Roy Billing

Roy Harwood Billing (born 1947) is a New Zealand television actor. Now based on Waiheke Island, he was brought up in Ruawai, Northland. Billing spent almost three decades living and working in Australia. He became widely known for his role as organised-crime boss "Aussie Bob" Trimbole in the TV series Underbelly.

Career In 1965, Billing formed a psychedelic rock band called the Ministry of Fog. After a short period at university doing a science degree, he dropped out and had a job at Inland Revenue. After three years he moved into advertising, joining Auckland agencies Jacka Brown and later, McCann Erickson. He said that "For a long time, I was stuck in accounts when I really wanted to be in creative."

After hobby stints in amateur theatre and Theatre Corporate, founding director Raymond Hawthorne offered him a job with a state theatre program, Theatre in Education, working with high schools throughout the North Island. Billing left advertising to take up the less lucrative new role at the age of 30. It was the beginning of his life as an actor. He aid "Looking back now, I don’t know how I managed it. Theatre in Education was actually quite a hard job. We travelled around the country going to schools and trying to engage students in the concepts of drama, and of course they didn’t want to know about it."

In 2009, Billing played Griffith drug lord Robert "Aussie Bob" Trimbole in the high-rating drama series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, starring alongside Matthew Newton. He also starred in the film Charlie and Boots. He played the part of Chief Dufflepud in the 2010 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as well as a recurring character in the Nine Network police drama Cops L.A.C..

He started acting with Theatre Corporate, Auckland, in the late 1970s. Early roles in New Zealand were in Sea Urchins a 1980-84 TV series, the 1982 films The Scarecrow and Beyond Reasonable Doubt, the 1985 film Came a Hot Friday, and as Captain Gordon Vette in the 1988 miniseries Erebus: The Aftermath.

In 2013, he appeared in the New Zealand television comedy Agent Anna, for which he agreed to be paid at New Zealand rates.

In 2020, Billing starred in the Australian comedy-drama film Never Too Late.

Billing returned to New Zealand to live in late 2019. On 22 June 2025, Billing was named in the cast for Paramount Plus series Two Years Later.

Awards

In 1999, Billing was nominated in the 'Best Actor in a Supporting Role' award at the AFI Awards for his role in Siam Sunset. In 2009, Billing won the 'Best Actor in a Television Drama' award at the AFI Awards, and was nominated for the 'Outstanding Actor' award at the 2010 Logies for his role in Underbelly.

Billing's career achievements were honoured in 2009 when he was inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame.

On 26 January 2015, Billing was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the performing arts, particularly as an actor, and to the community".

In 2015, Billing became the first person to be honoured with a star on Winton's Walk of Fame which was revealed during The Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival in Winton, Queensland.

Charity work Billing is a national ambassador for the cancer charity Dry July and has supported the charity for over 4 years.

Filmography

Film

Television YearFilmRoleOther notes1978 The Park Terrace Murder Father Chevier TV film1980 Mortimer's Patch Ron Bailey TV series, 1 episode Sea Urchins Sharky TV movie 1981 Under the Mountain Wilberforce Family member (disguised slug monster) TV series, 5 episodes 1982 Loose Enz Thurston TV series, 1 episode 1983 An Age Apart Passenger TV series, 1 episode 1984 Inside Straight George McLean TV series, 9 episodes Iris (aka Out of Time)) John Wilkinson TV movie Children of the Dog Star Donald Kierney TV miniseries, 6 episodes 1984–85 Gliding On Perce TV series, 1 episode 1985 The Adventures of Terry Teo Shaddock TV series, 4 episodes 1988 Erebus: The Aftermath Captain Gordon Vette TV miniseries, 4 episodes 1991 Raider of the South Seas Ted Grundy TV series1991 Hampton Court Mr. Colloudos TV series, 13 episodes Police Rescue Myer TV series, 1 episode 1992 A Country Practice James Deeko TV series, 1 episode G.P. Bob Otranto TV series, 1 episode Hey Dad..! Dr. MacLean TV series, 1 episode 1993 Time Trax Mr. Miller TV series, 1 episode Minder DS Davis TV series, 1 episode 1994 Coverstory Detective Inspector Clark TV series, 1 episode Over the Hill Short Bob TV series, 1 episode 1995 Mission Top Secret Superintendent Burke / Burke TV series, 3 episodes 1996 Home and Away John Clinton TV series, 3 episodes 1997 Big Sky Bob the Bookie / Barman TV series, 1 episode Water Rats Stan TV series, 1 episode 1998 Wildside Kennedy TV series, 2 episodes Murder Call Harry Polding TV series, Seaaon 2, episode 6: Cold Comfort 1998–2008 All Saints Barry Croft (1998) / Murray Blackwood (2004) / Darryl Hornby (2008) TV series, 5 episodes 1999 Dog's Head Bay Franco Poreini TV series, 3 episodes 2000 Variety Show at the End of the World War TV series, 1 episode 2001 When Good Ghouls Go Bad Mayor Bob Churney TV movie 2001–06 Blue Heelers Senior Constable Ian Goss TV series, 5 episodes 2002 Bad Cop, Bad Cop Assistant Commissioner 'Pud' Tugwell TV series, 2 episodes Dossa and Joe Charlie TV series, 1 episode 2002–03 Always Greener Eddie McGill TV series, 4 episodes Don't Blame the Koalas Principal TV series, 13 episodes 2003 Fat Cow Motel Bill Butler TV series, 13 episodes The Strip Douglas Collins TV series, 8 episodes Skin & Bone Tupper TV movie2005 The Secret Life of Us Frank TV series, 1 episode Small Claims: White Wedding Ron Duffy TV movie A Very Barry Christmas Barry Buckley (voice) TV movie Hell Has Harbour Views Kevin Fields TV movie