# Richard Roxburgh

Richard Roxburgh (born 23 January 1962) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of a number of accolades across film, television, and theatre, including several AFI and AACTA Awards, Logie Awards, and Helpmann Awards.
He began his career working with the Sydney Theatre Company. He went on to appear in Australian and international productions such as Baz Luhrmann's films Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Elvis (2022), the ABC series Rake (2010–2018), and the action films Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), and Van Helsing (2004).

## Early life and education

Richard Roxburgh was born on 23 January 1962. His parents were John, an accountant, and Mary Roxburgh. He grew up in Albury, New South Wales.
Roxburgh studied economics at the Australian National University in Canberra, where he resided at Garran Hall and graduated with a B.Ec. in 1984.
After graduating from ANU, he decided to become an actor and was admitted to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) on his second audition attempt, graduating in 1986.

## Career

Roxburgh began working with the Sydney Theatre Company as soon as he graduated from NIDA, and also worked with Belvoir St Theatre.
He came to public attention for his portrayal of New South Wales Police Force detective Roger Rogerson in the 1995 television miniseries Blue Murder. Through the 1990s, he appeared in several Australian film and stage productions including a critically acclaimed turn as Hamlet alongside Geoffrey Rush, Jacqueline McKenzie and David Wenham in the 1994 Company B production at the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney. In December 2007, he played the lead character, Roland Henning, who suffered writer's block in Michael Gow's play, Toy Symphony, at the Belvoir St Theatre, winning the 2008 Helpmann Award for best male actor in a play.
In 2000, Roxburgh appeared in the first of several international blockbuster films as the main villain's henchman Hugh Stamp in the John Woo-directed Mission: Impossible 2, which was filmed in Sydney. Also filmed in Sydney was Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! (2001), in which Roxburgh played the Duke of Monroth.
Roxburgh appeared as three iconic characters over the next three years: he played Sherlock Holmes in 2002's The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes's nemesis Professor Moriarty in 2003's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Count Dracula in 2004's Van Helsing. He is one of only two actors to have played all three of these characters, the other being Orson Welles, who played them in separate radio programs.
Roxburgh directed his first film, Romulus, My Father starring Eric Bana, released in 2007. This film won the AFI Award in December 2007 and was nominated for several more. In 2008 and 2009, he played the lead role of Art Watkins in the ABC drama series East of Everything.
In July 2010, Roxburgh played former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke in a telemovie based on Hawke's life. He reprised the role in the 2020 episode "Terra Nullius" of the Netflix series The Crown.
In November 2010, Roxburgh co-created and began starring in the critically acclaimed ABC1 television comedy-drama series Rake as the brilliant but self-destructive Sydney criminal barrister Cleaver Greene, a role for which he won the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama in 2012. He stars in Matching Jack, which was released in August 2010, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, released in September 2010.
Returning to the stage, Roxburgh played Vanya opposite Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and John Bell in Sydney Theatre Company's 2010 production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. In 2013, he again performed at the STC with Weaving as the protagonists in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, Weaving as Vladimir and Roxburgh as Estragon. In 2014, Roxburgh played the title role in Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac at the STC. In 2015, Roxburgh appeared in Andrew Upton's adaptation of Chekhov's play Platonov, titled The Present, for the STC. It was directed by John Crowley and featured Cate Blanchett, Jacqueline McKenzie, Marshall Napier, and Toby Schmitz. That production moved in 2016/17 to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City for the Broadway debut of Roxburgh and the rest of the cast.
In 2023, he appeared in Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe as a parody of his previous role in Rake.
In 2024 Roxburgh appeared in the Stan series Prosper, a thriller set in the megachurch community.
Roxburgh played the lead role in the feature film The Correspondent, as journalist Peter Greste. The Correspondent, directed by Kriv Stenders, was screened as the opening film of the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2024, along with the animated feature Lesbian Space Princess, in which he was one of the cast of voice actors.

## Children's literature

Roxburgh wrote and illustrated the well-received, 240-page children's adventure fiction title, Artie and the Grime Wave, published by Allen & Unwin in October 2016 (ISBN 9781760292140).

