Richard Roxburgh (born 23 January 1962) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of a number of accolades across film, television, and theatre, including several AFI and AACTA Awards, Logie Awards, and Helpmann Awards.<!---don't add numbers of awards because they get out of date as soon as he wins another one--->
He began his career working with the Sydney Theatre Company. He went on to appear in Australian and international productions such as Baz Luhrmann's films Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Elvis (2022), the ABC series Rake (2010–2018), and the action films Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), and Van Helsing (2004).
Early life and education
Richard Roxburgh was born on 23 January 1962. His parents were John, an accountant, and Mary Roxburgh. He grew up in Albury, New South Wales.
Roxburgh studied economics at the Australian National University in Canberra,
After graduating from ANU, he decided to become an actor and was admitted to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) on his second audition attempt, graduating in 1986. and also worked with Belvoir St Theatre.
In July 2010, Roxburgh played former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke in a telemovie based on Hawke's life.
In November 2010, Roxburgh co-created and began starring in the critically acclaimed ABC1 television comedy-drama series Rake as the brilliant but self-destructive Sydney criminal barrister Cleaver Greene, a role for which he won the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama in 2012. He stars in Matching Jack, which was released in August 2010, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, released in September 2010.
Returning to the stage, Roxburgh played Vanya opposite Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and John Bell in Sydney Theatre Company's 2010 production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. In 2013, he again performed at the STC with Weaving as the protagonists in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, Weaving as Vladimir and Roxburgh as Estragon. In 2014, Roxburgh played the title role in Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac at the STC. In 2015, Roxburgh appeared in Andrew Upton's adaptation of Chekhov's play Platonov, titled The Present, for the STC. It was directed by John Crowley and featured Cate Blanchett, Jacqueline McKenzie, Marshall Napier, and Toby Schmitz. That production moved in 2016/17 to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City for the Broadway debut of Roxburgh and the rest of the cast.
In 2023, he appeared in Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe as a parody of his previous role in Rake.
In 2024 Roxburgh appeared in the Stan series Prosper, a thriller set in the megachurch community.
Roxburgh played the lead role in the feature film The Correspondent, as journalist Peter Greste. The Correspondent, directed by Kriv Stenders, was screened as the opening film of the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2024, along with the animated feature Lesbian Space Princess, in which he was one of the cast of voice actors.
In June 2025, Roxburgh was announced by Stan Australia that he was playing former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen in the TV documentary Joh: The Last King of Queensland.
On 29 January 2026, Roxburgh was named in the Stan co-commissioned series Careless. Roxburgh toured Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide between February and May 2026 with Yasmina Reza's 1994 award-winning play Art as Marc opposite Damon Herriman as Serge and Toby Schmitz as Yvan.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1991
| Dead to the World
| Johnny
|
|-
| 1994
| Talk
| Jack / Harry
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1995
| Lessons in the Language of Love
| Harry
| Short film
|-
| Billy's Holiday
| Rob McSpedden
|
|-
| Hayride to Hell
| George Weygate
| Short film
|-
| 1996
| Children of the Revolution
| Joe
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997
| Doing Time for Patsy Cline
| Boyd
|
|-
| Thank God He Met Lizzie
| Guy Jamieson
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1998
| Oscar and Lucinda
| Mr. Jeffries
|
|-
| A Little Bit of Soul
| Sir Samuel Michael
| Voice
|-
| In the Winter Dark
| Murray Jacob
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1999
| '
| Captain Daventry
|
|-
| Passion
| Percy Grainger
|
|-
| 2000
| Mission: Impossible 2
| Hugh Stamp
|
|-
| 2001
| Moulin Rouge!
