Wayne Blair (director) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wayne Blair
Born	Taree, New South Wales, Australia
Alma mater	CQ University
Occupation	Television and film director, writer, actor

Wayne Blair is a talented Australian writer, actor, and director. He is known for his work both in front of and behind the camera. He played an important role in the TV drama series Total Control from 2021 to 2024. He also directed the popular movie The Sapphires.

Early Life and School

Wayne Blair was born in Taree, New South Wales. His parents are Julie and Bob Blair, and he has two older sisters, Janet and Mandy. Wayne is an Aboriginal Australian man. He proudly describes himself as a Batjala, Mununjali, and Wakka Wakka man.

Because Wayne's father was a soldier, his family moved around a lot. When Wayne was young, his family lived in Woodside, South Australia. Later, when he was a teenager, they moved to Rockhampton, Queensland. In Rockhampton, Wayne was very good at sports like cricket and rugby. He later became interested in acting and dancing at school.

Wayne also worked as a tour guide at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre in Rockhampton. He was one of the dancers there. He then studied marketing at Central Queensland University. Even though he was studying marketing, he chose classes like comic drama and Australian drama. For a short time, he played rugby league for the Canterbury Bulldogs under-21s team in Sydney.

In 1992, he tried out for the NIDA but didn't get in. Later, he completed a three-year acting course at the Queensland University of Technology. While he was a student in 1997, he said he wanted to play an Aboriginal character. He had already played many different types of characters.

Wayne Blair's Career

Wayne Blair's first acting job on screen was in an Australian TV movie called The Tower in 1997. The next year, he appeared in TV shows like All Saints and Wildside. He also acted in Water Rats and Fireflies.

In 1998, Wayne was one of the first four filmmakers chosen for the Metro Screen Indigenous Mentor Scheme. Through this program, he made a short film called Fade 2 Black. Ten years later, he became a mentor himself for the same program.

Directing and Acting Highlights

Wayne Blair starred in the first stage version of Tony Briggs's play, The Sapphires, in 2005. This play was later made into a movie, which Wayne directed.

In 2007, he played the main character, Othello, for Bell Shakespeare. This play toured all over Australia. He also directed three episodes of Lockie Leonard, and four more in 2010.

In 2008, Wayne directed all thirteen episodes of an Australian children's TV series called Double Trouble. This show was about twin Indigenous girls who were separated at birth. In 2009, he wrote an episode for the second season of The Circuit. In 2010, Wayne directed four episodes of Dead Gorgeous, a children's supernatural comedy TV series from Australia and Britain.

He also directed a play called Dirty Butterfly and co-directed Namatjira with Scott Rankin. Both plays were shown at Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre. In the same year, he was chosen to star in a play called True West, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

International Recognition

In 2011, Wayne Blair received the Bob Maza Fellowship from Screen Australia. This fellowship helps Indigenous actors develop their careers. The year 2012 was very important for him. His hit movie, The Sapphires, was released and received great reviews at the Cannes Film Festival. This brought him recognition from all over the world.

Later in 2012, he acted in three episodes of the ABC TV drama series, Redfern Now. He also directed another episode of the show. To end the year, Variety Magazine named Wayne Blair as one of their top ten directors to watch in 2013.

Wayne has also worked on projects outside of Australia. In 2015, he worked on Septembers of Shiraz, a US movie filmed in Bulgaria. In 2017, he directed a TV movie remake of the American classic Dirty Dancing.

In 2020, Wayne Blair was announced as part of the cast for ABC's Aftertaste. In 2021, he joined the second season of the ABC political drama Total Control (TV series) as Paul Murphy. He also joined the third and final season in 2023. Wayne also directed nine episodes of Total Control. He also appeared in Netflix's show Irreverent.

In 2023, he was a director for ABC's Bay of Fires, directing four episodes. In 2024, Wayne Blair was announced as part of the directing team for the ABC drama Plum. He was also named as part of the directing team for the second season of Mystery Road: Origin. On June 27, 2025, it was announced that Wayne Blair would direct the ABC series Goolagong.

Other Activities

In 2021, Wayne Blair was chosen as one of three Indigenous ambassadors for the SmartFone Flick Fest. He joined journalist Stan Grant and screenwriter Jon Bell in this role.

Awards and Achievements

Wayne Blair has received many awards and much recognition for his work:

• 2005: Won the Crystal Bear for his short film The Djarn Djarns at the Berlin Film Festival.
• 2005: Nominated for Best Screenplay in a Short Film at the AFI Awards for The Djarn Djarns.
• 2011: Received the Bob Maza Fellowship, which helps new Indigenous actors grow their careers.
• 2012: Won the AACTA Award for Best Direction for his movie The Sapphires.
• July 2021: Invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is the group that gives out the Oscars.

Filmography

Short Films

Actor in Short Films

Feature Films

Director of Feature Films

• Firestarter (2020)
• Top End Wedding (2019)
• Septembers of Shiraz (2015)
• The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting (2013)
• The Sapphires (2012)

Executive Producer of Feature Films

• Brando With The Glass Eye (2024)

Actor in Feature Films

Television Work

Actor in Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Wayne Blair para niños