# Bille Brown

William Gerald Brown AM (11 January 1952 – 13 January 2013) professionally known as Bille Brown was an Australian stage, film and television actor, director and acclaimed playwright.

## Early life

Brown was born in the coal, wheat and cotton country town of Biloela, Queensland, to Bill and Maureen Brown. His father, Bill, was almost two generations older and had worked as a stockman, publican and railway worker. His mother Maureen worked in Creevey’s music store. He was raised Catholic.
While growing up in Biloela, Brown played piano, wrote poetry, painted, as well as performing small stage pieces at the local theatre. He also spent time as a rugby league referee.
Brown initially had aspirations to become a painter, attending a summer painting school in Brisbane at the age of 16. He subsequently undertook tertiary studies at the University of Queensland (UQ) to be a history and geography teacher, and while doing so, became involved with the student drama company Dramsoc. He made his professional debut with the Queensland Theatre Company in 1971, working alongside Geoffrey Rush. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and a Postgraduate Diploma of Education in 1973.

## Career
### Theatre

Brown's career took him abroad to Britain, where he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), and was the first Australian commissioned to write and perform in their own play The Swan Down Gloves. The show opened at the Barbican Theatre and had a Royal Command Performance. He appeared in the RSC's premiere production of The Wizard of Oz in the roles of the Wicked Witch of the West and Miss Gulch, for which he was nominated for an Laurence Olivier Award in 1988.
As a member of the RSC, Brown toured with their productions throughout Europe, playing Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Munich. Brown also performed in the West End, at the Aldwych and Haymarket Theatres, the Chichester Festival Theatre, English National Opera and Dublin Theatre Festival.
Brown made his Broadway debut as an actor in 1986 in Michael Frayn's Wild Honey with Ian McKellen, directed by Christopher Morahan, and as a playwright with his adaptation of a benefit performance of A Christmas Carol in 1985, featuring Len Cariou as Scrooge. That same year his adaptation of A Christmas Carol was staged in London and on Broadway, and then the following year at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois starring F. Murray Abraham as Scrooge.
Brown returned to Australia to live permanently in 1996. He had an outstanding career on stage and performed for many leading Australian theatre companies, including Queensland Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare Company, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Company B, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Marian St Theatre, La Boite and the Old Tote Theatre at the Sydney Opera House.
In 1996, he directed the Australian stage production of Hugh Lunn's Over the Top with Jim, which exceeded box office expectations. He had huge success with his role as Count Almaviva in Beaumarchais' The Marriage of Figaro, with Geoffrey Rush, which opened the new Playhouse in Brisbane in September 1998. In 1999 he also had major success throughout Australia as Oscar Wilde in the Belvoir St production of David Hare's The Judas Kiss, for which he won a Matilda Award.
Brown also directed John Cleese in his solo show John Cleese – His Lifetimes and Medical Problems, as well as directing the operas Don Giovanni and Samson and Delilah.
In 2009, Brown wrote and performed in Queensland Theatre Company's The School of Arts, a production about 'College Players' who toured Shakespeare through Queensland in the late 1960s. He also wrote Bill and Mary, based on imaginary conversations between the poet Mary Gilmore and the portrait painter William Dobell while she was sitting for him. and Aladdin for The Old Vic, starring Sir Ian McKellan.
Brown was the recipient of a 2009 Helpmann Award for his role as King Arthur in the musical Monty Python musical Spamalot. In 2012, he performed to critical acclaim as Bruscon in sell-out seasons of Thomas Bernhard’s play The Histrionic in both Melbourne and Sydney, receiving a Helpmann Awards nomination.
In 2002, when the Queensland Theatre Company moved to Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), they named their theatre space the "Bille Brown Studio", in recognition of Brown's contribution to the Arts and the 29 QTC productions he had appeared in.

