drama City Homicide in 2008 and a role in the short film, Leap Year.

His next project was East of Everything, where he landed the regular role of Josh Watkins, a character he portrayed from 2008 to 2009 in the series' two seasons. On his character, Stott drew parallels between himself and Watkins, noting, "He wants to be independent, and that's me all over. At the moment I'm looking to move out. Not because of family problems but because I want my own freedom and that's what Josh is about." In 2009, he starred in the Australian film, The Vapour Boys.

Since 2011, Stott has had roles in multiple films, including These Empty Streets (2011), independent comedy horror film Ghost Team One (2013), short films James & Quinn (2013), Grace (2015) and Haven (2015).

Holding the Man Ryan and I, for all intents and purposes, were a couple before and during the shoot...We'd go to the bank as a couple, hanging off each other. We’d hold hands in the street. Ryan invited me to a family dinner and everyone assumed his date was going to be a girlfriend but we walked into this swank restaurant holding hands...On set Ryan was my go to. I was always looking for him – very much like John would have done with Tim. I needed him like a lover. I actually fell in love with him. source =Stott on his on-and-off-set romance with co-star Ryan Corr. On portraying Caleo, Stott noted that, "He wasn’t a very complex person with striking, over-arching ambitions. He wasn’t a boisterous or flamboyant character in the way that Tim was. To try and create a character that was really understated, that is who John was...I was always pulling it back. John really comes through in the subtleties, he’s bubbling under the surface constantly."

The chemistry between Stott and Corr received praise among film reviewers and critics, with the two sharing in multiple sex and other intimate scenes throughout the film. Their on-set relationship also extended outside of Holding the Man, with the two going-out together as a couple and holding hands in public, so as to immerse themselves in the relationship of Conigrave and Caleo. The Guardian Australia praised Stott and Corr for their "memorable performances, both tender and strong, and it is their chemistry audiences will recall most vividly" and The Conversation commended both actors, noting their "palpable" chemistry "which is imperative in order to convey the deep bond [Conigrave and Caleo] had."

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 2006 Teenage Lust Teenage Tom Short film 2006 Macbeth Fleance 2008 Leap Year Peter Short film 2009 The Vapour Boys Josh 2011 These Empty Streets Pauly Short film 2013 Ghost Team One Elder Ammon 2013 James & Quinn Hallway Victim Short film 2015 Grace Green Jacket Short film 2015 Holding the Man John Caleo 2015 Haven Shower Short film 2018 Nigerian Prince Wallace + Television Year Title Role Notes 2007 Kick Kris Recurring; 2 episodes 2008 McLeod's Daughters Jamie Mitchell Guest; Season 8, episode 4: "Nowhere to Hide" 2008 City Homicide Hayden Fosdyke Guest; episode: "Somersaulting Dogs" 2008–09 East of Everything Josh Watkins Regular; 13 episodes