# Bert La Bonté

Bert La Bonté (born in either 1974 or 1975) is an Australian stage, film and television actor. With a career that has spanned over 20 years, La Bonté's most known roles include Five Bedrooms, The Newsreader and many more.

## Early life

La Bonté grew up in Melbourne's southeastern suburbs with his parents and two older sisters. His parents migrated from Mauritius in the late 1960s. He discovered a passion for acting at nine when he played Fagin in his school production of Oliver!.

## Career

At 17 La Bonté enrolled in performing arts at the University of Ballarat.
His extensive theatre credits include Rupert, Birdland, Elling, Lungs, Richard III, A Behanding in Spokane, The Female of the Species and The Mountaintop (Melbourne Theatre Company), Phèdre (Bell Shakespeare), I Am a Miracle and The Good Person of Szechuan (Malthouse Theatre).
His musical theatre credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Melbourne Theatre Company/Sydney Theatre Company), An Officer and a Gentleman, Dream Lover: The Bobby Darin Musical, The Book of Mormon (GFO), Grey Gardens, Chess, and Kismet (The Production Company), Guys and Dolls (Ambassador Theatre Group), Next to Normal (Melbourne Theatre Company), Pippin (Kookaburra), Jesus Christ Superstar (UK tour for Really Useful Group), When I Fall In Love – The Nat King Cole Story, and Let's Get It On – The Life & Music of Marvin Gaye.
His film and television credits include Animal Kingdom, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Rats and Cats, Salem's Lot, The Newsreader and My Life is Murder.
La Bonte serves on the board of Essential Theatre.
In 2023, La Bonte performed in the musical theatre version of Moulin Rouge.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2023 | Teach Me How to Cry | Sol Desmond | Short film |
| 2020 | The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee | Roland Day | Feature film |
| 2012 | In Fantasy | Ashane | Short film |
| 2010 | Animal Kingdom (film) | PSG Santo | Feature film |
| 2007 | Rats and Cats | Teddy Taiwan | TV movie |
| 2003 | The Situation Room | | Short film |
| 2003 | Evil Never Dies | Rookie Cops | TV movie |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2023 | SugarHope Records | Luketha | 4 episodes |
| 2023-present | NCIS: Sydney | NCIS Special Agent Ken Carter | 3 episode |
| 2023 | Spooky Files | Robert | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Erotic Stories | George | 1 episode (Philia) |
| 2023 | Home and Away | Samuel Edwards | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2022-23 | Five Bedrooms | Ed Laurent | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 2022-24 | Colin From Accounts | Matt | TV series, 2 episode |
| 2022 | Surviving Summer | Mattias Mercer | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Pieces of Her | Interviewing Reporter | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2022 | More Than This | Mr E | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 2021-23 | The Newsreader | Gordon | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 2021 | The Power of a Dream | Retired Athlete | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2021 | With Intent (aka Lie With Me) | Phil | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2021 | Jack Irish | Det. Dufrense | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2021 | Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries | Dirk Wade | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2021 | Fisk | William | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996-2020 | Neighbours | James Soloman / Peter Dwyer / Fire Officer | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 2020 | Retrograde | Semesa | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2019 | Playing for Keeps | Nick Siddiqui | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2019 | My Life Is Murder | Iman Abarr | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2019 | Squinters | Lacey | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2018-19 | Wentworth | Rodney Gavin | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2019 | The Letdown | Neale | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Mr Black | Mike Edwards | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2013-16 | Upper Middle Bogan | Constable Miklis | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Tomorrow When the War Began | Dr Novak | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Winners & Losers | Snr Constable Singh | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2010-12 | Lowdown | Shane McKay / Mike Lavish | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Sea Patrol | Rudy | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2010 | Wilfred | Third AD | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2009 | City Homicide | Aban Nasir | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2007 | Pirate Islands: The Lost Treasure of Fiji | Sharktooth Pete | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 2006 | Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King | Otis Redding | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1997-04 | Blue Heelers | Karl Tyler / Roy Nicol | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Flipper | Robie's Friend | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1998 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Constable #1 | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | Simone deBeauvoir's Babies | Foreign Man | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |

### Other appearances

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2024 | The Cook up with Adam Liaw | Self | TV series |
| 2023 | Thrash and Treasure | Self | Podcast |
| 2022 | Backstage | Self | Podcast |

## Theatre and stage

La Bonté has performed across theatre and stage for over 20 years. In 2023, La Bonte appeared in the musical Moulin Rouge!. La Bonté performed as Marvin Gaye in Let's Get It On!. On 1 November 2024, La Bonté would be announced alongside Pamela Rabe for the co-production between Belvoir St and Black Swan Theatre Co for the play August: Osage County.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2024-2025 | August: Osage County | | Belvoir / Black Swan |
| 2024 | Top Dog/Under Dog | | Play director |
| 2023 | Fences | Troy Maxon | STC |
| 2023 | Moulin Rouge! | Toulouse Lautrec | Global Creatures |
| 2021 | The Truth | Paul | MTC |
| 2019 | Kiss of the SpiderWoman | Warden | Melbourne Theatre Co |
| 2017 | The Book of Mormon | Mafala | Watchtower |
| 2016 | Dream Lover | Charlie | Watchtower |
| 2016 | Lungs | M | Melbourne Theatre Co |
| 2015 | High Society | Dexter Haven | Hayes Theatre |
| 2014 | Let's Get It On! | Marvin Gaye | |
| 2012 | An Officer and a Gentleman | Officer Foley | |

## Awards

La Bonté received the Helpmann Award and Sydney Theatre Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2012 for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman. He was also nominated in 2005 for Spelling Bee and again in 2017 for The Book of Mormon.