Hugo Weaving facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hugo Weaving AO
Weaving in 2018
Born	Hugo Wallace Weaving (1960-04-04) 4 April 1960 (age 65) Ibadan, British Nigeria
Citizenship	United Kingdom (from parents)
Education	National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1980–present
Partner(s)	Katrina Greenwood (1984‍–‍present)
Children	2, including Harry Greenwood
Relatives	Samara Weaving (niece)

Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is a famous British and Australian actor. He has won many awards for his acting, including six AACTA Awards, which are like the Australian Oscars.

Hugo Weaving was born in Colonial Nigeria to British parents. He has lived in Australia for most of his life and career. He became well-known for his roles in Australian films like Proof (1991) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). He won his first AACTA Award for Proof.

Later, Hugo Weaving became famous around the world. He played Agent Smith in The Matrix movies (1999–2003). He was also Elrond in The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) trilogies. Other big roles include the main character in V for Vendetta (2005) and Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

Besides acting in person, Hugo Weaving has also done a lot of voice acting. He voiced Rex the sheepdog in Babe (1995) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998). He was also the voice of Noah in Happy Feet (2006) and Happy Feet Two (2011). In the Transformers movies, he voiced Megatron (2007–2011). He even voiced Agent Smith and Elrond in video games based on the movies.

Early Life and Education

Hugo Weaving was born on April 4, 1960, in Ibadan, Colonial Nigeria. His parents were British. His mother, Anne Lennard, was a tour guide and teacher. His father, Wallace Weaving, was a seismologist, someone who studies earthquakes.

When Hugo was one year old, his family moved back to the United Kingdom. They lived in places like Bedford and Brighton. Later, they moved to Australia, then South Africa, and then back to the UK again.

While in the UK, he went to The Downs School near Bristol. In 1973, he acted in one of his first plays, The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew. His family moved back to Sydney, Australia, in 1976. He finished school at Knox Grammar School. In 1981, he graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, which is a famous acting school.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Roles and Australian Success

Hugo Weaving's first TV role was in 1984. He played the English cricket captain Douglas Jardine in the Australian TV series Bodyline. He also appeared in other Australian shows like The Dirtwater Dynasty (1988) and Bangkok Hilton (1989) with Nicole Kidman.

In 1991, he won his first "Best Actor" award from the Australian Film Institute for his role in Proof. In this movie, he played a blind photographer. He also played a drag queen named Mitzi Del Bra in the popular 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In 1998, he won another "Best Actor" award for his role in The Interview.

Becoming a Global Star

Hugo Weaving became internationally famous when he played the mysterious Agent Smith in the 1999 film The Matrix. He played this role again in the sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003.

Hugo Weaving at The Matrix Revolutions premiere in 2003

He also gained a lot of praise for his role as Elrond, the half-elven lord, in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies (2001-2003). In 2005, he starred as the main character, V, in the movie V for Vendetta. He worked again with the Wachowskis, who created The Matrix films.

Hugo Weaving at The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King premiere in 2003

In 2007, Hugo Weaving voiced Megatron in the live-action Transformers movie. He continued to voice Megatron in the sequels. He also played Detective Francis Abberline in The Wolfman (2010).

In 2009, it was announced that he would return as Elrond in The Hobbit films, which are prequels to The Lord of the Rings. He officially joined the cast in 2011.

In 2010, Hugo Weaving had another big voice role in Legend of the Guardians. He voiced two different owls, Noctus and Grimble. In the same year, Marvel Studios confirmed he would play the villain Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger. This movie was released in 2011.

Recent Work

Hugo Weaving at Sydney Film Festival in 2013

In 2012, Hugo Weaving was part of the cast for Cloud Atlas, a movie based on a novel. He played several different characters in this film. He also returned to the stage, starring in a new version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in Sydney.

He appeared in several Australian films in 2012 and 2013, including the thriller Mystery Road and the prison drama Healing. In 2013, he also acted in The Turning. He continued his theater work, starring in Waiting For Godot for the Sydney Theatre Company.

In 2014, he played the main role in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Macbeth. His performance was highly praised. In 2015, he joined the cast of the film Jasper Jones.

More recently, in 2018, Hugo Weaving starred as Thaddeus Valentine in Mortal Engines. He also appeared in the TV miniseries Patrick Melrose. In 2020, he starred in the play The Visit.

Since 2021, Hugo Weaving has been starring as Glen Mathieson in the Australian TV series Love Me. In 2024, he played Frank Harkness in season 4 of Slow Horses.

Other Interests

Since 2004, Hugo Weaving has been an ambassador for Voiceless, an Australian organization that works to protect animals. He helps promote their work and supports their efforts. He is also on the board of the Adelaide Film Festival.

Personal Life

Hugo Weaving has been in a relationship with Katrina Greenwood since 1984. They live in Sydney and have two children: Harry Greenwood, who is also an actor, and Holly Greenwood, an artist.

Hugo Weaving has a brother and a sister. His niece, Samara Weaving, is also an actress who has worked in Australia and America. Both Hugo and Samara appeared in the 2013 film Mystery Road. His younger niece, Morgan Weaving, has also acted in Australian TV shows.

Awards and Recognition

Hugo Weaving has received many awards for his acting throughout his career.

• 1991 – Australian Film Institute Awards, Best Actor in a Lead Role: Proof
• 1998 – Australian Film Institute Awards, Best Actor in a Lead Role: The Interview
• 2005 – Australian Film Institute Awards, Best Actor in a Lead Role: Little Fish
• 2007 – The Constellation Awards, Best Male Performance in a Science Fiction Film: V for Vendetta
• 2011 – Sydney Theatre Award, Best Supporting Actor: Uncle Vanya
• 2012 – Helen Hayes Award, Best Supporting Performer: Uncle Vanya
• 2018 – Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play, for Arturo Ui in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
• 2018 – Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film: Patrick Melrose
• 2020 – Fargo Film Festival, Best Actor: Hearts and Bones
• 2020 – Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia
• 2024 – AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama: Love Me
• 2024 – AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role: The Rooster

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Video Game Voice Roles

Theatre Performances

See also

In Spanish: Hugo Weaving para niños