Tony Briggs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Briggs
Briggs in 2012
Born	(1967-07-03) 3 July 1967 (age 58) Australia
Occupation	Actor, writer
Years active	1987–present
Spouse(s)	Damienne Pradier
Children	3

Tony Briggs, born on July 3, 1967, is an Aboriginal Australian actor and writer. He is famous for creating The Sapphires, a play that later became a movie in 2012. This story is about an Aboriginal singing group of girls who performed for soldiers in Vietnam during the war. Tony was also a talented athlete who competed in track and field.

Tony Briggs' Early Life

Tony Briggs was born on July 3, 1967. His mother, Laurel Robinson, was one of the real-life singers who inspired The Sapphires. Tony is a proud Yorta Yorta and Wurundjeri man, which refers to his Aboriginal heritage.

School Days and Sports

From 1980 to 1985, Tony attended Scotch College, Melbourne, a boarding school. He was an amazing athlete there. Every year, he was part of the athletics team, and in 1985, he became the Captain of Athletics. He held several school records for running races, like the 400m and 110m hurdles. Tony was also a School House Prefect in his final year. He is believed to be the first Indigenous Australian student to attend the school.

Tony Briggs' Career

Tony Briggs has had a long and successful career in television, theatre, and film.

Acting on Television

Tony started his acting career on the TV soap opera Neighbours from 1987 to 1988, playing a character named Pete Baxter. After that, he appeared in many other popular TV shows.

Notable TV Roles

• In the late 1990s, he was in the children's TV series Ocean Girl as Dave Hartley.
• From 2009, Tony played Mick Mathers in The Circuit.
• In 2011, he appeared in The Slap, a miniseries based on a famous book.
• He also had roles in Redfern Now (2012), Cleverman (2016), and Nowhere Boys: Two Moons Rising (2016).
• In 2017, Tony was involved in creating and writing the series The Warriors, where he also had a small role.
• More recently, in 2024, he joined the cast of a show called Population 11.

Creating Theatre and Film

Tony Briggs is well-known for writing the play The Sapphires, which was first performed in 2004. The play tells the story of four Koori women who form a singing group and travel to Vietnam during the war to entertain soldiers. This story was inspired by the real experiences of his mother, Laurel Robinson, and his aunt, Lois Peeler, who were singers in Vietnam in 1968. Tony later adapted his play into the 2012 film The Sapphires.

Movie Appearances

Tony has also acted in several movies, including:

• Joey (1997)
• Australian Rules (2002)
• Bran Nue Dae (2009)
• Healing (2014)

Birrarangga Film Festival

Tony Briggs is the person who started the Birrarangga Film Festival in Melbourne in 2019. This festival happens every two years and shows movies made by Indigenous filmmakers from all over the world.

Awards and Recognition

Both the play and the film The Sapphires received many awards and nominations. The play won the Helpmann Award in 2005 for best Australian New Work. Tony Briggs also received some special awards himself:

• 2012: He was a co-winner of the Deadly Award – Jimmy Little Lifetime Achievement Award, along with the original Sapphires group.
• 2013: He received the Bob Maza Fellowship from Screen Australia. This award helped him travel to New York City to take an intensive course in directing and filmmaking, helping him grow his international career.
• 2013: He won the NAIDOC Award for Artist of the Year.

Athletics Achievements

Before his acting career, Tony Briggs was a very successful athlete, especially in hurdling. He was a top competitor in the 400m hurdles, finishing as runner-up at the Australian Athletics Championships three years in a row, from 1990 to 1992. He also placed third in the 110m hurdles at the 1990 Championships. From 1986 to 1987, he held an athletics scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Other Important Roles

In 2016, Tony Briggs became a patron for the foundation of his old school, Scotch College. This means he helps support a program that provides scholarships for Indigenous students to attend the school.

Filmography

Television Roles

Film and Short Film Roles