David Gulpilil
| David Gulpilil | |
|---|---|
Gulpilil in 2006
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| Born |
David Gulparil Gulpilil 1 July 1953 Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia |
| Years active | 1971–2016 |
| Spouse(s) | Robyn Djunginy (?-2003) Miriam Ashley (2004-present) |
| Awards |
Best Actor in a Leading Role 2002 The Tracker |
| Website | gulpilil |
David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril DalaithnguAM (born 1 July 1953), is an Australian traditional dancer and actor.
He is a Yolngu man of the Mandhalpuyngu speech of the Djinba language. As a young boy, Gulpilil was an accomplished hunter, tracker and ceremonial dancer. Unlike many Indigenous people of his generation, Gulpilil spent his childhood in the bush, outside the range of non-Aboriginal influences. There he received a traditional upbringing in the care of his family. He attended the school at Maningrida in Australia's North East Arnhem Land. When he came of age, Gulpilil was initiated into the Mandhalpuyngu tribal group. His skin group totemic animal is the eagle and his homeland is Marwuyu. After appearing in his first film, he added English to several indigenous languages in which he was already fluent.
In 1969, Gulpilil's skill as a tribal dancer caught the attention of British filmmaker Nicolas Roeg, who had come to Maningrida scouting locations for a forthcoming film. Roeg promptly cast the sixteen-year-old unknown to play a principal role in his internationally acclaimed motion picture Walkabout, released in 1971. Gulpilil's on-screen charisma, combined with his acting and dancing skills, was such that he became an instant national and international celebrity. He travelled to distant lands, mingled with famous people, and was presented to heads of state. During these travels to promote the film, he met and was impressed with John Lennon, Bob Marley, Muhammad Ali, and Bruce Lee.
After his high-profile performance in Walkabout, Gulpilil went on to appear in many more films and television productions. He played a lead role in the commercially successful and critically acclaimed Storm Boy (1976). He "dominated" the film The Last Wave (1977), with his performance as tribal Aboriginal man Chris Lee. He also had a major role in Baz Luhrmann's Australia (2008).
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