David Wenham (born 21 September 1965) is an Australian actor who has appeared in movies, television series and theatre productions. He is known in Hollywood for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Carl in Van Helsing, Dilios in 300 and its sequel 300: Rise of an Empire, Al Parker in Top of the Lake, and Lieutenant John Scarfield in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He is known in his native Australia for his role as Diver Dan in SeaChange.
Career[]
Wenham started his career as an actor after graduating from Theatre Nepean at the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Performing Arts) in 1987. Wenham's television credits include several telemovies, such as his AFI award-winning role in the 1996 telemovie 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 highly successful 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.
Australian films Wenham has starred in include the critically acclaimed The Boys (1998) based on the play of the same name premiered at 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 movie 300. 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 both Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and 300, Wenham's character is the sole survivor returned from an ill-fated battle (the Battle at Osgiliath and the Battle of Thermopylae, respectively). He reprises his role of Dilios in the videogame 300: March to Glory for Sony PlayStation Portable, which contains a substantial amount of new dialogue.
In 2009, he again took 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 TV 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.
Wenham plays New Zealand detective Al Parker 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.
Wenham played the role of the villain Harold Meachum in the Netflix original TV series Iron Fist, which premiered in March 2017.
In 2018, Wenham roles the voice of Johnny Town-Mouse in Peter Rabbit.
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Greenkeeping | Trevor | |
| 1992 | Seeing Red | Frank | |
| 1994 | Gino | Trevor | |
| 1994 | Tran the Man | Raymond "Tran" Moss | Short film |
| 1994 | No Escape | Hotel Guard No. 2 | |
| 1995 | Roses Are Red | Brian | |
| 1996 | Cosi | Doug | |
| 1996 | Idiot Box | Bank Teller | |
| 1998 | The Boys | Brett Sprague | |
| 1998 | Dark City | Schreber's Assistant | |
| 1998 | A Little Bit of Soul | Dr. Richard Shorkinghorn | |
| 1999 | Molokai: The Story of Father Damien | Father Damien | |
| 2000 | Better Than Sex | Josh | |
| 2001 | Russian Doll | Ethan | |
| 2001 | Moulin Rouge! | Audrey | |
| 2001 | The Bank | Jim Doyle | |
| 2001 | Dust | Luke | |
| 2002 | The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course | Sam Flynn | |
| 2002 | Pure | Lenny | |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Faramir | |
| 2003 | Gettin' Square | Johnny Spitieri | |
| 2003 | Basilisk Stare | Dave | |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Faramir | |
| 2004 | Van Helsing | Friar Carl | |
| 2004 | Van Helsing: The London Assignment | Friar Carl | |
| 2005 | Three Dollars | Eddie Harnovey | |
| 2005 | The Proposition | Eden Fletcher | |
| 2006 | 300 | Dilios | |
| 2008 | Married Life | John O'Brien | |
| 2008 | The Children of Huang Shi | Barnes | |
| 2008 | Australia | Neil Fletcher | |
| 2009 | Public Enemies | Harry Pierpont | |
| 2009 | Pope Joan | Gerold | |
| 2010 | Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole | Digger (voice) | |
| 2010 | Oranges and Sunshine | Len | |
| 2014 | 300: Rise of an Empire | Dilios | |
| 2015 | Paper Planes | Patrick | |
| 2015 | Blinky Bill the Movie | Jacko (voice) | |
| 2015 | Force of Destiny | Robert | Filming |
| 2016 | Goldstone | Johnny | |
| 2016 | Lion | John Brierley | |
| 2017 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales[14] | Lieutenant John Scarfield | |
| 2017 | Ellipsis | - | Director |
| 2018 | Peter Rabbit | Johnny Town-Mouse (voice) | |
| 2018 | In Like Flynn | Christian Travers | |
| TBA | Dirt Music | Jim Buckridge | Filming |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | A Country Practice | Ambulanceman 1 | Episode: "Mozart Rules – Part 1" |
| 1987 | Sons and Daughters | Debt Collector | Episode: "#1.954" |
| 1988 | A Country Practice | Scott Galbraith | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Come In Spinner | Australian soldier | Mini-series |
| 1991 | Police Rescue | Ferret | Episode: "The Cosmic Lightbeam" |
| 1992 | A Country Practice | David Cornish | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Blue Heelers | William Cassidy | Episode: "The Folly of Youth" |
| 1996 | Blue Heelers | Robbie Doyle | Episode: "Happy Families" |
| 1997 | Return to Jupiter | Dr. Ghrobak | 2 episodes |
| 1998–1999 | SeaChange | Dan Della Bosca | 15 episodes |
| 2004 | The Brush-Off | Murray Whelan | Telemovie |
| 2006 | Answered by Fire | Mark Waldman | Two-part mini-series |
| 2009 | Deadliest Warrior | Narrator | Credited as "Drew Skye" |
| 2011 | Killing Time | Andrew Fraser | 10 episodes |
| 2012 | Dripping in Chocolate | Bennett O'Mara | |
| 2013, 2017 | Top of the Lake | Al Parker | 7 episodes |
| 2013 | Better Man | Julian McMahon | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | The Code | Ian Bradley | 6 episodes |
| 2015 | Banished | Captain Arthur Phillip, 1st Governor of New South Wales | |
| 2015 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Himself | Series 7, Episode 4 |
| 2017 | Iron Fist | Harold Meachum | 10 episodes |
| 2018 | Romper Stomper | Jago Zoric | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | Les Norton | Price Galese | 10 episodes |
Video game[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 300: March to Glory | Dilios, Narrator |
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