Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman: How Australian stars found fame

THEY started as Aussie soap stars and are now Hollywood heavyweights. We take a look at how Australian actors made it big in Tinseltown.

Nicole Kidman - Australia

Hollywood has always been the entertainment industry that loves Australian imports. Aussie talent has been flocking to the bright lights of Hollywood from as far back as the early 1900s, and now it seems Australians are flavour of the month more than ever before. Errol Flynn became one of the most famous and desired men in the late 1930s as the charming, swashbuckling, Robin Hood. Fast-forward to today, and the same thing could be said of the “Hemsworth effect”.

What is it about Aussie actors that are so irresistible? While many American actors arrive on the scene fresh from a modelling agency, it’s not uncommon for Australians to train at one of the country’s prestigious drama schools, like the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) or the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). More often than not, they’ve also spent a good amount of time starring on soaps like Home and Away or Neighbours, cutting their teeth on small budgets, long days and questionable plot lines. When they land in America, they’ve already got some solid experience up their sleeve and are prepared for the long, tough battle that’s required to attain Hollywood glory. Here's how Australia's most prominent talents managed to crack the notoriously difficult industry.

NICOLE KIDMAN

Debut: Her first feature film role was in the 1983 Aussie flop Bush Christmas, at age 14.

Big break: It took Dead Calm (1989), a psychological thriller co-starring Sam Neill and Billy Zane, to win the praise of global audiences and critics.

Career highlights: She has been nominated for four Academy Awards, 12 Golden Globes, and nine SAG Awards, and in 2003 Kidman won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours. But 2017 was her year. She started 2017 with a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Lion and finished it with a Golden Globe and an Emmy win for Best Actress in a Miniseries for Big Little Lies. She’s proven time and time again as one of the world’s best acting talents.  

HUGH JACKMAN

Debuted: In 1995 Jackman landed a role in a 10-part drama series Correlli on ABC, where he met his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness.

Big break: Jackman’s portrayal of Logan/ Wolverine in the 2000 blockbuster X-Men shot him to instant fame.

Career highlights: Jackman hung up his claws after playing Wolverine a total of nine times, the last of which was in the 2017 gritty spinoff Logan. He was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 2013 for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and won praise for his performances in The Prestige (2006) and Prisoners (2013).

CATE BLANCHETT

Debuted: Years before she was an Oscar winner, Cate Blanchett was The Tim Tam Girl, appearing in ads on the telly.

Big break: She received her first Best Actress Oscar nomination for her starring role in 1998's Elizabeth, cementing her place in Hollywood.

Career highlights: She was one of the few female stars in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), playing the commandingly ethereal Elf Queen Galadriel. Her commitment to strong female roles has earned a total of seven Oscar nominations — she won Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator in 2004 and Best Actress for Blue Jasmine in 2014.

CHRIS HEMSWORTH

Debuted: Chris Hemsworth cut his teeth playing Kim Hyde on Home And Away from 2004-2007, and also competed on Dancing With The Stars in 2006.

Big break: The world fell in love with him as the mighty Norse god Thor in all three Marvel movies.

Career highlights: Aside from all three Thor movies, he also starred as an axe-wielding huntsman in The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016) and proved his acting versatility in Rush (2013) as English race car driver James Hunt.  

MARGOT ROBBIE

Debuted: Robbie starred as girl-next-door Donna on Neighbours from 2008-2011.

Big break: She exploded into Hollywood with her breakthrough performance as the beautiful wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort in the 2013 film The Wolf Of Wall Street.

Career highlights: Robbie transformed what was supposed to be a forgettable role —  described in Terence Winter’s script as the “hottest blonde ever” —  into a memorable, fiery performance in The Wolf Of Wall Street. Since then, she’s proven her acting abilities in 12 Years A Slave (2013), Suicide Squad (2016), and the new figure-skating biopic I, Tonya (2017).

ISLA FISHER

Debuted: She appeared on the children’s adventure series Bay Cove, before playing Shannon Reed for three years on Home And Away.

Big break: Fisher’s big break was her sexually aggressive character Gloria Cleary in Wedding Crashers in 2005.

Career highlights: Her most memorable performance remains Wedding Crashers, although she has starred in a slew of successful films, including comedies Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016), as well as Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (2013) and Tom Ford’s lurid psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals (2016).

SAM WORTHINGTON

Debuted: He says he initially had no intention of becoming an actor, but by chance Worthington found himself studying at NIDA. Shortly after graduation, scored a major role in Somersault (2004), which won him the AFI Award for Best Male Actor.

Big break: Sam Worthington catapulted to international stardom when Hollywood director James Cameron cast him in the 2009 blockbuster hit Avatar.

Career highlights: Since Avatar, Worthington has played the driven heroes of Terminator: Salvation (2009), Clash of the Titans (2010) and the tough army captain of Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge (2016).

RUSSELL CROWE

Debuted: He cut his teeth on some small Australian roles including Neighbours, Proof and Romper Stomper.

Big break: Crowe earned Hollywood’s admiration starring alongside fellow Aussie Guy Pearce in 1997’s L.A. Confidential, but it was his role as an honorable Roman general struggling to survive in the kill-or-be-killed arena of Gladiator in 2000 that made the world take notice. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film.

