Tommy Lewis(1958-2018)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
Tom E. Lewis was born and raised in South Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern
Territory amongst the Murrungun tribe where today their lands are
federally protected. For much of his early life he worked as a
bricklayer and stockman in order to make ends meet. However this was
only a front for his real drive and ambition to pursue a life of
artistic merit. Most notably, Tom has shown his talents in both the
musical and theatrical arena.
He has worked with many renowned theatrical companies such as Playbox
and Melbourne Theatre Company and has produced internationally
recognised work. But the real success story for Tom was his transition
from theatre into film earning his first breakthrough role as the title
character in the film "Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith" (1978); a film which
won itself a Palme d'Or nomination no less at the 1978 Cannes Film
Festival. Tom's film career has been as broad as at has been long with
him playing a multitude of complex, realistic and mostly recognisable
indigenous characters. One of his most noticeable characters included
Two Bob, an outlaw in the commercially and critically successful "The
Proposition" (2005) and Jimmy Conway in the film "Red Hill" (2010) in
which he played the main antagonist, an escaped and extremely vengeful
convict.
Tom E. Lewis' acting abilities have slowly over the years begun to
shine more and more on the international film circuit. With the release
of his new film "Red Hill" (2010), which is being hailed as the next No
Country for Old Men, it seems that Tom's day in the sunlight is just
around the corner and perhaps even bigger character roles for him to
sink his teeth into?
Territory amongst the Murrungun tribe where today their lands are
federally protected. For much of his early life he worked as a
bricklayer and stockman in order to make ends meet. However this was
only a front for his real drive and ambition to pursue a life of
artistic merit. Most notably, Tom has shown his talents in both the
musical and theatrical arena.
He has worked with many renowned theatrical companies such as Playbox
and Melbourne Theatre Company and has produced internationally
recognised work. But the real success story for Tom was his transition
from theatre into film earning his first breakthrough role as the title
character in the film "Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith" (1978); a film which
won itself a Palme d'Or nomination no less at the 1978 Cannes Film
Festival. Tom's film career has been as broad as at has been long with
him playing a multitude of complex, realistic and mostly recognisable
indigenous characters. One of his most noticeable characters included
Two Bob, an outlaw in the commercially and critically successful "The
Proposition" (2005) and Jimmy Conway in the film "Red Hill" (2010) in
which he played the main antagonist, an escaped and extremely vengeful
convict.
Tom E. Lewis' acting abilities have slowly over the years begun to
shine more and more on the international film circuit. With the release
of his new film "Red Hill" (2010), which is being hailed as the next No
Country for Old Men, it seems that Tom's day in the sunlight is just
around the corner and perhaps even bigger character roles for him to
sink his teeth into?