Jack Thompson (actor)

Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson in 2014
Born	John Hadley Pain (1940-08-31) 31 August 1940 (age 76) Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1968–present
Agent	DPN
Spouse(s)	Leona King
Awards	Inductee into the Australian Film Walk of Fame 2011 Chauvel Award 2006 Inside Film Living Legend Award 2005 Film Critics Circle of Australia Award For Contribution to Australian Cinema 1998 Logie Hall of Fame 1995 Raymond Longford Award 1994 Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor "Breaker Morant" 1980 Cannes Award Best Supporting Actor Breaker Morant 1980 Hoyts Prize for Best Performance Sunday Too Far Away 1975

Jack Thompson, AM (born 31 August 1940) is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema. He was educated at University of Queensland, before embarking on his acting career. In 2002, he was made an honorary member of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS). He is best known as a lead actor in several acclaimed Australian films, including such classics as The Club (1980), 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.

Thompson's career began with the soap opera Motel (1968), and guest appearances on Homicide and Matlock Police. He then took the lead role in spy drama series Spyforce (1971-72), playing the role of Erskine. He eventually moved into feature film lead roles. He has also acted in television miniseries and appeared as the host of the Channel 7 factual series Find My Family.

Thompson was the first nude male centrefold in Cleo magazine in 1972. He has also appeared in television commercials, including as the face of the Bank of Melbourne for a decade, and for Claytons. Thompson is featured in a series of recordings of Australian poetry, reciting poems by Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, C. J. Dennis, Patrick Joseph Hartigan (aka John O'Brien) and John O'Grady. (see Discography below). Interviewed in the Sydney Morning Herald he explains his love of poetry, noting that 'Poetry is sometimes seen as too arty and perhaps not a suitable interest for blokes.'