### Film and television

John Cleese cast Brown in 1997 film Fierce Creatures (the sequel to A Fish Called Wanda), after spotting him performing onstage at Stratford in the UK.
Brown appeared in several other films, including Oscar and Lucinda (1997) as Percy Smith, The Dish (2000) as the Prime Minister, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) as Coriakin, Killer Elite (2011) as Colonel Fitz and Singularity (2013) as Egerton.
Brown also appeared in a variety of Australian television roles. He had a 13 episode recurring role as Lightfoot in drama series Big Sky in 1999. He played Howard in miniseries A Difficult Woman (1999), and Booth in miniseries The Farm (2001).
He made guest appearances in Medivac (1997), Bad Cop, Bad Cop (2002), White Collar Blue (2003), Grass Roots (2003), The Cooks (2004), The Hollowmen (2008), All Saints (2000 and 2009), Wild Boys (2011), Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Rake (both 2012). He also guested in US series The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (1999) and UK series Heartbeat (2009).
He played former Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies in the made for television film Curtin. Brown was nominated for an Australian Film Institute Award for his supporting role as George Ritchie in the 2009 television film 3 Acts of Murder.

### Teaching

Brown was Artist-in-Residence at the State University of New York in 1982, a visiting professor at the State University of New York at New Paltz, and Writer-in-Residence at The Acting Company, New York.
In 1999 he accepted an offer to be Adjunct Professor in the School of English, Media Studies and Art History at the University of Queensland, and gave workshops and master classes for drama students. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the university in 2011.
Brown was also Lecturer in Drama and Theatre at Australian Catholic University (ACU), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), The Michael Chekhov Studio and University of New York.

## Honours and awards

| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
| 1988 | The Wizard of Oz | Laurence Olivier Awards | Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical | Nominated |
| 1992 | Twelfth Night | Matilda Awards | Gold Matilda Award for Performance in a Play | Won |
| 1999 | Judas Kiss | Matilda Awards | Performance in a Play | Won |
| 2001 | Bille Brown | Centenary Medal | Distinguished Service to the Arts | Honoured |
| 2009 | Monty Python's Spamalot | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Musical | Won |
| 2009 | 3 Acts of Murder | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama | Nominated |
| 2011 | Bille Brown | Australia Day Honours List Member of the Order of Australia (AM) | Service to the performing arts as an actor and playwright, and to education | Honoured |
| 2011 | Bille Brown | University of Queensland | Honorary Doctorate of Letters | Honoured |
| 2012 | The Histrionic | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Play | Nominated |

## Personal life

Brown was often referred to as "The Boy from Biloela".
He had a sister, Rita Carter, who was a primary school teacher in Kenmore, Brisbane.
Brown was openly gay. He had two long-term relationships, including a male live-in partner in the US, but also had girlfriends.

