Jack Thompson
Thompson in 2020
Born	John Hadley Pain (1940-08-31)31 August 1940 (age 85) Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1960–present
Agent	DPN
Spouse	Leona King
Children	2
Awards	Inductee into the Australian Film Walk of Fame (2011) Chauvel Award (2006) Film Living Legend Award (2005) Critics Circle of Australia Award For Contribution to Australian Cinema (1998) Logie Hall of Fame (1995) Raymond Longford Award (1994) Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor -Breaker Morant (1980) Cannes Award Best Supporting Actor -Breaker Morant (1980) Hoyts Prize for Best Performance -Sunday Too Far Away (1975)

John Hadley Thompson,AM^[1] (néPain; born 31 August 1940) is an Australian actor and a major figure ofAustralian cinema, particularlyAustralian New Wave. He is best known for his role as a lead actor in several acclaimed Australian films, including such classics asThe Club (1980),Sunday Too Far Away (1975),The Man from Snowy River (1982) andPetersen (1974). He wonCannes andAFI acting awards for the latter film.^[2]

In 2002, he was made an honorary member of theAustralian Cinematographers Society, and was the recipient of a Living Legend Award at the 2005Inside Film Awards.

Born John Hadley Pain^[3] inManly, a suburb of Sydney, Thompson was three years old when his mother Marjorie died, leaving his father Harold (a purser forQantas, seconded to theRAAF during the war) unable to care for him and his brother, David.^[4][5]He was sent to Lake House orphanage inNarrabeen by his aunt and was subsequently adopted by the poet andABC broadcasterJohn Thompson^[6] and his wife Pat, after which he changed his surname.^[7] Jack is film reviewer Peter Thompson's adopted brother.^[8]

Thompson was educated atSydney Boys High School.^[9] He left school at 14, became ajackaroo in the Northern Territory, and took labouring jobs in New South Wales.^[9]

After working in an agricultural lab, Thompson at the age of 20, joined thearmy in 1960 so that he could earn a science degree.

He enrolled at theUniversity of Queensland in 1963 and transferred to an arts degree,^[10][11] performing in theatre at night, including theTwelfth Night Theatre and UQ Dramatic Society^[12] inBrisbane.

His talent was nurtured and developed at theProducers Authors Composers and Talent (PACT) Centre.^[13]

He appeared on stage inThe Devils in 1968.^[14]

Thompson decided to take acting seriously, giving himself a year to make it.^[15]

His TV career began with the soap operaMotel (1968), and he had guest appearances on numerous serials, includingRiptide,Woobinda, Animal Doctor,Skippy,The Rovers,Division 4,Homicide andMatlock Police. He also appeared in the documentary shortPersonnel, or People? (1969), directed byDonald Crombie.

Thompson had a leading role in spy drama seriesSpyforce (1971–1973), playing the role of Erskine who did missions in World War II.^[16]

He continued to guest-star on shows such asOver There,Matlock Police (again),Ryan,Boney andElephant Boy.

He guest-starred onThe Evil Touch andHomicide again; he also appeared inMarijuana: Possession and the Law (1974).^[17][18]

Thompson made his film debut inThat Lady from Peking in 1968, and his first lead role was in TV movieSilo 15 (filmed in 1969 and released in 1971).

He had a supporting role inWake in Fright in 1971, and he received excellent reviews for his performance in one of the stories inLibido in 1973, with his segment written byDavid Williamson. He also starred in TV movieLinehaul in 1973.

Thompson became an Australian film star playing the title role inPetersen (1974), written by Williamson and directed byTim Burstall. The film was a success at the box office.^[19] He did the TV movieHuman Target (1974), then starred in the highly acclaimedSunday Too Far Away (1975), playing a shearer.

Thompson played the title role inScobie Malone (1975), based on theJon Cleary novelHelga's Web. It was produced by AmericanCasey Robinson, who said "Jack Thompson is a great part of my reason to become involved in this venture. I have no doubt whatsoever that when this film is seen overseas he'll be turned instantly into an international star. There aren't many male actors like him around any more. There's something there that reminds me very much of Bogart."^[20] The film was a failure at the box office.^[21]

He did an episode ofArmchair Theatre, titled "Tully".^[22]

Thompson had a supporting role inCaddie (1976), directed by Crombie, which was a big success.^[23]

Thompson had become nationally famous playing "macho" type roles. "I think it reflects its time so accurately," he said later. "There was a preoccupation with the macho Australian male; it's a thing that had to be examined or purged in film."^[15]

Thompson then deliberately decided to take character parts, out of a fear of typecasting and "also an understanding that unless I could get out of that target area, then I wouldn't be allowed to be seen as an actor."^[15]

He guest starred in an episode ofLuke's Kingdom and played the second lead inMad Dog Morgan (1976) withDennis Hopper. He took some time off to work on a script with his brother then had a key support role inThe Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978). He supported imported starsKaren Black andKeir Dullea in a TV movie shot in Australia,Because He's My Friend (1978).

