Brandon Walters facts for kids

Brandon Walters (born January 16, 1996) is an Indigenous Australian actor. He is well-known for his role as Nullah in the 2008 movie Australia.

About Brandon Walters

Brandon Walters is an actor from Australia. He became famous for his first big role in the movie Australia. He has also appeared in several TV shows.

Early Life and Overcoming Challenges

Brandon Walters was born on January 16, 1996, in Broome, Western Australia. When he was six years old, he faced a big challenge. He was diagnosed with a serious illness called leukaemia. After spending a year in a hospital in Perth in 2003, he bravely overcame the illness.

Becoming a Star in Australia

The director of the movie Australia, Baz Luhrmann, was looking for a young Aboriginal boy for the role of Nullah. He had been searching for over a year.

The Casting Process

In 2007, one of the film's casting directors saw Brandon with his father at a swimming pool in Broome. Brandon also responded to an Australia-wide radio call for auditions. Later, he received a letter from Baz Luhrmann, who was very interested in him.

Brandon had never left Western Australia before. He and other boys who auditioned were flown to Sydney. They attended acting workshops at Fox Studios Australia. Brandon and his family even went camping with Luhrmann at Broome's Eighty Mile Beach. This was when Brandon decided to take the role in the film.

Working with Famous Actors

When Brandon joined the cast, he had not heard of the movie's stars, Nicole Kidman or Hugh Jackman. He had only seen a few films. However, Baz Luhrmann said Brandon had "natural cinematic chemistry."

Nicole Kidman and Brandon were shy when they first met. But they quickly became close on the set. Nicole Kidman said she felt very protective of him. She and Luhrmann reportedly set up a special fund for Brandon's future.

Baz Luhrmann also chose Brandon for a Tourism Australia advertising campaign. For his performance as Nullah, Brandon won a Satellite Award for New Talent. He was also nominated for other awards, like Best Young Actor.

Other Acting Roles

Brandon also starred in the first season of the ABC3 TV series Bushwhacked! in 2012.

In 2020, Brandon Walters appeared in two more television series. These were the comedy-drama Operation Buffalo and the mystery series Mystery Road.