We love our Aussie actors making it big on the world's stage. The Hemsworth brothers are adored by fans and even more so by the media. What's not to adore, right?
Chris Hemsworth's dimple goodness.
Liam Hemsworth's wink wink goodness.
But, they are also, what I would call, the stereotypical Australian leading men. The local and international media's tendency to put a lot of focus on Anglo-Australian actors, like the Hemsworth, has created a skewed view of how Australian men look.
The reality is, Australia is a multicultural country. There are many actors from diverse ethnic backgrounds who are as authentically Australian as the Hemsworth. This list is a non-exhaustive list of Aussie actors who epitomise Australia's multicultural identity.
1. Aaron Pedersen
2. Hussain Sadiqi
Hussain Sadiqi is a Hazara Australian actor and a martial artist. He grew up in Afghanistan, but left after the Taliban took control of the country. He arrived in Australia by boat before being officially recognised as a refugee. Sadiqi is very accomplished in the field of Shaolin Chinese kung fu. He won an award for the best fight scene for the Australian made action movie Among Dead Men at the International Film Festival in Pasadena, California in 2008.
3. Firass Dirani
Firass Dirani is a Lebanese Australian film and television actor. He's known for his role as John Ibrahim, Sydney's 'major organised-crime' figure, in the 2010 series Underbelly: The Golden Mile. He was named the 2010 Cleo Bachelor of the Year.
4. Remy Hii
Hii is currently on Netflix's series, Marco Polo.
5. James Stewart
6. Ashwin Gore
Ashwin Gore is an Australian actor with Indian/South Asian heritage. Gore starred in the award-winning short film You Can't Curry Love, in which he plays Vikas, an East Indian from London who travels to India and falls for a local guy while discovering a country he thought he knew.
7. Don Hany
8. Daniel Okoduwa
Daniel Okoduwa is an accomplished Sydney based Nigerian/Australian filmmaker. In 2012, Okoduwa wrote and produced Gossip Nation, a film that revolves around the African immigrants and refugees community in Blacktown, Sydney. Okoduwa won the prestigious SPAA (Screen Producers Association of Australia) Awards for best upcoming film producer in Australia and New Zealand.
9. Nicholas Sopelario
10. Matt Okine
11. James Reid
James Reid has starred on a plethora of TV shows and films, featured on magazine covers, a thriving singing career, clothing and fragrance lines and close to a million followers on instagram. Born to an Australian father and a Filipino mother, Reid is big in the Philippines but unknown in Australia's mainstream entertainment market.
12. Brandon Walters
Brandon Walters is an Indigenous Australian child actor known for his performance as Nullah in the 2008 film Australia.
13. David Gulpilil
The legendary David Gulpilil, 62, started acting at the age of 16. He played a principal role in the internationally acclaimed motion picture Walkabout. The film premiered in competition at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Over 40 years later, in May 2014, Gulpilil won the Best Actor award at the Festival for his performance in Charlie's Country.
Want to add more actors onto this list? Send us your suggestions.
Share This Article
