Jack Thompson (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Thompson
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Thompson in 2014
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John Hadley Pain
31 August 1940 Manly, New South Wales, Australia
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Agent | DPN |
| Spouse(s) | Leona King |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards |
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John Hadley Thompson, AM, born as John Hadley Pain on 31 August 1940, is a famous Australian actor. He is a very important person in Australian cinema, especially during the time known as the Australian New Wave. He is well known for playing the main character in many popular Australian movies. These include classics like The Club (1980), Sunday Too Far Away (1975), The Man from Snowy River (1982), and Petersen (1974). He won awards at the Cannes Film Festival and from the AFI for his acting.
In 2002, he became an honorary member of the Australian Cinematographers Society. He also received a Living Legend Award in 2005 at the Inside Film Awards.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jack Thompson was born John Hadley Pain in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. When he was three years old, his mother passed away. His father, who was a merchant seaman, could not look after him and his brother, David.
Jack and his brother were sent to an orphanage called "LakeHouse" in Narrabeen by their aunt. Later, he was adopted by the poet and ABC radio host John Thompson and his wife, Pat. After being adopted, he changed his last name to Thompson. Jack is also the adopted brother of film reviewer Peter Thompson.
Thompson went to Sydney Boys High School. He left school when he was 14 years old. After leaving school, he worked as a jackaroo (a trainee on a sheep or cattle station) in the Northern Territory. He also took on other laboring jobs in New South Wales.
Acting Career
Starting in Theatre and TV
Jack Thompson decided to become a serious actor. He gave himself one year to make it happen. In 1963, he started studying at the University of Queensland. He later switched to an arts degree. At night, he performed in plays, including at the Twelfth Night Theatre and with the UQ Dramatic Society in Brisbane.
His acting skills grew at the Producers Authors Composers and Talent (PACT) Centre. He appeared on stage in a play called The Devils in 1968.
His TV career began with the soap opera Motel in 1968. He also made guest appearances on many other TV shows. These included Riptide, Woobinda, Animal Doctor, Skippy, and Homicide.
From 1971 to 1973, Thompson had a main role in the spy drama series Spyforce. He played a character named Erskine, who went on missions during World War II.
Becoming a Film Star
Jack Thompson made his first film appearance in That Lady from Peking in 1968. His first main role was in the TV movie Silo 15 (filmed in 1969, released in 1971). He also had a supporting role in Wake in Fright in 1971.
Thompson became a big Australian film star after playing the main character in Petersen (1974). This movie was very popular. He then starred in the highly praised film Sunday Too Far Away (1975), where he played a sheep shearer.
He also played the main role in Scobie Malone (1975). By this time, Thompson was famous in Australia for playing "macho" roles. He later said that these roles reflected the times.
Taking on Different Roles
Thompson then chose to play different kinds of characters. He wanted to avoid being typecast and show his range as an actor. He had a key supporting role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978).
He played the lead role in the comedy The Journalist (1979). In 1980, he was offered a role in Breaker Morant, directed by Bruce Beresford. Thompson ended up playing the lawyer, Major J.F. Thomas, and won Best Supporting Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for this role.
He then starred in The Club (1980). Thompson also went to New Zealand to make Bad Blood (1982). He had a supporting role in The Man from Snowy River (1982), playing Clancy.
International Movies
Thompson started working in international films. He supported Ingrid Bergman in A Woman Called Golda (1982). He also played a British prisoner of war in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) with David Bowie.
He starred in a mini-series about wharf workers during the Depression called Waterfront (1983). He then went to Europe to star in Flesh + Blood (1985). Back in Australia, he starred in Burke and Wills (1985).
Thompson continued to appear in US TV movies and series, such as The Last Frontier (1986) and Kojak: The Price of Justice (1987). He also played an Australian intelligence officer in Ground Zero (1987).
He had a supporting part as Cliegg Lars in George Lucas's Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002).
Later Roles
Thompson increasingly worked as a character actor in the US. He played Russell Crowe's father in The Sum of Us (1994). He also had a supporting role in Broken Arrow (1996).