Career highlights: Russell followed up his Oscar win with another nomination for A Beautiful Mind in 2001. He has starred in a number of blockbusters including Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World in 2003, Les Misérables in 2012, Man Of Steel in 2013, The Water Diviner in 2014 and The Mummy in 2017.

BAZ LUHRMANN

Debuted: Strictly Ballroom started out as a student film at NIDA with only a $50 budget, but ended up becoming one of the most successful films Australia has produced. Adapted from his stage play, the modern Australian fairytale launched Luhrmann’s to Australian and the world.

Big break: Luhrmann’s name hit Hollywood with the modern take on Shakespeare’s tale Romeo + Juliet (1996) and the high octane Moulin Rouge! (2001),

Career highlights: Luhrmann has continued to dazzle audiences with hit such as the big-budget historical drama Australia (2008) and The Great Gatsby (2013), both filmed on his home soil.

SAM NEILL

Debuted: He is one of New Zealand’s big Hollywood actors, but cut his teeth in the 1977 local film Sleeping Dogs. Shortly after, he hopped across the ditch to star in Australian romance My Brilliant Career (1979), alongside Judy Davis.

Big break: Neill's profile skyrocketed in 1993 with breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park.

Career highlights: He has enjoyed an illustrious career of almost unparalleled versatility, including everything from the blockbusters Jurassic Park (I and III), to the art house Oscar-winner The Piano (1993), last year’s indie hit Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and television shows ranging from Merlin to The Tudors and most recently Peaky Blinders.

ROSE BYRNE

Debuted: As a 13-year-old she starred in the film Dallas Doll, and later appeared in Australian television shows Heartbreak High and Echo Point.

Big break: Byrne steadily built her career with supporting roles in blockbusters like Star Wars: Episode II — Attack Of The Clones (2002), as well as a five-year stint on US show Damages. But 2011 was her big year, with groundbreaking roles in both Bridesmaids and X-Men: First Class.

Career highlights: Outside Bridesmaids, she’s proven her affinity with comedy including The Internship (2013), Bad Neighbours (1&2), Spy (2015) and the upcoming Instant Family, where she stars alongside Mark Wahlberg. Grittier roles like playing Bradley Cooper's wife in The Place Beyond The Pines (2012) demonstrate her range of talent.

LIAM HEMSWORTH

Debuted: Like his brother Luke, Liam scored a role on Neighbours, playing the athletic paraplegic Josh Taylor, a recurring character from 2007 to 2008.

Big break: Playing  Miley Cyrus’ love interest in 2010's The Last Song earned him the hearts and imaginations of teenage girls worldwide, as well as an off-screen romance with Cyrus.

Career highlights: Liam scored the role of Gale Hawthorne in the teen dystopian The Hunger Games franchise, and starred in all four movies. In 2016 he starred as the hunk/ fighter pilot in Independence Day: Resurgence.

JOEL EDGERTON

Debuted: Edgerton won the hearts of Australian audiences when he played character Will on The Secret Life Of Us, for which he won an AACTA Award in 2002.

Big break: He received critical acclaim for his role in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film The Great Gatsby, as well as Animal Kingdom (2010) and Warrior (2011).

Career highlights: In addition to his soaring success in The Great Gatsby, Edgerton was nominated for a Golden Globe award for his portrayal of Richard Loving in the 2016 British-American historical film Loving. In 2015 he debuted The Gift, which he wrote, produced and directed as well as taking on a lead role.

NAOMI WATTS

Debuted: She debuted on the big screen in the 1986 film For Love Alone.

Big break: Her career took off thanks to a stellar performance in David Lynch’s 2001 thriller Mulholland Drive.

Career highlights: With two Oscar nominations (21 Grams in 2003 and The Impossible in 2012), numerous box-office hits (King Kong, The Ring, The Divergent Series), and breakthrough roles in critically acclaimed smaller-budget flicks (Birdman, Mulholland Drive), Naomi Watts has well and truly earned her place in Hollywood.

MEL GIBSON

Debuted: Before Mad Max, Gibson made his film debut in the 1977 film Summer City, while he was still a student at NIDA.

Big break: Dystopian film Mad Max (1979) was the US-born Gibson’s big break. He also came to attention in Australian WWI movie classic, 1981’s Gallipoli.

Career highlights: Mel directed, produced and starred in Braveheart in 1995, which won Best Picture and Best Director Oscars. After the success of Lethal Weapon (1987), Ransom (1996), and The Patriot (2000), his returned to directing bring one the the bloodiest battles of World War II to the big screen in Hacksaw Ridge (2016).

BEN MENDELSOHN

Debuted: He starred in the television series The Henderson Kids alongside Kylie Minogue.

Big break: Mendelsohn shot to international fame thanks to his role in the explosive crime drama Animal Kingdom (2010).

Career highlights: Mendelsohn has played roles in blockbuster films such as The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Starred Up (2013), Mississippi Grind (2015), and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). In 2016 he won an Emmy for his scene-stealing portrayal of the black sheep in a dysfunctional Florida family in the Netflix series Bloodline.

Originally published as Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman: How Australian stars found fame