Thompson returned to acting after another break to play the lead role in a sex comedy,The Journalist (1979). "I haven't made any films since then because I haven't liked the parts I've been offered, and also I've been too busy promoting the Australian film industry overseas", said Thompson at the time.^[24] The film became a notorious flop. He worked on a script with his brother calledWelcome Stranger.^[15]

He was offered a role inBreaker Morant (1980), directed byBruce Beresford - the part of Private Hancock. Thompson turned it down, Beresford rewrote the script and offered him the part again, and Thompson accepted. Then filming was delayed.John Hargreaves who was to play the lawyer became unavailable; Thompson took that part andBryan Brown played Hancock.^[15] The film was a considerable success. Thompson won theCannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor.^[25]

Thompson supported US starsWilliam Holden andRick Schroeder inThe Earthling (1980) then was top billed inThe Club (1980), directed by Beresford from a play by Williamson.^[26]

"You get awfully fed up with the public image that you must live up to", he said in an interview around this time. "I just want to continue becoming a part of the Australian film industry, not for materialistic reasons but because I enjoy it. I not only want to act, but produce and possibly direct".^[15]

Thompson went to New Zealand to makeBad Blood (1982) playing killerStanley Graham, then had a support role inThe Man from Snowy River (1982), playingClancy of the Overflow. Among the roles he auditioned for around this time were the leads inFlash Gordon andThe Thing.^[27]

Thompson went overseas to supportIngrid Bergman inA Woman Called Golda (1982). He wasLee Remick's husband in a remake ofThe Letter (1982), and played a British POW inMerry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) withDavid Bowie andTom Conti.

Back in Australia Thompson starred in a mini series about wharfies in the Depression,Waterfront (1983). He went to Europe to star in a swashbuckler forPaul Verhoeven,Flesh + Blood (1985), then returned to Australia to star inBurke and Wills (1985). This film was a box office disappointment.

Thompson supportedLinda Evans andJason Robards in a TV mini series,The Last Frontier (1986), which was a huge ratings success. In the US he had a role inKojak: The Price of Justice (1987) then returned home to play an ASIO officer inGround Zero (1987).

Thompson was a love interest forStefanie Powers inBeryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun (1988) on US TV, and had the lead in an Australian TV movie,The Riddle of the Stinson (1989), playingBernard O'Reilly.

He co-starred withRaquel Welch inTrouble in Paradise (1989) for US TV, then did a mini series in New Zealand,The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy (1989).

He did a US TV movieAfter the Shock (1990) and had a support part inTurtle Beach (1992) andWind (1992).

He had a supporting part as Cliegg Lars inGeorge Lucas'sStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002).

Thompson began to increasingly work as a character actor in the US with roles inRuby Cairo (1993), directed byGraeme Clifford, andA Far Off Place (1994). He narrowly missed being cast in the lead part inSchindler's List.^[27]

He returned to Australia to playRussell Crowe's father inThe Sum of Us (1994), then didA Woman of Independent Means (1995) in the US andFlight of the Albatross (1995) in New Zealand.

He had a support role inBroken Arrow (1996), didThe Thorn Birds: The Missing Years (1996) back home andLast Dance (1996) for Beresford in the US.

Thompson starred in the Australian TV movieMcLeod's Daughters (1996). He wasAlicia Silverstone's father inExcess Baggage (1997), then didUnder the Lighthouse Dancing (1997) in Australia. He appeared in theClint Eastwood-directedMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) asSonny Seiler, the attorney ofKevin Spacey's character,Jim Williams. (Seiler himself appeared in the movie as the judge in Williams' trial.) "I was amazed at how he adapted toGeechee to fit the role of playing me," Seiler said. "It was a pleasure working with him."^[28]

Back in Australia Thompson provided a voice forThe Magic Pudding (2000) and appeared inYolngu Boy (2001). He had a support part in the new version ofSouth Pacific (2001), the mini series based onMy Brother Jack (2001),Original Sin (2001),Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002),The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004), andOyster Farmer (2005).

Thompson had a key role in two films directed byBrett Leonard: theMarvel Comics basedMan-Thing (2005) andFeed (2006), the latter written by and starring his son.