## Death

Brown died after a year-long battle with bowel cancer on 13 January 2013, two days after his 61st birthday, in the suburb of Chermside in Brisbane. After a private funeral, a public memorial service was held at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre on 4 February 2013. The eulogy was delivered by longtime friend and colleague Geoffrey Rush.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Work | Award | Type |
| 1997 | Fierce Creatures | Neville Coltrane | Feature film |
| 1997 | Oscar and Lucinda | Percy Smith | Feature film |
| 1999 | Passion | John Grainger | Feature film |
| 2000 | Walk the Talk | Barry | Feature film |
| 2000 | The Dish | Prime Minister | Feature film |
| 2001 | Serenades | Pastor Hoffman | Feature film |
| 2001 | The Man Who Sued God | Gerry Ryan | Feature film |
| 2002 | Black and White | Sir Thomas Playford | Feature film |
| 2002 | Dirty Deeds | Senator | Feature film |
| 2003 | Silent Storm | Hedley Marston | Docudrama film |
| 2005 | Blackjack: In the Money | Tez Miller | TV movie |
| 2007 | Curtin | Robert Menzies | TV movie |
| 2007 | Unfinished Sky | Bob Potter | Feature film |
| 2008 | Ascension | The Leader | Short film |
| 2008 | Dying Breed | Harvey / Rowan | Feature film |
| 2009 | The Pessimist | Bob | Short film |
| 2009 | 3 Acts of Murder | George Ritchie | TV movie |
| 2009 | At World's End (aka Ved verdens ende) | James Hall | Feature film |
| 2010 | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Coriakin | Feature film |
| 2011 | The Eye of the Storm | Dudley | Feature film |
| 2011 | Killer Elite | Colonel Fitz | Feature film |
| 2011 | Mug's Game | Bill Mayer | Short film |
| 2012 | Silver Stiletto | Father Hegerty | Short film |
| 2013 | Singularity (aka The Lovers) | Egerton (final film role) | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Work | Award | Type |
| 1997 | Medivac | Prosecutor | TV series, season 2, 2 episodes |
| 1998 | A Difficult Woman | Howard | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1999 | Big Sky | Lightfoot | TV series, season 2, 13 episodes |
| 1999 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Hinkel | TV series, season 3, episode 1: "Tales of Innocence" |
| 2001 | The Farm | Booth | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2002 | Bad Cop, Bad Cop | Detective 'Blue' Wales | Miniseries, episode 2: "He Who Slips on Milkshakes" |
| 2003 | White Collar Blue | Tony Heron | TV series, season 1, episode 18 |
| 2003 | Grass Roots | Hector Abbott | TV series, season 2, episode 6: "Egomania" |
| 2004 | The Cooks | Colin | TV series, episode 5: "Waltzing Sakamoto" |
| 2008 | The Hollowmen | Senator Ron Engels | TV series, episode 2: "The Ambassador" |
| 2000, 2009 | All Saints | Steve Coulter / Bill Lewis | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2009 | Heartbeat | Sergeant Flaherty | TV series, season 18, 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Wild Boys | Booth | TV series, episode 12 |
| 2012 | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | Bart Tarrant | TV series, season 1, episode 6: "Ruddy Gore" |
| | The Kennedys | | Miniseries |
| 2012 | Rake | Dominic Rose | TV series, season 2, episode 7: "Greene vs Hole" |

