Jack Thompson (actor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons of the same name, see Jack Thompson.

Jack Thompson AM (born August 31, 1940) is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema.

He is best known as a lead actor in several acclaimed Australian films including popular classics Sunday Too Far Away (1975), The Man from Snowy River (1982) and Breaker Morant (1980). He won Cannes and AFI acting awards for the latter film. He was the recipient of a Living Legend Award at the 2005 Inside Film Awards.

1 Acting career
2 Celebrity
3 Personal
4 Selected filmography
5 Awards
6 Footnotes
7 External links

[edit] Acting career

Thompson's first significant role was as part of the cast of soap opera Motel (1968). He then took the lead role in spy drama series Spyforce (1971).

He quickly moved into feature film lead roles, winning roles in many popular and acclaimed Australian films. He has also acted in television miniseries.

[edit] Celebrity

Thompson has emerged as a popular celebrity. He was the first nude male centrefold in Cleo magazine in 1972. He has also acted in many television commercials, including the famous advertisement for Claytons non-alcoholic mixer.

[edit] Personal

Thompson was born in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, and was educated at Sydney Boys High School. His name at birth was John Hadley Payne, but this was changed when he was adopted.

For many years Jack was part of a ménage à trois with current wife Leona King and her sister Bunkie. His statement about the arrangement is as follows - "I wouldn't have missed it for quids."^[1]

The film reviewer Peter Thompson is his brother^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Selected filmography

This article or section contains a list of works that does not follow the Manual of Style for lists of works (often, but not always, due to being in reverse-chronological order) and may need cleanup.

Ten Empty (2006)
Oyster Farmer (2004)
The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Original Sin (2001)
South Pacific (2001) (TV)
Yolngu Boy (2001)
My Brother Jack (2001) (TV)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
Under the Lighthouse Dancing (1997)
Broken Arrow (1996)
The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years (1996) (TV)
The Sum of Us (1994)
Wind (1992)
Turtle Beach (1992)
Trouble in Paradise (1989) (TV)
Ground Zero (1987)
The Riddle of the Stinson (1987) (TV)
The Last Frontier (1986) (TV)
Flesh & Blood (1985)
Burke & Wills (1985) (as Robert O'Hara Burke)
Waterfront (1984) (mini) TV Series
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)
A Woman Called Golda (1982) (TV)
The Man from Snowy River (1982)
Bad Blood (1981)
The Club (1980)
The Earthling (1980)
Breaker Morant (1980)
The Journalist (1979)
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
Mad Dog Morgan (1976)
Caddie (1976)
Sunday Too Far Away (1975)
Scobie Malone (1975; title role)
Petersen (1974)

[edit] Awards

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 Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
1994 AFI Award: Raymond Longford Award
1998 Film Critic's Circle of Australia Awards: Special Achievement Award
2005 Inside Film Awards: Living Legend IF Award

Thompson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 9 June, 1986 for his service to the Australian film industry,^[2] and served as an UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.