## Personal life

Roxburgh met Miranda Otto after meeting on the set of Doing Time for Patsy Cline in 1997; they were in a relationship until 2000.
He married Italian-born opera singer, actress, blogger, cookbook author, and television cookery show personality Silvia Colloca in 2004. They met on the set of Van Helsing, playing Count Dracula and his bride, respectively. They have three children.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Dead to the World | Johnny | |
| 1994 | Talk | Jack/Harry | |
| 1995 | Lessons in the Language of Love | Harry | Short film |
| 1995 | Billy's Holiday | Rob McSpedden | |
| 1995 | Hayride to Hell | George Weygate | Short film |
| 1996 | Children of the Revolution | Joe | |
| 1997 | Doing Time for Patsy Cline | Boyd | |
| 1997 | Thank God He Met Lizzie | Guy Jamieson | |
| 1998 | Oscar and Lucinda | Mr. Jeffries | |
| 1998 | A Little Bit of Soul | Sir Samuel Michael | Voice |
| 1998 | In the Winter Dark | Murray Jacob | |
| 1999 | The Last September | Captain Daventry | |
| 1999 | Passion | Percy Grainger | |
| 2000 | Mission: Impossible 2 | Hugh Stamp | |
| 2001 | Moulin Rouge! | The Duke | |
| 2002 | The Touch | Karl | |
| 2002 | The One and Only | Neil | |
| 2003 | The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen | The Fantom / "M" / Professor Moriarty | |
| 2004 | Van Helsing | Count Dracula | |
| 2005 | Stealth | Dr. Keith Orbit | |
| 2005 | Fragiles | Robert Kerry | |
| 2006 | Like Minds | Martin McKenzie | |
| 2007 | Romulus, My Father | — | Director and producer |
| 2010 | Matching Jack | David | |
| 2010 | Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole | Boron | Voice |
| 2011 | Sanctum | Frank McGuire | |
| 2013 | The Turning | Vic Lang | |
| 2014 | Maya the Bee | Flip | Voice |
| 2015 | Blinky Bill the Movie | Blinky's dad | Voice |
| 2015 | Looking for Grace | Dan | |
| 2016 | Hacksaw Ridge | Colonel Stelzer | |
| 2017 | Breath | Mr. Pike | |
| 2018 | Swinging Safari | Adult Jeff Marsh | Narrator only |
| 2018 | Maya the Bee: The Honey Games | Flip | Voice |
| 2019 | Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan | Brigadier David Jackson | |
| 2019 | H Is for Happiness | Jim Phee | |
| 2019 | Angel of Mine | Bernard | |
| 2020 | Go Karts | Patrick | |
| 2022 | Elvis | Vernon Presley | |
| 2023 | Force of Nature: The Dry 2 | Daniel Bailey | |
| 2024 | Eden | | |
| 2024 | The Correspondent | Peter Greste | |
| 2024 | Lesbian Space Princess | | Voice |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | The Riddle of the Stinson | Proud | TV film |
| 1989 | The Saint: Fear in Fun Park | Justin | TV film |
| 1990 | The Paper Man | 'Gracie' Fields | TV miniseries |
| 1992 | Tracks of Glory | Hugh Mcintosh | TV miniseries |
| 1993 | Seven Deadly Sins | Gluttony / Mark | TV miniseries |
| 1993 | Crimebroker | Harrison | TV film |
| 1993 | Police Rescue | Tim Warne | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Halifax f.p. | Sergeant Paul Santos | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Blue Murder | Roger Rogerson | TV miniseries |
| 1996 | Twisted Tales | Ben | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | The Last of the Ryans | Ronald Ryan | TV film |
| 1997 | Frontier | Superintendent William Hobbs | |
| 2001 | Blonde | Mr. R | TV film |
| 2002 | The Road from Coorain | Bill | TV film |
| 2002 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Sherlock Holmes | TV film |
| 2006 | The Silence | Richard Trealoar | TV film |
| 2008–09 | East of Everything | Art Watkins | TV series |
| 2009 | False Witness | Charles Van Koors | TV film |
| 2010 | Hawke | Bob Hawke | TV film |
| 2010–18 | Rake | Cleaver Greene | TV series. Also co-creator / producer |
| 2011 | Ice | Thom Archer | |
| 2015 | Australia: The Story of Us | Narrator | TV docudrama |
| 2017 | Blue Murder: Killer Cop | Roger Rogerson | TV series |
| 2019 | The Hunting | Nick | TV miniseries |
| 2019 | The Pool | Narrator | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2019 | Catherine the Great | Grigory Orlov | TV miniseries |
| 2019 | Lovestruck | Nigel Valentine | TV film |
| 2020 | The Crown | Bob Hawke | TV series, episodes: "Terra Nullius" & "48:1" |
| 2021 | Fires | Duncan Simpson | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Bali 2002 | Graham Ashton | TV miniseries |
| 2023 | Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe | Rake | TV series |
| 2023 | The PM's Daughter | H.A.N.C. | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Prosper | Cal Quinn | TV series; 8 episodes |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Death of a Salesman | Willy Loman | Albury High School |
| 1992 | The Homecoming | | |
| 1994 | That Eye, the Sky | Henry Warburton | Burning House Theatre Company, Sydney & Playhouse, Melbourne |