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2002
| '
| Karl
|
|-
| '
| Neil
|
|-
| 2003
| '
|
|
|-
| 2004
| Van Helsing
| Count Dracula
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2005
| Stealth
| Dr. Keith Orbit
|
|-
| Fragile
| Robert Kerry
|
|-
| 2006
| Like Minds
| Martin McKenzie
|
|-
| 2007
| Romulus, My Father
|
| Director and producer
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2010
| Matching Jack
| David
|
|-
| Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
| Boron
| Voice
|-
| 2011
| Sanctum
| Frank McGuire
|
|-
| 2013
| The Turning
| Vic Lang
|
|-
| 2014
| Maya the Bee
| Flip
| rowspan="2"| Voice
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2015
| Blinky Bill the Movie
| Blinky's dad
|-
| Looking for Grace
| Dan
|
|-
| 2016
| Hacksaw Ridge
| Colonel Stelzer
|
|-
| 2017
| Breath
| Mr. Pike
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2018
| Swinging Safari
| Adult Jeff Marsh
| Narrator only
|-
| Maya the Bee: The Honey Games
| Flip
| Voice
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2019
| Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan
| Brigadier David Jackson
|
|-
| H Is for Happiness
| Jim Phee
|
|-
| Angel of Mine
| Bernard
|
|-
| 2020
| Go Karts
| Patrick
|
|-
| 2022
| Elvis
| Vernon Presley
|
|-
| 2023
| Force of Nature: The Dry 2
| Daniel Bailey
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2024
| Eden
| Allan Hancock
|
|-
| The Correspondent
| Peter Greste
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2025
| Forgive Us All
| Otto
|Also served as executive producer
|-
| Lesbian Space Princess
| Problematic Ship
| Voice
|-
| 2026
| Fing!
| Mr. Dour
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1987
| The Riddle of the Stinson
| Proud
| rowspan="2"| Television film
|-
| 1989
| The Saint: Fear in Fun Park
| Justin
|-
| 1990
| The Paper Man
| 'Gracie' Fields
| rowspan="3"| Miniseries
|-
| 1992
| Tracks of Glory
| Hugh Mcintosh
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1993
| Seven Deadly Sins
| Gluttony / Mark
|-
| Crimebroker
| Harrison
| Television film
|-
| Police Rescue
| Tim Warne
| rowspan="2"| 1 episode
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995
| Halifax f.p.
| Sergeant Paul Santos
|-
| Blue Murder
| Roger Rogerson
| Miniseries
|-
| 1996
| Twisted Tales
| Ben
| 1 episode
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997
| The Last of the Ryans
| Ronald Ryan
| Television film
|-
| Frontier
| Superintendent William Hobbs
|
|-
| 2001
| Blonde
| Mr. R
| rowspan="4"| Television film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2002
| The Road from Coorain
| Bill
|-
| '
| Sherlock Holmes
|-
| 2006
| The Silence
| Richard Treloar
|-
| 2008–2009
| East of Everything
| Art Watkins
|
|-
| 2009
| False Witness
| Charles Van Koors
| Miniseries
|-
| 2010
| Hawke
| Bob Hawke
| Television film
|-
| 2010–2018
| Rake
| Cleaver Greene
| Also co-creator and producer
|-
| 2011
| Ice
| Thom Archer
|
|-
| 2015
| Australia: The Story of Us
| Narrator
| Voice; television docudrama
|-
| 2017
| Blue Murder: Killer Cop
| Roger Rogerson
| rowspan="2"| Miniseries
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2019
| The Hunting
| Nick
|-
| The Pool
| Narrator
| 1 episode
|-
| Catherine the Great
| Grigory Orlov
| Miniseries
|-
| Lovestruck
| Nigel Valentine
| Television film
|-
| 2020
| The Crown
| Bob Hawke
| Episodes: "Terra Nullius" & "48:1"
|-
| 2021
| Fires
| Duncan Simpson
| 2 episodes
|-
| 2022
| Bali 2002
| Graham Ashton
| Miniseries
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2023
| Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe
| Rake
|
|-
| The PM's Daughter
| H.A.N.C.
