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James Mackay

b. 1984

Australian actor

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About James Mackay

Born 1984. James Mackay is an Australian film actor, stage actor, composer and television actor.

James Wilson Mackay (born 20 July 1984) is an Australian actor known for The CW television series Dynasty, as well as roles in films and on stage.

Early life Mackay attended Sydney Grammar School in Sydney, Australia, where he first started acting in school plays.

Mackay studied at the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in history and English literature, before training as an actor at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth.

He is the son of Hugh Mackay.

Career Stage In 2013 Mackay played Irwin in the Alan Bennett play The History Boys at the Sydney Opera House, alongside John Wood, Heather Mitchell and Paul Goddard. In 2012 he performed with the Sydney Theatre Company as Danceny in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, with Hugo Weaving and Pamela Rabe.

Mackay was an artistic associate of independent theatre company Cry Havoc. He worked on two shows with the company, William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in 2009 (playing Marc Antony), and Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters in 2010 (playing Andrey), for which he also collaborated on an original music score.

In 2021, he starred as Orlando in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of As You Like It.

Film and television Mackay appeared as William Beaumont in the 2015 Australian film The Dressmaker with Kate Winslet, Sarah Snook, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth and Hugo Weaving.

Other credits include Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, and The Lovers, directed by Palme d'Or winner and Oscar nominee Roland Joffé. Mackay also played roles in the 2012 horror-thriller Redd Inc (released as Inhuman Resources in the US), Matchbox Pictures’ series The Straits, a crime drama filmed in Cairns and the Torres Straits, and the 2012 television comedy Micro Nation. He has had guest starring roles on Love Child, The Tomorrow People and The Leftovers.

In 2014, he starred in and composed the music for the short film Manny Gets Censored, narrated by Hugo Weaving.

In 2016 and 2017, he had roles in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Hacksaw Ridge, and Battle of the Sexes.

From 2017-2019, he played the role of Steven Carrington on The CW's Dynasty reboot.

In 2021, he was cast in the film The Girl at the Window. In 2022, it was announced that he had joined the cast of the mini-series Savage River, co-starring with Katherine Langford. The project reunites him with The Dressmaker director Jocelyn Moorhouse.

Awards In June 2013 Mackay was the recipient of the fifth annual Australians in Film Heath Ledger Scholarship.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title RoleNotes 2010 Rescue: Special Ops Saxon Blake Episode: "Out of the Ashes" 2012 The Straits Joel Thomson 5 episodes Micro Nation Lindsay McFadden Episode: "Meet Pullamawang" 2014 The Tomorrow People Julian Masters Episodes: "Enemy of My Enemy", "Rumble" 2017 The Leftovers Bernard Episode: "G'Day Melbourne" Love Child Lance Episode: "Episode Three" (Season 4) 2017–2019, 2022 Dynasty Steven Carrington Series regular (season 1–2), guest (season 5) 2022 Savage River Simon Series regular

Theatre

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Sydney, Sydney Grammar School, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Also known as
James Wilson Mackay

People in James Mackay's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Mackay's

Frequently asked questions

Who is James Mackay?

Australian actor

When was James Mackay born?

James Mackay was born on 20 July 1984 in Sydney.

What is James Mackay's occupation?

James Mackay is a film actor, stage actor, composer and television actor.

What nationality is James Mackay?

James Mackay is Australian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Mackay

· Wikidata: Q16223245

· DBpedia: James Mackay (actor)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Mackay. https://biography.guide/james-mackay-film-actor/

MLA: "James Mackay." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-mackay-film-actor/.

Chicago: "James Mackay." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-mackay-film-actor/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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