Jack Thompson
About
Biography
Biography
An Australian icon whose acting career paralleled that nation's emergence into mainstream cinema, Jack Thompson first gained prominence as the star of the Aussie TV series "Spyforce." He solidified his reputation during the 1970s with movies like "Petersen" (1974), "Sunday Too Far Away" (1975) and "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith" (1978) before giving an award-winning performance as the defense attorney in Bruce Beresford's "Breaker Morant" (1980), his first film to get wide exposure in the USA. He also appeared in a small role as a horseman in George Miller's "The Man From Snowy River" (1982), another movie from Down Under that became a hit with American audiences.
Thompson made his American television debut in the syndicated miniseries "A Woman Called Golda" (1982), starring Ingrid Bergman, and followed quickly with a turn opposite Lee Remick in the ABC movie "The Letter" (1982), a remake of the Bette Davis-Herbert Marshall version of the Somerset Maugham story. He played a supporting role in Paul Verhoeven's first English-language movie, "Flesh + Blood" (1985), and his expanded international film career featured work in New Zealand ("Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" 1982), Great Britain ("Black Rainbow" 1989) and the U.S. ("The Wind" 1992), not to mention continued efforts in his homeland ("Ground Zero" 1988).
Since his award-wining performance as Russell Crowe's understanding father in the Australian film "The Sum of US" (1995), Thompson has acted primarily in the USA, receiving tremendous TV exposure, first for his role opposite Sally Field in the NBC miniseries "A Woman of Independent Means" (1995), and then in the CBS miniseries sequel "The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years" (1996). On the big screen, he lent his solid presence as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in John Woo's "Broken Arrow" and as the Tennessee governor who refuses to pardon death row inmate Sharon Stone in "Last Chance" (both 1996). Thompson also appeared as Alicia Silverstone's father in the muddled "Excess Baggage" and had one of his best roles as Savannah defense attorney Sonny Seiler in Clint Eastwood's film version of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (both 1997).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1968
Made acting debut on the TV soap opera "Motel"
1971
Feature film debut, "Outback"
1971
First gained prominence as star of the Aussie TV seies "Spyforce"
1979
Delivered an award-winning performance in Bruce Beresford's "Breaker Morant"
1982
American miniseries debut, "A Woman Called Golda" starring Ingrid Bergman
1982
Had a cameo in George Miller's "The Man From Snowy River"
1982
Starred opposite Lee Remick in the ABC movie "The Letter"
1985
Appeared in a supporting role in Paul Verhoeven's "Flesh & Blood"
1988
Portrayed Tom Campbell Black in the CBS movie "Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun"
1995
Played Russell Crowe's father in "The Sum of Us"
1995
Acted opposite Sally Field in the NBC miniseries "A Woman of Independent Means"
1996
Played the Governor in "Last Dance" starring Sharon Stone
1996
Cast as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in John Woo's "Broken Arrow"
1997
Portrayed Sonny Seiler in Clint Eastwood's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"
2001
Starred in "Original Sin" with Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie
2002
Appeared in "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" as Cliegg Lars
2004
Cast opposite Naomi Watts and Sean Penn in "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" as Jack Jones, the successful salesman
2006
Co-starred in Steven Soderbergh's post WWII drama, "The Good German"
2007
Featured in the Australian film "December Boys"
2008
Cast as as Kipling Flynn, an alcoholic accountant in Baz Luhrmann's epic "Australia"
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