Paul Hogan
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
If Australia has a human face in the American popular mind, it may well be the smiling, deeply lined visage of Paul Hogan. Less as an actor than a personality, this lean, tanned and weathered- looking former construction worker--nicknamed "Hoges"--represented the Land Down Under in a series of ads for the Australian Tourist Commission that enticed more than 600,000 Americans abroad. Audiences found him earnest, likeable and down-to-earth. Hogan parlayed these qualities into international stardom as the co-writer and star of "'Crocodile' Dundee" (1986), a hugely successful comedy adventure depicting the adventures of an Outback outdoorsman in New York City. This unpretentiously old-fashioned comedy was a smash hit that won Hogan a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy, an Oscar nomination for the original screenplay and a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award nomination. It also generated a successful sequel, "'Crocodile' Dundee 2" (1988), which Hogan co-scripted and executive produced. Together the films grossed over $500 million.
Hogan's unlikely entertainment career began at age 31 when he wrote to a TV talent show representing himself as a rural tap-dancing knife thrower. Hogan was invited on by the producers, presumably to make a fool of himself. Instead, he won national attention with a blistering satire of that very show. This triumph led to numerous other appearances, including a regular stint as a comic commentator on "A Current Affair," a nightly magazine news show. Hogan boosted his exposure with "The Paul Hogan Show" beginning in 1977 and a series of TV specials filmed in England starting in 1983. He began proving his mettle as a TV pitchman with a series of award- winning commercials for Foster's Lager in the United Kingdom. Prior to the release of "'Crocodile' Dundee," Hogan displayed dramatic chops in "ANZACS," a popular Australian TV miniseries set during WWI.
Hogan's Hollywood career stumbled after the blockbuster success of the "Crocodile Dundee" films. The sentimental comic fantasy "Almost An Angel" (1990), in which he played a burglar slain during a heroic act and given a chance to redeem his soul, was a commercial disappointment. The genial Western comedy "Lightning Jack" (1994) also failed to register at the box-office. Hogan took a different tack with the family picture "Flipper" (1996), sharing the spotlight with the teen-aged former child star Elijah Wood and a remarkable sea-going mammal. He was well cast as the colorful bohemian uncle to whom the youth is sent to spend the summer, but the film proved a box-office disappointment. In 2001, after nearly a dozen years, Hogan once again donned his Akubra hat and slipped comfortably into the persona of Mick Dundee for the amiable, if slightly retro, sequel "'Crocodile' Dundee in Los Angeles."
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1971
Entertainment debut at age 31, appeared on the Australian TV talent show, "New Faces" (date approximate)
1972
Co-founded JP Productions
1977
Co-produced, wrote and hosted the long-running variety series, "The Paul Hogan Show", on the National 9 Network in Australia
1981
"The Paul Hogan Show" syndicated in the USA
1986
Feature debut in a starring role, "'Crocodile' Dundee", also credited for screenplay from his original story
1987
"ANZACS" re-edited into a two part, four hour miniseries and retitled "ANZACS: The War Down Under"; shown in syndication in the USA
1987
Co-hosted (with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn) "The 59th Annual Academy Awards Presentation"
1988
First feature as executive producer, "'Crocodile' Dundee 2"; also starred and co-wrote
1988
Directorial debut, "The Humpty Dumpty Man", a thriller (also wrote screenplay), released on video
1994
In an unusual venture, stock sold on the Australian Stock Exchange to raise the $23.8 million (in US dollars) for the budget of the Western comedy feature "Lightning Jack"
1996
Starred in the big screen version of "Flipper"
2001
Reprised signature role in third installment of franchise, "Crocodile Dundee in L.A."
Family
Companions
