# Ben O'Toole

Ben O'Toole is an Australian actor. He is known for his role as Rex Coen in Bloody Hell, his recurring roles in several Australian TV series such as Amazing Grace, as well as for his supporting roles in films such as Hacksaw Ridge (2016) and 12 Strong (2018).

## Early life

O'Toole was born in Cairns and grew up in Brisbane. He began performing in the theatre while he studied acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) near Perth.

## Career

After graduating in 2011, O'Toole's first screen appearance was in a web series titled Sintillate Studios. He eventually relocated to Sydney where he continued his work in theatre and acted in several short films. His first appearance in an internationally released film was in The Water Diviner in 2014, alongside Russell Crowe. That same year, he was cast in the role of Pete in the first three seasons of the TV series Love Child. In 2016, he played the role of Corporal Tom (second in command to drill sergeant Howell played by Vince Vaughn) in the award-winning biographical war film Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson.
O'Toole moved to Los Angeles in early 2016. He acted in commercially successful Hollywood films that provided more international exposure and showcased broader recognition of his acting abilities. His first leading role was the romantic comedy, Everybody Loves Somebody (2017), which was well received by critics. In 2018, he performed as main actor in the Australian film Nekrotronic, which was nominated for Best Makeup at the 9th AACTA Awards, but otherwise was rather poorly received both by audiences and critics.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Toole has almost exclusively appeared in Australian productions. In addition to his performances in series television, he landed the lead role in the horror comedy Bloody Hell, where he assumed the role of protagonist and also embodied the hallucinations of his alter ego.
O'Toole has also appeared regularly in theatre. In 2022 he appeared in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. In 2024, he reprised his 2013 role of Happy in Death of a Salesman.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | The Water Diviner | Henry Connor | supporting role |
| 2016 | Hacksaw Ridge | Corporal Jessop | |
| 2017 | Everybody Loves Somebody | Asher | lead role |
| 2017 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | British Soldier | supporting role |
| 2017 | Detroit | Flynn Marko | |
| 2018 | 12 Strong | Scott Black | |
| 2018 | Nekrotronic | Howard North | leading actor |
| 2020 | Bloody Hell | Rex Coen | leading actor |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Sintillate Studios | Justin | Web series, 6 episodes |
| 2014-2016 | Love Child | Pete | 17 episodes |
| 2019 | Catalina Aguilar Mastretta Project | Mack | Pilot episode (unreleased) |
| 2020 | Halifax: Retribution | Jarrod/Daniel | 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Amazing Grace | Max Shaw | 8 episodes |
| 2022 | Pieces of Her | Young Ali Wexler | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Barons | Snapper Webster | Lead role, 8 episodes |
| 2023 | Caught | Rowdy Gaines | 6 episodes |
| 2024 | Boy Swallows Universe | Teddy Callis | 3 episodes |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Blood Will Have Blood | Macbeth / Oberon | WAAPA |
| 2011 | The Laramie Project | Rulon Stacey / Father Roger Schmidt / Jonas Slonaker | WAAPA |
| 2011 | Ruben Guthrie | Ruben Guthrie | WAAPA |
| 2011 | Nana | Marquis de Chouard | WAAPA |
| 2012 | Boy Gets Girl | Mercer | Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 2013 | Death of a Salesman | Happy Loman | Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 2014 | Mojo | | STC |
| 2014 | The Sublime | Liam | MTC |
| 2015 | Freak Winds | Henry Crumb | Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney |
| 2015 | Men | Crazy Bob | Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney |
| 2022 | The Tenant of Wildfell Hall | Arthur Huntington | Roslyn Packer Theatre with STC |
| 2023 | On the Beach | Peter Holmes | Roslyn Packer Theatre with STC |
| 2023 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Stanley Kowalski | Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 2024 | 37 | Joe | Bille Brown Theatre, Brisbane with MTC & Queensland Theatre |
| 2024 | Death of a Salesman | Happy Loman | Theatre Royal, Sydney, Crown Theatre, Perth |
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