David Wenham

David Wenham is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Friar Carl in Van Helsing and Van Helsing: The London Assignment, Dilios in 300 and its sequel 300: Rise of an Empire, Al Parker in Top of the Lake, Lieutenant John Scarfield in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Hank Snow in Elvis. He is known in his native Australia for his role as Johnny Spitieri in Gettin' Square, Diver Dan in SeaChange and Price Galese in Les Norton.

Early life Wenham has five older sisters—Helen, Anne, Carmel, Kathryn, and Maree—and one older brother, Peter. He was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and attended Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham, Sydney.

Career Wenham started his career as an actor after graduating from Theatre Nepean at Western Sydney University with a Bachelor of Arts (Performing Arts) in 1987. Wenham's television credits include several films, such as his AFI award-winning role in 1997's Simone de Beauvoir's Babies, and his role as the outwardly laid back but deeply enigmatic diver Dan Della Bosca in the 1998 and 1999 seasons of the ABC television series SeaChange. His role as "Diver Dan" has made the actor something of a sex symbol, although he dislikes thinking of himself as such, and he has been voted Australia's "sexiest man alive". A portrait of Wenham by artist Adam Cullen won the Archibald Prize in 2000. Wenham appeared in 1999 for the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Yasmina Reza's play 'Art'.

Australian films Wenham has starred in include The Boys (1998) based on the play of the same name premiered in 1991 with Wenham by Griffin Theatre Company and in turn based on the murder of Anita Cobby, Molokai (1999), based on the life of Father Damien, The Bank (2001), Gettin' Square (2003), Stiff (2004), The Brush-Off (2004), and Three Dollars (2005). Wenham has periodically appeared in Hollywood films; he is known for playing Faramir, son of Denethor II, in New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

He was seen in Van Helsing playing Hugh Jackman's sidekick, Friar Carl. His character, Dilios, narrated and appeared in the 2007 film 300. He reprises his role of Dilios in both the 2014 sequel 300: Rise of an Empire and the video game 300: March to Glory for Sony PlayStation Portable, which contains a substantial amount of new dialogue. Minor roles of Wenham's in overseas films include in The Crocodile Hunter as a park ranger, and briefly in Moulin Rouge! as Audrey. Wenham stars in the music video for Alex Lloyd's single "Brand New Day". In 2008's Australia, he reunited with Hugh Jackman playing antagonist Neil Fletcher.

In 2009, he appeared in Public Enemies as one of John Dillinger's men. He also returned to the stage, this time as the lead actor, Jerry Springer, in the British musical Jerry Springer: The Opera. During its 6-day run at the Sydney Opera House he played in sold-out performances alongside ARIA award-winning singer Kate Miller-Heidke.

In 2010, he played the character Len in the Australian drama film Oranges and Sunshine. Also in 2010, Wenham starred as the disgraced Melbourne lawyer Andrew Fraser in the Australian television series Killing Time. This ten-part series shows Fraser's fall from grace as he defends many Melbourne criminals during the 1980s and 1990s. It was shown on TV1 in late 2011. On stage, Wenham appeared in Benedict Andrews' production of The Seagull for Belvoir. alongside Elisabeth Moss in the 2013 BBC series Top of the Lake.

In 2013, Wenham returned to the stage to play the lead role of John Proctor in the Melbourne Theatre Company's mid-year production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible.

In 2014, Wenham starred as Patrick Jones in Paper Planes, released on 15 January 2015. That same year, Wenham voiced the role Jacko a frilled-neck lizard, in Blinky Bill the Movie. In 2016, Wenham played the role of John, the adoptive father of Saroo Brierley in Lion.

Wenham played the role of the villain Harold Meachum in the Netflix original television series Iron Fist, which premiered in March 2017.

In 2018, Wenham played the voice of Johnny Town-Mouse in Peter Rabbit, a role he reprised in the 2021 sequel Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.

In 2020, it was announced that Wenham was cast as Jasper Queller in the upcoming Netflix thriller series Pieces of Her, which is adapted from the Karin Slaughter novel of the same name.

In 2022, Wenham returned to work with director Baz Luhrmann, playing the role of country singer Hank Snow in the biographical film Elvis.

In November 2022, Wenham played Scrooge in a production of A Christmas Carol at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne; his performance was praised for showing Scrooge as traumatised.

In October 2025, Wenham was named in the cast for the feature film Zac Power. In 2026, he performed the one-person play An Iliad for the Sydney Theatre Company.

Personal life Wenham met actress and yoga teacher Kate Agnew at a play at Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney, Australia, in 1994. They began a relationship that year. They have two daughters. As of 2020, they live together in a $2.75 million-dollar house in Brisbane, Australia.

On 20 September 2006, Wenham read a poem called "The Crocodiles are Crying" by Rupert McCall at the memorial service for Steve Irwin.

Wenham is a Sydney Swans supporter.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1992 Greenkeeping Trevor Seeing Red Frank 1993 Don't Touch Wood! Lenny Film developed by ANZ Bank and Small Business Victoria 1994 Gino Trevor Tran the Man Raymond "Tran" Moss Short film No Escape Hotel Guard No. 2 1995 Roses Are Red Brian 1996 Cosi Doug Idiot Box Bank Teller 1998 The Boys Brett Sprague Dark City Schreber's Assistant A Little Bit of Soul Richard Shorkinghorn 1999 Molokai: The Story of Father Damien Father Damien 2000 Better Than Sex Josh 2001 Russian Doll Ethan Moulin Rouge! Audrey The Bank Jim Doyle Dust Luke 2002 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course Sam Flynn Pure Lenny The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Faramir 2003 Gettin' Square Johnny Spitieri Basilisk Stare Dave The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Faramir 2004 Van Helsing Friar Carl Van Helsing: The London Assignment 2005 Three Dollars Eddie Harnovey The Proposition Eden Fletcher 2006 300 Dilios 2008 Married Life John O'Brien The Children of Huang Shi Barnes Australia Neil Fletcher 2009 Public Enemies Harry Pierpont Pope Joan Gerold 2010 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Digger (voice) Animated film Oranges and Sunshine Len 2014 300: Rise of an Empire Dilios 2015 Paper Planes Patrick Blinky Bill the Movie Jacko (voice) Animated film Force of Destiny Robert 2016 Goldstone Johnny Lion John Brierley 2017 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Lieutenant John Scarfield Ellipsis Director 2018 Peter Rabbit Johnny Town-Mouse (voice) In Like Flynn Christian Travers Nekrotronic Luther 2019 Dirt Music Jim Buckridge 2021 Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway Johnny Town-Mouse (voice)2022 Elvis Hank Snow Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind Kano (voice) Animated film 2025 Spit Johnny Spitieri TBA Subversion Post-production TBA Zac Power TBA Filming

Television

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Faramir2007300: March to GloryDilios, Narrator

Other appearances

Awards and nominations

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actor in Television Drama for Simone de Beauvoir's Babies (1997) – winner Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actor in Television Drama for Answered by Fire (2006) – winner Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for 300 (2007) – nominated