| 3 episodes
|-
| 2024
| Prosper
| Cal Quinn
| 8 episodes
|-
|2025
|Joh: Last King of Queensland
|Joh Bjelke-Petersen
|TV documentary
|-
|TBA
|Careless
|Mike
|TV series
|}
Theatre
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1977|| Death of a Salesman || Willy Loman || Albury High School
|-
| 1992 || The Homecoming || ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1994 || That Eye, the Sky || Henry Warburton || Burning House Theatre Company, Sydney, and Playhouse, Melbourne
|-
| Hamlet || Hamlet || Company B at Belvoir St Theatre
|-
| 2007–2008 || Toy Symphony || Roland Henning || Belvoir St Theatre
|-
| 2010 || Uncle Vanya || Vanya || Sydney Theatre Company for Bell Shakespeare
|-
| 2013 || Waiting for Godot || Estragon || rowspan="3"| Sydney Theatre Company
|-
| 2014 || Cyrano de Bergerac || Cyrano de Bergerac
|-
| 2015 || rowspan="2"| The Present || rowspan="2"| Mikhail
|-
| 2016–2017 || Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway
|-
| 2026 || Art || Marc || Sydney Theatre Company, Roslyn Packer Theatre
|}
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Work
! Result
! Ref
|-
| 1992
| rowspan="4" | Sydney Theatre Awards
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role
| The Homecoming
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1994
| Freelance Director
| rowspan="2" | That Eye, the Sky
|
|
|-
| Best New Play or Musical
|
|
|-
| Best Performance by an Actor
| rowspan="2" | Hamlet
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995
| Green Room Awards
| Best Actor
|
|
|-
| Australian Film Institute Television Awards
| rowspan="2" | Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama
| Halifax f.p.
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1996
| Australian Film Institute Television Awards
| rowspan="2" | Blue Murder
|
|
|-
| Logie Awards
| Most Outstanding Actor
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997
| Verona International Film Festival
| Best Actor
| Thank God He Met Lizzie
|
|
|-
| Australian Film Institute Awards
| Best Actor in a Leading Role
| rowspan="2" | Doing Time for Patsy Cline
|
|
|-
| 1998
| Film Critics Circle of Australia
| Best Actor – Male
|
|
|-
| 1999
| Australian Film Institute Awards
| Best Actor in a Leading Role
| Passion
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2001
| Australian Film Institute Awards
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role
| rowspan="2" | Moulin Rouge!
|
|
|-
| Screen Actors Guild Awards
| Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
|
|
|-
| 2004
| Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
| Worst Fake Accent – Male
| Van Helsing
|
|
|-
| 2006
| Australian Film Institute Awards
| Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama
| rowspan="2" | The Silence
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2007
| Logie Awards
| Most Outstanding Actor
|
|
|-
| Sydney Theatre Awards
| Best Actor in a Lead Role
| Toy Symphony
|
|
|-
| Australian Film Institute Awards
| Best Direction
| rowspan="2" | Romulus, My Father
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2008
| Film Critics Circle of Australia
| Best Director
|
|
|-
| Helpmann Awards
| Best Male Actor in a Play
| Toy Symphony
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2010
| colspan="2" | Equity Ensemble Awards
| Rake
|
|
|-
| Sydney Theatre Awards
| Best Actor
| Uncle Vanya
|
|
|-
| Australian Film Institute Awards
| Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama
| rowspan="3" | Hawke
|
|
|-
| rowspan="5" | 2011
| Seoul International Drama Awards
| Best Actor
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | Logie Awards
| rowspan="2" | Most Outstanding Actor
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | Rake
|
|
|-
| Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels
| Actor – TV Series
|
|
|-
| Helpmann Awards
| Best Male Actor in a Play
| Uncle Vanya
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2012
| colspan="2" | Equity Ensemble Awards
| rowspan="4" | Rake
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | AACTA Awards
| rowspan="2" | Best Television Drama Series
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2013
|
|
|-
| Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | Sydney Theatre Awards
| rowspan="2" | Best Actor
| Waiting for Godot
|
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2014
| Cyrano de Bergerac
|
|
|-
| Helpmann Awards
| Best Male Actor in a Play
| Waiting for Godot
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | AACTA Awards
| Best Television Drama Series
| rowspan="3" | Rake
|
|
|-
| Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama
|
|
|-
| 2015
| Logie Awards
| Most Outstanding Actor
|
|
|-
| 2016
| Helpmann Awards
| Best Male Actor in a Play
| The Present
|
|
|-
| 2017
| Logie Awards
| Most Outstanding Actor
| Rake
|
|
|-
| 2019
| AACTA Awards
| Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama
| The Hunting
|
|
|-
| 2020
| AACTA Awards
| Best Actor in a Leading Role
| H is for Happiness
|
|
|-
| 2021
| AACTA Awards
| Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama
| rowspan="2" | Fires
|
|
|-
| 2022
| Logie Awards
| Most Outstanding Actor
|
|
|-
|2023
|Logie Awards
|Most Outstanding Actor
| Bali 2002
|
|}