David Roberts

Career

Television Roberts began acting on screen in the early 1990s, with guest roles in television series including medical drama The Flying Doctors, sitcom All Together Now and miniseries Seven Deadly Sins.

His first big break was in crime drama series Phoenix playing Detective Russell Howie, followed by a role in newsroom drama Mercury, opposite Geoffrey Rush playing Dave 'Gibbo' Gibson.

In 2005, Roberts joined the cast of ABC family series Holly's Heroes, He then appeared in long running soap opera Home and Away in 2009, In 2013, he had a lead role in comedy series Please Like Me,

In 2019, Roberts played a senior member of Parliament in political series Total Control, alongside Rachel Griffiths and Deborah Mailman in 2019. More recently, he appeared in 2023 SBS drama thriller miniseries Safe Home and opposite his wife Helen Thomson, as Bernie in award-winning television series Colin from Accounts.

Further television credits include Devil's Playground, The Code, Secret City, Rake, Offspring, Bad Mothers, Barons, Queen of Oz, Silver and Sunny Nights. alongside Keanu Reeves and Hugo Weaving. He has also appeared in 2007 Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage.

In 2008, he was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the role of Raymond Yale in Nash Edgerton's feature film debut, the thriller The Square. In 2014, he appeared in gritty crime drama film The Convict.

He starred opposite his wife in the films Gettin' Square (2002), A Savage Christmas (2023) and Spit (2025), the latter in which he reprised his role from Gettin' Square.

Other film credits include Me Myself I (2000), alongside Rachel Griffiths, Three Dollars (2005) with David Wenham and Frances O'Connor and US productions Fool's Gold (2008) opposite Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson and Unbroken (2014) by Angelina Jolie.

Theatre Roberts has performed in stage productions for Griffin, Belvoir, and Malthouse Theatre. and The Touch of Silk in 1988 followed by The Recruiting Officer and Our Country's Good in 1989.

He acted together with his wife in a stage production of In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) in 2011.

Personal life Roberts is married to fellow actor Helen Thomson. Together they have two children and reside at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

Awards and nominations

Theatre Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1987 King Lear Edmund Guild Theatre, Melbourne 1988 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Le Chevalier Danceny Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 1995 The Incorruptible Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox / STC The Head of Mary Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox 1998 Natural Life Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox & Queen's Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA 2003–2004 King Lear Edgar Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox & Tokyo / Nagoya / Seoul tour 2011 In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) Dr Givings Sydney Opera House with STC

Music video Embracing Me (2015) by SAFIA