David Wenham has received critical acclaim for his diverse performances in film, theatre and television. He is one of Australia’s most respected actors.
Best known internationally as Faramir in Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed second and third LORD OF THE RINGS instalments THE TWO TOWERS and RETURN OF THE KING in which he shared in the Screen Actors Guild Award®, Broadcast Film Critics Award and National Board of Review Award in the category of Best Ensemble. He has recently appeared in ORANGES AND SUNSHINE alongside Emily Watson and Hugo Weaving; POPE JOAN; Baz Luhrmann’s AUSTRALIA with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and PUBLIC ENEMIES starring alongside Johnny Depp.
David’s accolades include Best Actor Awards at the 2003 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, IF Awards, and The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) for GETTIN’ SQUARE, Best Actor nominations at the AFI Awards for Paul Cox’s MOLOKAI: THE STORY OF FATHER DAMIEN, THE BANK . and BETTER THAN SEX; and a Best Actor nomination at the 1999 FCCA Awards and AFI Awards for his haunting portrayal of a psychopath named Brett Sprague in THE BOYS alongside Toni Collette.
Some of David’s other feature film credits include 300, in which he worked with director Zack Synder, MOULIN ROUGE!, COSI, MARRIED LIFE. VAN HELSING, THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI and THE PROPOSITION. in 2014 David reprised his role as ‘Dilios’ in 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE.
David is well known to Australian television audiences as the loveable Diver Dan in the award winning ABC TV series SEACHANGE, a role which earned him an AFI Award nomination in 1998. He won the same award the previous year for the critically acclaimed ABC TV miniseries SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR’S BABIES. His recent television credits include KILLING TIME, DRIPPING IN CHOCOLATE and 2013 international miniseries TOP OF THE LAKE which co-stars Elizabeth Moss and Holly Hunter.
TOP OF THE LAKE is written and created by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and filmed and set in New Zealand. Top of the Lake earned international acclaim since premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The miniseries is currently nominated for 8 Emmy Awards including Outstanding TV Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, and Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or A Dramatic Special.
He featured in the SBS series BETTER MAN opposite Bryan Brown and Claudia Karvan which screened 2013.
Most recently David directed the short film COMMISSION featuring Hugo Weaving and Josh McConville. COMMISSION will screen as part of the feature film collaboration of iconic Australian writer Tim Winton’s THE TURNING. Other contributors include Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Miranda Otto, Richard Roxburgh, Simon Stone, Robyn Nevin and Mia Wasikowska.
Workshop: Acting with David Wenham
In Conversation: Robyn Malcom Talks to Guest David Wenham
