Colin Friels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colin Friels
Colin Friels in 2009
Born	(1952-09-25) 25 September 1952 (age 72) Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland
Education	National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Judy Davis ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	2

Colin Friels (born 25 September 1952) is a well-known Australian actor. He has appeared in many plays, TV shows, and movies. He is also a presenter.

Early Life and Moving to Australia

Colin Friels was born in Kilwinning, Scotland. His mother worked in a mill and polished furniture, and his father was a carpenter. When Colin was about 11 years old, in 1963, his family moved to Australia. They first arrived in Darwin and then settled in Bentleigh, a suburb of Melbourne. Before becoming an actor, he worked as a bricklayer's helper. He then went to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), a famous acting school, and finished his studies in 1976.

Colin's Acting Journey

Colin Friels started his acting career mostly in theatre and on television. In 1980, he was a presenter on the Australian children's TV show Play School. His first movie role was in Hoodwink (1981). In this film, he acted alongside Judy Davis, who would later become his wife.

In 1986, Colin played the main character in the movie Malcolm. He played a shy person who was a genius with machines. For this role, he won the AFI Award for Best Actor. He also won another AFI Award in 1995 for his role in the TV movie Hard Corps, which was part of the Halifax f.p. series.

Colin has played many different kinds of characters. He was a powerful business boss in the 1990 movie Darkman. From 1996 to 1999, he starred as Frank Holloway in the TV series Water Rats. This role earned him a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor in 1997.

Since 2003, Colin has played the main character, Jack Kempson, in the BlackJack series of TV movies. In 2018, he appeared in the TV miniseries Mystery Road, acting again with Judy Davis. In 2021, he was in the ABC series Total Control.

Colin's Life Outside of Acting

Colin Friels has been married to actress Judy Davis since 1984. They have two children, a son named Jack and a daughter named Charlotte.

In late 1997, Colin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Luckily, his treatment worked very well, and he made a full recovery. This is quite rare for this type of cancer. Even while he was getting treatment, he tried to keep working on Water Rats. However, the effects of chemotherapy made it too hard, so his character was written out of the show for a while. During this time, he also continued to perform in plays, including Macbeth for the Sydney Theatre Company.

Colin's Views on the World

Colin Friels believes that being an actor helps you understand social and political issues. He is known for speaking up about important topics, like how workplaces are run and how countries trade with each other. He has used his acting to highlight social issues. For example, in the movie Ground Zero, he played a cameraman looking into British nuclear testing in South Australia. He also played a union leader, John Coombs, in the TV drama Bastard Boys. These roles show his interest in real-world problems.

Colin's Work in Film

Colin Friels has appeared in many films. Here are a few examples:

Colin's Work in Television

Colin Friels has also starred in many television shows and movies. Here are some of them:

Colin's Work in Theatre

Colin Friels has a long history of performing in plays on stage. Here are a few examples of his theatre work:

Awards and Recognitions

Colin Friels has won several awards for his acting:

Images for kids

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  Colin Friels in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Colin Friels para niños