## Theatre
### As actor

| Year | Work | Award | Type |
| 1971 | The Wrong Side of the Moon | Tomlyn | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1971 | Hadrian VII | | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1972 | A Refined Look at Existence | Donny | La Boite Theatre, Brisbane |
| 1973 | Indians | | La Boite Theatre, Brisbane |
| 1973 | President Wilson in Paris | President Wilson | La Boite Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1973 | White with Wire Wheels | Rod | La Boite Theatre with QTC |
| 1973 | Pygmalion | | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1973 | The Imaginary Invalid | Monsieur Argan | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1973 | Hamlet on Ice | | Cement Box Theatre, Brisbane with Frame and Kennett Promotions |
| 1973 | Suddenly at Home | | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1974 | Mandrake | | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1974 | Death of a Salesman | | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1974 | The Rivals | | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1974 | The Philanthropist | | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1974 | The Chapel Perilous | Michael | Sydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre Company |
| 1975 | The Taming of the Shrew | Tranio (later disguised as Lucentio) | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1976–1977 | Wild Oats | Ruffian 1 / Waiter, Wild Oats | Aldwych Theatre, London, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford with RSC |
| 1977–1978 | As You Like It | Duke's Bodyguard / Forester / Jaques de Boys | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Theatre Royal, Newcastle with RSC |
| 1977–1978 | Henry VI, Part 1 | Sir Thomas Gargrave / Soldier at the Gate | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Theatre Royal, Newcastle, Aldwych Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1977–1978 | Henry VI, Part 2 | Sawyer | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Theatre Royal, Newcastle, Aldwych Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1977–1978 | Henry VI, Part 3 | Keeper / Watch | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Theatre Royal, Newcastle, Aldwych Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1977–1979 | Coriolanus | Volscian Citizen 2 | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Aldwych Theatre, London, RSC tour |
| 1978 | Hamlet on Ice | Editor / Gertrude | Young Vic, London with RSC |
| 1978 | The Women-Pirates Ann Bonney and Mary Read | Soldier | Aldwych Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1978 | Old Tyme Music Hall | | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Aldwych Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1978 | Saratoga, or Pistols for Seven | Frederick Carter | Aldwych Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1980–1981 | Hamlet | Barnardo / English Ambassador / Reynaldo | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Theatre Royal, Newcastle with RSC |
| 1980–1981 | As You Like It | Le Beau / Sir Oliver Martext | Theatre Royal, Newcastle, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Aldwych Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1980–1981 | Richard II | Sir Henry Green | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Aldwych Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Newcastle with RSC |
| 1980–1981 | Richard III | Lord Lovel | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Aldwych Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Newcastle with RSC |
| 1980–1982 | The Swan Down Gloves | Griselda Brimstone | Barbican Theatre, London Royal Command Performance, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Aldwych Theatre, London, New York with RSC |
| 1981 | Troilus and Cressida | Paris | Aldwych Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1983 | Much Ado About Nothing | Benedick | Albert Park Amphitheatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1984 | Henry V | King Henry V | Albert Park Amphitheatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1985 | The Real Thing | Henry | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1985 | Cheapside | | Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane, Redcliffe Entertainment Centre with QTC |
| 1985, 1986 | A Christmas Carol | | London, Symphony Space, Broadway with RSC, Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, Illinois |
| 1986 | Wild Honey | Dr Triletzky | Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, Virginia Theater, New York |
| | The Threepenny Opera | | Shaw Festival, USA |
| | The Millionairess | | Shaw Festival, USA |
| | Accidental Death of an Anarchist | | Broadway / LA |
| | A Man for All Seasons | | Broadway / LA |
| | Almost a Joke | | State University of New York at New Paltz, Broadway / LA |
| | The Fantasticks | | State University of New York at New Paltz, Broadway / LA |
| | The School for Scandal | | Dublin Theatre Festival |
| | Dear Liar | | McKenna Productions, New York |
| | Waiting for Godot | | Virginia Stage Company |
| | The Beastly Beastitudes of Balthazar | | Virginia Stage Company |
| | Life Class | | Art Institute of Chicago |
| 1987–1989 | The Wizard of Oz | Wicked Witch of the West / Miss Gulch | London Fringe Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Barbican Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1987 | The Merry Wives of Windsor | John Falstaff | Albert Park Amphitheatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1989–1990 | London Assurance | Richard Dazzle | Theatre Royal, Bath, Chichester Festival Theatre & other locations |
| | Love's Labour's Lost | | Chichester Festival Theatre |
| 1992 | Popular Mechanicals 1 and 2 | | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 1992 | Twelfth Night | Malvolio | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| | Richard II | | Grin and Tonic |
| | King Lear | | Grin and Tonic |
| 1993 | Kiss of the Spiderwoman | Molina | La Boite Theatre, Brisbane with Orford Productions International |
| 1993 | And a Nightingale Sang | George | Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1993 | The Caucasian Chalk Circle | | Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Performing Arts Trust & QUT |
| 1993 | The Shaughraun or The Loveable Rascal | Corry Kinchela | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1993 | A Christmas Carol | | Concert Hall, Brisbane with Orford Productions International |
| 1993–1994 | Twelfth Night | Sir Andrew Aguecheek | Barbican Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, Barbican Theatre, London, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford with RSC |
| 1994, 1995 | Measure for Measure | Elbow | Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, Barbican Theatre, London with RSC |
| 1995–1996 | La Belle Vivette | M. Boulot | London Coliseum with English National Opera |
| 1997 | Summer Rain | Harold | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1997 | After the Ball | Stephen MacCrae (older) | Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Playhouse, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Monash University with QTC & MTC |
| 1998 | Tom and Clem | | Marian Street Theatre, Sydney with Northside Theatre Company |
| 1998 | The Marriage of Figaro | Count Atmaviva | Playhouse, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1999 | The Judas Kiss | Oscar Wilde | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse, Canberra, The Capital, Bendigo, Playhouse, Brisbane |
| 1999, 2000 | Twelfth Night | Malvolio | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 2000, 2001 | Troilus and Cressida | Calchas | Melbourne Athenaeum, Playhouse, Canberra, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2001 | The Forest | Gennadiy Dem'yanych Neschastlivtsev | Playhouse, Brisbane with QTC |
| 2001 | King Ubu | Pa Ubu | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 2002, 2003 | Bill and Mary | Bill Dobell | Playhouse, Brisbane, Stables Theatre, Sydney |
| 2003 | Hamlet | Old Hamlet / First Player / Gravedigger | Sydney Opera House, Orange Civic Theatre, Playhouse, Canberra, Ford Theatre, Geelong, Playhouse, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Hobart with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2003 | Howard Katz | Howard Katz | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 2004 | Twelfth Night | Malvolio | Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse, Canberra, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Orange Civic Theatre with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2005 | Hitchcock Blonde | Hitch | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2006, 2008 | Feasting on Flesh | Ringmaster | Spiegeltent, Brisbane, Sydney Opera House, Edinburgh Festival with Strut 'n' Fret |
| 2007 | Exit the King | The Doctor / Astrologist | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 2007 | Spamalot | King Arthur / Understudy for Patsy | Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne with Michael Coppel for MICF |
| 2009 | The School of Arts | Bronson Savage | Playhouse, Brisbane & Queensland regional tour with QTC |
| 2009 | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Lawrence Jameson | State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company |
| 2010 | Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman | Shakespeare / Lady Donna Zogretta | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2011 | The Seagull | Dorn | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 2011 | As You Like It | Duke Frederick / Jacques | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 2012 | The Histrionic | Bruscon | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Wharf Theatre with STC |
| | The Chocolate Frog | | QTC |

