Bryan Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bryan Brown AM
Brown at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1947-06-23) 23 June 1947 (age 78) Panania, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1972–present
Spouse(s)	Rachel Ward ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	3, including Matilda

Bryan Neathway Brown is a famous Australian actor, born on June 23, 1947. He has been in more than eighty movies and TV shows since the late 1970s. He has worked both in Australia and in other countries. Some of his well-known movies include Breaker Morant (1980), Cocktail (1988), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), and Australia (2008). Bryan Brown was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for his role in the TV show The Thorn Birds (1983).

Early Life and First Steps

Bryan Brown grew up in Panania, a suburb in Sydney, Australia. His dad, John "Jack" Brown, was a salesman. His mom, Molly Brown, was a pianist and studied drama. Bryan has a younger sister named Kristine.

He first started working at a company called AMP. While there, he began acting in plays put on by amateur theatre groups. This is where he found his love for acting.

Becoming an Actor

From Stage to Screen

In 1972, Bryan Brown traveled to Britain. He got small roles at a famous theatre called the Old Vic. Later, he came back to Australia and joined the Genesian Theatre in Sydney. He performed in plays like A Man for All Seasons. In 1975, he joined the Queensland Theatre Company for a play called The Rainmaker.

Bryan Brown made his very first movie appearance in Scobie Malone (1975). He played a police officer and had only two lines.

Early Movies and TV Shows

In 1977, he had a main role in a short movie called The Love Letters from Teralba Road. He then took on smaller parts in movies like The Irishman (1978) and Newsfront (1978). He also appeared in the TV show Against the Wind (1978).

Bryan Brown got a main role in the movie Third Person Plural (1979). He also had important parts in The Odd Angry Shot (1979) and Cathy's Child (1979). In 1980, he starred in Palm Beach.

Big Breakthroughs

A major moment in Bryan Brown's career was in 1980. He became known to people around the world for his role in the movie Breaker Morant. This movie helped him become a well-known actor.

He then starred in Stir (1980) and Winter of Our Dreams (1981). In 1981, he had a huge international success in the TV show A Town Like Alice. This show became very popular in the United States.

Another big international success for Bryan Brown was his role as Luke O'Neil in The Thorn Birds (1983). He starred alongside Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward, who he later married. For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award.

International Success

After The Thorn Birds, Bryan Brown received many offers to work in other countries. He starred in a British TV movie called Kim (1984). He also acted with Paul McCartney in the movie Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984).

He returned to Australia for another TV show, Eureka Stockade (1984). In the UK, he played a character in Parker (1985). He also starred in Australian movies like The Empty Beach (1985) and Rebel (1985).

Bryan Brown took on the main role in the American action movie F/X (1986), which was a hit. He also starred in Tai-Pan (1986). He then made The Umbrella Woman (1987) with his wife, Rachel Ward. He also supported Tom Cruise in Cocktail (1988) and Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist (1989).

Back to Australia and Beyond

In Australia, Bryan Brown starred in the World War Two movie Blood Oath (1990). He also made a romantic comedy called Sweet Talker (1991). In the US, he appeared in F/X2 (1991), which was a sequel to F/X. He also acted in the TV movie Dead in the Water (1991).

He starred in a comedy with Dudley Moore, Blame It on the Bellboy (1992). He then appeared in thrillers like Devlin (1992) and The Last Hit (1993). In Age of Treason (1994), he played a detective in Ancient Rome. He also had the main role in a British TV series called The Wanderer (1994).

Bryan Brown returned to Australia to star in Dead Heart (1996), which he also helped produce. He played Ned Land in the 1997 TV show 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He also appeared in Two Hands (1999) with Heath Ledger.

He continued to act in many movies and TV shows, both in Australia and internationally. Some of these include Along Came Polly (2004), Australia (2008), and Gods of Egypt (2016). In 2014, he performed on stage for the Sydney Theatre Company in the play Travelling North.

In June 2024, it was announced that Bryan Brown would return to the TV series Darby and Joan (TV series) for its second season. He also appeared in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Writing and Producing

Bryan Brown has also become an author. His first mystery book, Sweet Jimmy, was published in 2021. He also narrated the audiobook version himself. His second book, The Drowning, was published in 2023, also with him narrating the audiobook.

He also has a production company that made TV shows like Twisted Tales and Two Twisted. These shows featured different stories in each episode.

Awards and Recognition

Bryan Brown has received many awards for his acting. He was added to the Logie Hall of Fame in 1989. He won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Breaker Morant (1980) and for Two Hands (1999). In 2024, he won a Logie Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Boy Swallows Universe.

In June 2005, Bryan Brown was made a Member of the Order of Australia. This honor was given to him for his work with charities that help families and young people, and for his contributions to the Australian film and television industry.

A theatre and function center in Bankstown, Sydney, was named the Bryan Brown Theatre & Function Centre in 2013. He also received the Longford Lyell Award at the AACTA Awards in 2018.

Family Life

Bryan Brown met his wife, Rachel Ward, in 1983 while they were filming the TV show The Thorn Birds. They got married a few months later. They have three children: Rosie, Matilda, and Joe.

Bryan Brown is also a strong supporter of Australian republicanism. This means he believes Australia should have its own head of state, rather than the King or Queen of the United Kingdom.

Movies and TV Shows

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Bryan Brown para niños