| 1994 | Hamlet | Hamlet | Company B at Belvoir St Theatre |
| 2007-08 | Toy Symphony | Roland Henning | Belvoir St Theatre |
| 2010 | Uncle Vanya | Vanya | Sydney Theatre Company for Bell Shakespeare |
| 2013 | Waiting for Godot | Estragon | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2014 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Cyrano de Bergerac | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2015 | The Present | | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2016/17 | The Present | | Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1992 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Performance in a Supporting Role | The Homecoming | Won |
| 1994 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Freelance Director | That Eye, the Sky | Won |
| 1994 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best New Play or Musical | That Eye, the Sky | Won |
| 1994 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Performance by an Actor | Hamlet | Nominated |
| 1995 | Green Room Awards | Best Actor | Hamlet | Nominated |
| 1995 | Australian Film Institute Television Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Halifax f.p. | Nominated |
| 1996 | Australian Film Institute Television Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Blue Murder | Nominated |
| 1996 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Blue Murder | Won |
| 1997 | Verona International Film Festival | Best Actor | Thank God He Met Lizzie | Won |
| 1997 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Doing Time for Patsy Cline | Won |
| 1998 | Film Critics Circle of Australia | Best Actor – Male | Doing Time for Patsy Cline | Won |
| 1999 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Passion | Nominated |
| 2001 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated |
| 2001 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated |
| 2004 | Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst Fake Accent – Male | Van Helsing | Won |
| 2006 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | The Silence | Nominated |
| 2007 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | The Silence | Nominated |
| 2007 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor in a Lead Role | Toy Symphony | Won |
| 2007 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Direction | Romulus, My Father | Nominated |
| 2008 | Film Critics Circle of Australia | Best Director | Romulus, My Father | Nominated |
| 2008 | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | Toy Symphony | Won |
| 2010 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Equity Ensemble Awards | Rake | Won |
| 2010 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor | Uncle Vanya | Won |
| 2010 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Hawke | Won |
| 2011 | Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Actor | Hawke | Nominated |
| 2011 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Hawke | Nominated |
| 2011 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Rake | Won |
| 2011 | Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels | Actor – TV Series | Rake | Won |
| 2011 | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | Uncle Vanya | Nominated |
| 2012 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Equity Ensemble Awards | Rake | Nominated |
| 2012 | AACTA Awards | Best Television Drama Series | Rake | Nominated |
| 2013 | AACTA Awards | Best Television Drama Series | Rake | Nominated |
| 2013 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Rake | Won |
| 2013 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor | Waiting for Godot | Nominated |
| 2014 | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor | Cyrano de Bergerac | Won |
| 2014 | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | Waiting for Godot | Won |
| 2014 | AACTA Awards | Best Television Drama Series | Rake | Nominated |
| 2014 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Rake | Nominated |
| 2015 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Rake | Nominated |
| 2016 | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | The Present | Nominated |
| 2017 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Rake | Nominated |
| 2019 | AACTA Awards | Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama | The Hunting | Won |
| 2020 | AACTA Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | H is for Happiness | Nominated |
| 2021 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Fires | Nominated |
| 2022 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Fires | Won |
| 2023 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actor | Bali 2002 | Nominated |