### As writer / director

| Year | Work | Award | Type |
| 1973 | Ship of Fools | Writer | Brisbane Grammar School |
| 1974 | Springle | Writer | QTC |
| 1975 | The Taming of the Shrew | Musical Arranger | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC |
| 1975–1987 | Tufff... | Playwright | QTC, Royal Court Theare, London, Riverina Playhouse, Wagga Wagga |
| 1975 | Egg Froth the Frithed | Playwright | QTC |
| 1977 | Prunes | Writer | QTC |
| 1978–1982 | The Peculiar Treasure | Writer | Six part series of plays |
| 1978–1982 | God's Idiots | Director | University of New York |
| 1980–1982, 1987 | The Swan Down Gloves | Playwright / Lyricist / Bookwriter / Director | Barbican Theatre, London Royal Command Performance, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Aldwych Theatre, London & McKenna Theatre at State University of New York at New Paltz with RSC |
| 1983 | Playfolk | Writer | |
| 1985, 1986 | A Christmas Carol | Adaptor | London, Symphony Space, Broadway with RSC Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, Illinois |
| 1985 | Unreal | Writer | STCSA |
| 1986 | Colorados (renamed version of Playfolk) | Writer | Shaw Festival, Pennsylvania |
| | The Philanthropist | Director | State University of New York at New Paltz |
| | Almost a Joke | Writer | State University of New York at New Paltz, Broadway / LA |
| 1988 | The Light Fantastik | Writer | Corning Glass Works, New York |
| c.1988 | Séance | Writer | |
| 1991 | The Country Party: A Political Romance | Writer | |
| 1991 | Faust | Associate Director | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane with Opera Queensland & Victorian Opera |
| 1993 | A Christmas Carol | Adaptor | Concert Hall, Brisbane with Orford Productions International |
| 1996 | Redskins (renamed version of Playfolk) | Playwright | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, The Other Place, Stratford |
| 1996 | Over the Top with Jim | Director / Script consultant | Conservatorium Theatre, Brisbane with QPAC for Brisbane Festival |
| 1997, 1998 | Samson et Dalila | Director | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, State Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House with Opera Queensland |
| 2000 | National Playwrights Conference | Director | STCSA |
| 2002, 2003 | Bill and Mary | Playwright | Playhouse, Brisbane, Stables Theatre, Sydney |
| 2004–2005 | Aladdin | Adaptor | The Old Vic, London |
| 2005 | John Cleese – His Life, Times and Medical Problems | Director | New Zealand & New York tours with Adrian Bohm Productions |
| 2009 | The School of Arts | Actor / Playwright | Playhouse, Brisbane & Queensland regional tour with QTC |
| | Don Giovanni | Director | Opera Queensland |
| | A Rossini Gala | Director | Opera Queensland |
| | The Magic Flute | Director | Opera Queensland |
| | Noyes Fludde (aka Noah's Flood) | Director | St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane with Opera Queensland |