Brendan Cowell

Brendan Cowell
Born	16 August 1976 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Brendan Cowell (born 16 August 1976) is an Australian actor, screenwriter, comedian and director. Cowell was born in Sydney. He stumbled upon acting by accident while waiting for his sister to come out of a rehearsal; he was then cast in a commercial at age 8. He went to Charles Sturt University, in Bathurst, to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre/Media,^[1] originally considering journalism as a career option.

Cowell won the Patrick White Playwrights' Award for his third play Bed^[2] along with a collection of other awards.^[3] His play Ruben Guthrie showed at the Belvoir St Theatre in 2009 to sell-out houses.^[4] It has a new production at La Boite Theatre in 2011, starring Gyton Grantley and directed by David Berthold.^[5] His most famous acting role is playing the enigmatic Tom on Australian cable TV's Love My Way, for which he also wrote several episodes, and playing Todd for the first two seasons on Life Support on SBS TV, for which he also wrote sketches.^[6]

His most recent foray into film have included roles in the 2007 crime drama Noise, World War 1 war film Beneath Hill 60 and romantic comedy I Love You Too. He won some acclaim for his portrayal of the title role in Bell Shakespeare's 2008 Production of Hamlet^[7] and acted in Sydney Theatre Company's production of True West, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, in 2010.^[8] Brendan lives in Newtown, New South Wales Sydney and is a committed supporter of the Cronulla Sharks rugby league team.

In 2010 he published his first novel How it Feels.^[9]

Personal life

Brendan was born to parents Yvonne and Bruce 'Bruiser' Cowell. He has two older sisters, Belinda and Jacqui (who was part of pop group Girlfriend). Was a self-confessed loner at primary school, which he said was due to his reading poems out at assembly and making up little plays and forcing people to watch them. He dated Rose Byrne for six years until they amicably parted ways in early 2010.^[10]

Brendan was criticised by media and political figures for perceived political opportunism for participating in a video condemning Prime Minister Tony Abbott for not doing enough to secure the lives of convicted drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in the days before their execution.^[11] In the video Brendan made personal attacks on the Prime Minister in a close up to camera, “Tony, if you had any courage and compassion you'd go to Indonesia and bring these boys home. Show some balls." He later apologised on Twitter and closed his Twitter account.

Acting credits

• Brock - Allan Moffat
• NRL Footy Show (2015) - Himself (3 episodes)
• Ruben Guthrie (2015)
• Belvoir's Once in Royal David's City (2014) – Will^[12]
• The Borgias (2013) – Mattai the Hebrew^[13]
• The Outlaw Michael Howe (2013) - British soldier (uncredited)^[14]
• Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (2012) – Rod Marsh^[15]
• Save Your Legs! (2012)^[16]
• The Slap – Episode #1.8: "Richie" (2011)^[17] – Craig^[18]
• Sydney Theatre Company's True West (2010)^[8]
• I Love You Too (2010)^[19]
• Beneath Hill 60 – Oliver Woodward (2010 Anzac Day release)
• Rush – Blake Fincher (2010, one episode)^[20]
• Bell Shakespeare's Hamlet – Hamlet (stage production) (2008)^[7]
• Noise – Constable Graham McGahan (2007)^[21]
• Love My Way – Tom Jackson (2005)^[22]
• Deck Dogz (2005) – Kurt
• Salem's Lot – Dud Rogers^[23]
• Fat Cow Motel (2003) TV Series – Jack Green^[24]
• Clutch (2003) – Brian^[25]
• Floodhouse (2003) – Herringbone John^[26]
• White Collar Blue – Episode #1.12 (2002) TV Episode – Daniel Hudson
• Young Lions – Episode #1.4 (2002) TV Episode – Jason Doone
• Life Support (2001) TV Series – Todd No. 1 (2001–2002)
• To End All Wars (2001) – Wallace Hamilton
• Water Rats – Family Matters (2001) TV Episode – Jonathan Freeman
• The Monkey's Mask (2000) – Hayden, Cercle intime (France), Maschera di scimmia, La (Italy), Poetry, Sex (Japan: English title)
• City Loop (2000) – Robert, Bored Olives (UK: new title)^[27]
• Kick (1999) – Macca – aka James
• Monster! (1999) (TV) – Nate
• Home and Away – Colt (1998)

Writing

• Ruben Guthrie (2015)
• The Outlaw Michael Howe (2013)^[28]
• Save Your Legs! (2012)^[16]
• The Slap (2011)^[18] – Episode #1.3: "Harry"^[29]
• Ten Empty (2007)^[30]
• How It Feels (2010)^[31]
• Europe (2005)^[32]
• Love My Way (2004 – 2005 – 2007)^[33][34][35]
• Chrono-logic (2002)^[36]
• The Doppelgangers (2002)^[37]
• Baggage Claim (2002)^[38]
• I Love U (2002)^[39]
• Wasted on the Young (2002)^[40]
• Free (2002/II)^[41]
• Running Down These Dreams (2002)^[42]
• Sweet Dreams (2002)^[43]

Director

• Ruben Guthrie (2015)
• The Outlaw Michael Howe (2013)^[44]
• Europe (2005)^[32]

References

1. "Brendan Cowell – Actor-writer-director-producer". Alumni.csu.edu.au. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
2. "Sydney Theatre Company – Patrick White Playwrights' Award". Sydneytheatre.com.au. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
3. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0184698/awards
4. "Ruben Guthrie, Productions | Belvoir St Theatre". Belvoir.com.au. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
5. "All things Ruben Guthrie: An Interview with David Berthold (La Boite)". Aussietheatre.com.au. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
6. "Brendan Cowell". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
7. "Hamlet | Bell Shakespeare". Australianstage.com.au. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
8. "True West | Sydney Theatre Company". Australianstage.com.au. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
9. Theo Chapman. "How It Feels | Book Review | Brendan Cowell's First Novel". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
10. "Rose Byrne and Brendan Cowell split". Heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
11. "Bali nine: Julie Bishop defends Tony Abbott over celebrity mercy video". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
12. "Once in Royal David's City Belvoir Sydney 2014 | Belvoir St Theatre". Belvoir.com.au. 2014-03-23. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
13. "Brendan Cowell". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
14. "Brendan Cowell". IMDb. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
15. psp22929 (27 June 2013). "Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (TV Mini-Series 2012)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
16. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
17. "Richie". The Slap. Season 1. Episode 8. 24 November 2011. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC1. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
18. "Credits". ABC TV. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
19. DICK STEEL (6 May 2010). "I Love You Too (2010)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
20. ""Rush" Don't Cook Meth (TV Episode 2010)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
21. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
22. jk-692-236394. "Love My Way (TV Series 2004–2007)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
23. "'Salem's Lot (TV Movie 2004)". IMDb. 20 June 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
24. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
25. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
26. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
27. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
28. "Brendan Cowell". IMDb. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
29. "Harry". The Slap. Season 1. Episode 3. 20 October 2011. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC1. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
30. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
31. "Pan Macmillan Australia: About the Book". Panmacmillan.com.au. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
32. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
33. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
34. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
35. "Screen Australia". Screen Australia. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
36. "Chrono-logic (2002)". IMDb. 29 November 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
37. "The Doppelgangers (2002)". IMDb. 29 November 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
38. "Baggage Claim (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
39. "I Love U (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
40. "Wasted on the Young (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
41. "Free (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
42. "Running Down These Dreams (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
43. "Sweet Dreams (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
44. "Brendan Cowell". IMDb. Retrieved 4 July 2016.

External links

• Brendan Cowell at the Internet Movie Database