He appeared in the Clint Eastwood-directed film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997). He played Sonny Seiler, a lawyer.
Thompson provided a voice for the animated film The Magic Pudding (2000). He also appeared in Yolngu Boy (2001) and Original Sin (2001). Other films include The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) and Oyster Farmer (2005).
He had important roles in Man-Thing (2005) and Feed (2006). The latter film was written by and starred his son.
Thompson has continued to act in many films and TV shows. These include Australia (2008), The Great Gatsby (2013), and Mystery Road (2013). He also hosted the Channel 7 series Find My Family.
Other Work
Thompson has appeared in TV commercials, including for the Bank of Melbourne. He is also known for recording Australian poetry. He recites poems by famous Australian poets like Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson. He loves poetry and believes it should be enjoyed by everyone.
Personal Life
Jack Thompson married Beverley Hackett in 1963. They had a son named Patrick Thompson. In 1969, he met Leona King, and they had a second son, Billy.
In 2008, Thompson appeared on the Australian TV show Who Do You Think You Are?. On the show, he found out more about his family history. He learned that his great-grandfather was Captain Thomas Pain. He also discovered that his great-great uncle, Alfred Lee, was an important person in Sydney. Alfred Lee donated the journal of Joseph Banks (from Captain Cook's journey to Australia) to the Mitchell Library.
Thompson used to own the Hotel Gearin in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains. He sold the hotel in June 2011.
Selected Film and Television Roles
Jack Thompson has had a long and successful career in both film and television. Here are some of his notable roles:
Film
- 1974: Petersen as Tony Petersen
- 1975: Sunday Too Far Away as Foley
- 1980: Breaker Morant as Major J.F. Thomas
- 1980: The Club as Laurie Holden
- 1982: The Man from Snowy River as Clancy
- 1983: Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence as Group Capt. Hicksley
- 1985: Burke & Wills as Robert O'Hara Burke
- 1997: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil as Sonny Seiler
- 2002: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones as Cliegg Lars
- 2008: Australia as Kipling Flynn
- 2013: The Great Gatsby as Nick Carraway's Doctor, Walter Perkins
Television
- 1971-1973: Spyforce as Erskine (42 episodes)
- 1984: Waterfront as Maxey Woodbury (TV miniseries)
- 1996: McLeod's Daughters as Jack McLeod (TV movie)
- 2014: Devil's Playground as Cardinal Constantine Neville (TV miniseries)
Awards and Recognition
Jack Thompson has received many awards for his acting and contributions to the film industry:
- 1975 AFI Award: Best Actor, for Sunday Too Far Away and Petersen.
- 1980 AFI Award: Best Actor in a Lead Role, for Breaker Morant.
- 1980 Cannes Film Festival: Best Supporting Actor, for Breaker Morant.
- 1986 Order of Australia: He was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the Australian film industry.
- 1994 AFI Award: Raymond Longford Award, which is a special award for a person's lifetime contribution to Australian cinema.
- 1998 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards: Special Achievement Award.
- 2005 Inside Film Awards: Living Legend IF Award.
- 2011 Australian Film Festival: Inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame.
Thompson also worked as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, helping with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Discography
Jack Thompson has recorded several albums where he recites Australian poetry:
- Jack Thompson: The Bush Poems of A.B. (Banjo) Paterson (2008)
- Jack Thompson: The Campfire Yarns of Henry Lawson (2009)
- Jack Thompson: The Sentimental Bloke, The Poems of C.J. Dennis (2009)
- Jack Thompson: The Battlefield Poems of A.B (Banjo) Paterson (2010)
- Jack Thompson: Favourite Australian Poems (2010)
- Jack Thompson: The Poems of Henry Lawson (2011)
- Jack Thompson: Live at the Gearin Hotel (DVD & CD) (2011)
- Jack Thompson: The Poems of Lewis Carroll (2011)
- Jack Thompson: Live at the Lighthouse CD (2011)
See also
In Spanish: Jack Thompson para niños