Thompson had support roles inThe Good German (2006),Bastard Boys (2007),December Boys (2007),Leatherheads (2008),Ten Empty (2008),Australia (2008),Mao's Last Dancer (2009) for Beresford,The Karenskys (2009),Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010),Rake (2010),Blinder (2013),The Great Gatsby (2013),Mystery Road (2013),Around the Block (2013),Bonnie & Clyde (2013) for Beresford,Devil's Playground (2014),Ruben Guthrie (2015),The Light Between Oceans (2016),Don't Tell (2017),Blue World Order (2017) andSwinging Safari (2018).

He has also acted in television miniseries and appeared as the host of the Channel 7 factual seriesFind My Family.

Thompson was the first nude male centrefold inCleo in 1972.^[29] He has also appeared in television commercials, including as the face of theBank of Melbourne for a decade,^[30] and forClaytons. Thompson is featured in a series of recordings of Australian poetry, reciting poems byHenry Lawson,Banjo Paterson,C. J. Dennis,Patrick Joseph Hartigan (aka John O'Brien) andJohn O'Grady (seeDiscography below).^[31] Interviewed in theSydney Morning Herald he explains his love of poetry, noting that 'Poetry is sometimes seen as too arty and perhaps not a suitable interest for blokes.'^[32]

Thompson married Beverley Hackett in 1963, and the five-year marriage produced his son Patrick Thompson. He met Leona King and her sister Bunkie in 1969, and they entered into a 15-yearpolyamorous relationship. Leona was 20 and Bunkie was 15 when the relationship began.^[33][34] Bunkie left the relationship in 1985, and is estranged from her sister.^[35] Leona remained with Thompson, and gave birth to his second son, Billy.^[36]

Thompson featured in the first episode of the Australian version ofWho Do You Think You Are?, which was televised on 13 January 2008 onSBS, with Thompson discovering that his great-grandfather was Captain Thomas Pain, and his great-great uncle was Alfred Lee, a prominent figure in Sydney society, who donated the journal ofJoseph Banks, fromCaptain Cook's navigation to Australia in the 1770s, to theMitchell Library in Sydney.^[37]

Thompson used to own Hotel Gearin inKatoomba,Blue Mountains. He sold the hotel in June 2011.^[38]

• 1975AFI Award: Best Actor, forSunday Too Far Away andPetersen
• 1980 AFI Award: Best Actor in a Lead Role, forBreaker Morant
• 1980Cannes Film Festival: Best Supporting Actor, forBreaker Morant
• 1986 Appointed aMember of the Order of Australia for services to the Australian film industry^[39]
• 1994 AFI Award: Raymond Longford Award
• 1998Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards: Special Achievement Award
• 2005Inside Film Awards: Living Legend IF Award
• 2011Australian Film Festival: Inductee into theAustralian Film Walk of Fame^[40]

Thompson also served as anUNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

• Jack Thompson: The Bush Poems of A.B. (Banjo) Paterson (Audio recording)|The Bush Poems of A.B. (Banjo) Paterson (2008)
• Jack Thompson: The Campfire Yarns of Henry Lawson (2009)
• Jack Thompson: The Sentimental Bloke, The Poems of C.J. Dennis (2009)
• Jack Thompson: The Battlefield Poems of A.B (Banjo) Paterson (2010)
• Jack Thompson: Favourite Australian Poems (2010)
• Jack Thompson: The Poems of Henry Lawson (2011)^[41]
• Jack Thompson: Live at the Gearin Hotel (DVD & CD) (2011)
• Jack Thompson: The Poems of Lewis Carroll (2011)
• Jack Thompson: Live at the Lighthouse CD (2011)

Wikimedia Commons has media related toJack Thompson (actor).

• Jack Thompson atIMDb 
• Jack Thompson at theTCM Movie Database
• Australian theatre performances atAusStage
• Jack Thompson reads Australian Poetry on Fine Poets recordings
• Listen to Jack Thompson readClancy of the Overflow

• 1940 births
• Living people
• 20th-century Australian male actors
• 21st-century Australian male actors
• Australian adoptees
• Australian Army personnel
• Australian male film actors
• Australian male television actors
• Best Actor AACTA Award winners
• Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners
• Logie Award winners
• Male actors from Sydney
• Members of the Order of Australia
• People educated at Sydney Boys High School
• People from Manly, New South Wales
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees goodwill ambassadors
• 20th-century Australian military personnel
• Military personnel from Sydney
• Longford Lyell Award recipients

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