Toby Schmitz

Toby Schmitz (born 4 May 1977) is an Australian actor, playwright, director and novelist.

Early life Schmitz was born in Perth, Western Australia, where he was raised in the suburb of Swanbourne, He attended Perth's Scotch College, where he performed in a school production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

At the age of 15, Schmitz met comic performer Tim Minchin at Midnite Youth Theatre Company, where they first performed together in a production of The Wind in the Willows in 1992.

Career

Theatre Schmitz has performed in numerous stage productions for Sydney Theatre Company, Company B at Belvoir St Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company. His STC credits include The School for Scandal directed by Judy Davis and the premiere and national tour of David Williamson's The Great Man directed by Robyn Nevin. He has also had leading roles in George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara, Andrew Upton's Hanging Man, Tony McNamara's The Great, Nina Raine's Rabbit and Tom Stoppard's Travesties. Several of these productions toured interstate.

Schmitz appeared in the 2000 premiere of Brendan Cowell's Men for Rogue Star Productions at Sydney's Old Fitzroy Theatre. Cowell, on the search for a “suave and cocky” actor, cast Schmitz in the play after encountering him at an STC audition, marking the beginning of regular collaborations, including Schmitz appearing in a lead role in Cowell's Self Esteem in 2007 and playing the title role in Ruben Guthrie for Company B in 2008 and 2009. The Marvellous Boy (2005) and The Emperor of Sydney (2006), all directed by David Berthold. He then played the eponymous character Hamlet in the successful 2010 La Boite Theatre production in Brisbane, directed by David Berthold.

Schmitz played the lead role of Elyot Chase in Noël Coward's Private Lives, to packed audiences in Sydney and Canberra in 2012. The same year, he appeared in Strange Interlude,

In 2022, Schmitz took on the role of Benedick in Bell Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Later that year and into 2023, he began playing Emperor Joseph II, alongside Michael Sheen as Salieri, in a production of Amadeus at the Sydney Opera House. For one performance in January, he played the role of Salieri.

Schmitz played the dual roles of Dad and Crow in his adaptation of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers for Belvoir.

Television Schmitz's first television appearance was in the drama series Sweat in 1996, playing the role of Cameron, opposite Heath Ledger and Martin Henderson.

Beginning in 2004, Schmitz had a lead role as Gabe Francobelli in short-lived series The Cooks. In 2010, he scored a role in the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks-produced war drama miniseries The Pacific. The same year, he played the part of Barry Humphries, opposite Asher Keddie as Ita Buttrose, in two-part miniseries Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo. Schmitz then teamed up with Angus Sampson in 2012, for Season 1 of the Australian word game Randling, hosted by Andrew Denton on ABC1.

In 2014, Schmitz joined an ensemble cast in Starz American action-adventure series Black Sails, as historical pirate John Rackham. The series was written to be a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island. He played the role for all four seasons of the series. portraying Lewis Hughes.

In 2020, Schmitz had a recurring role as John in Bloom. The same year, he was in miniseries Reckoning, playing opposite Sam Trammell and Aden Young as John Ainsworth. In 2021, he featured in Mexican horror S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies and the following year appeared in the first season of 2022 series The Twelve, playing the role of Otto Bell.

In 2024, Schmitz played corrupt detective Tim Cotton, opposite Simon Baker, Bryan Brown, Travis Fimmel and Phoebe Tonkin in miniseries Boy Swallows Universe, based on Trent Dalton's 2018 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name.

Schmitz's other television credits include McLeod's Daughters, The Heartbreak Tour, White Collar Blue, Water Rats, Fat Cow Motel, Home and Away and Temptation. In 2004, he had a minor role in romantic drama Somersault with Abbie Cornish and Sam Worthington, and played Gary opposite Matthew Newton and Ewen Leslie in Right Here Right Now, which he also co-wrote and co-produced, together with Newton.

In 2006, Schmitz played the role of Trent in Solo, opposite Colin Friels and Vince Colosimo. The film played at numerous international film festivals and won awards including the 11th FIPRESCI International Critics Award at the London Film Festival.

In 2010, Schmitz appeared in romantic superhero comedy/drama film Griff the Invisible opposite Ryan Kwanten. The following year he played lead character and narrator Goodchild in LBF (an acronym for 'Living Between Fucks').

Writing and directing Schmitz is also a playwright. After a solid grounding in writing revue and stand-up comedy at university in Perth, Schmitz wrote his first play, dreamalittledreamalittle, while studying acting at NIDA. It was presented there in 1998 and was later restaged at Belvoir St Theatre.

In 2007, Schmitz wrote and directed Capture the Flag for Tamarama Rock Surfers.

Schmitz's first novel, The Empress Murders, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2025.

Personal life Schmitz's former partner is actress Ella Scott Lynch. They share a daughter who was born in May 2016.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video game Year Title Role Notes 2000 Warlords Battlecry Voice Video game

Theatre

As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1992 The Wind in the Willows Ferret Midnite Youth Theatre Co 2008 Rabbit Richard 2011–2012 The Wild Duck Gregers Werle Belvoir, Sydney, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Nationaltheatret, Oslo with Belvoir 2017 The Rover Willmore Belvoir, Sydney 2018 Wild Man Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC Toby Schmitz Live Solo show 2019 The Real Thing Sydney Opera House with STC 2007; 2011 Capture the Flag Playwright / Director Old Fitzroy Hotel, Sydney with Tamarama Rock Surfers & Australian regional tour with Playwriting Australia 2017 This Much is True Director Old Fitzroy Hotel, Sydney, Riverside Theatres Parramatta with Red Line Productions 2003 Chicks Will Dig You! NSW Philip Parsons Fellowship for Emerging Playwrights Young Playwright's Award Ruben Guthrie Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Play Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role of a Mainstage production 2012 I Want To Sleep With Tom Stoppard Sydney Theatre Awards Best New Australian Work 2014 Howie the Rookie Best Direction of an Independent Production 2019 Degenerate Art AWGIE Awards Stage Award 2025 Grief is the Thing with Feathers Sydney Theatre Awards Best New Australian Work