Jeremy Sims | |
|---|---|
 Sims atThe Sapphires Hometown Gala Premiere at State Theatre, Sydney in August 2012 | |
| Born | Jeremy Hartley Sims (1966-01-10)10 January 1966 (age 59) Perth,Western Australia, Australia |
| Education | Wesley College (1977–1983) National Institute of Dramatic Art (1990)[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Chances (1991–1992) Idiot box (1996) Fireflies (2004) |
| Spouse(s) | Tania Leimbach (m.2015)[2] Samantha Lang (m.2004–div.2011)[3][4] |
| Partner | Kym Wilson (1990s) |
| Children | 4[3] |
Jeremy Hartley Sims (born 10 January 1966) is an Australian actor and director.[5]
Jeremy Sims was born inPerth, Western Australia on 10 January 1966,[6] and was educated atWesley College[7] from 1977 to 1983.[citation needed]
In 1987, Sims was studying atUniversity of Western Australia (UWA).[8] He graduated in 1990 from theNational Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) inSydney, with a degree in Performing Arts (Acting).[1]
Sims' first appearance on the big screen was a minor part in the 1980 movieHarlequin.[9] He is however, remembered by many for his role as Alex Taylor in the risqué television soap operaChances from 1991 to 1992, in which he was cast the year after graduating fromNIDA.[10] He was nominated for aLogie Award for Most Popular New Talent for the role in 1992.[11]
Sims has starred in several films, including playing Mick, oppositeBen Mendelsohn's Kev in 1996 crime filmIdiot Box.[12][13] It was his first lead role in a feature film,[10] and saw him nominated for Best Actor at both theAustralian Film Institute Awards[14] and theFilm Critics Circle of Australia Awards.[15] Other film credits include 2003 filmLiquid Bridge withRyan Kwanten,[16] 2003Ned Kelly satireNed,[17] 2009 dramaThe Waiting City withRadha Mitchell, 2015 romantic dramaRuben Guthrie withPatrick Brammall,[18] 2017 adventure comedyA Few Less Men[19] and 2018 quirky comedy dramaSwinging Safari, oppositeGuy Pearce andKylie Minogue.[20]
Sims' television appearances include the 1997 made-for-television filmKangaroo Palace, which earned him anAustralian Film Institute Award nomination forAACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama.[21][14] In 1999, he appeared inAftershocks, a mockumentary TV movie about the1989 Newcastle earthquake. He won anAustralian Film Institute Award and was nominated for aLogie Award for his portrayal of John Constable.[22][23] That same year he featured in the miniseriesDay of the Roses,[9] based on theGranville rail disaster and the TV movieSecret Men's Business alongsideBen Mendelsohn,Simon Baker andMarcus Graham. In 2001, he played Tony Dunne MP in the satirical miniseriesCorridors of Power.[17]In 2004, he starred inFireflies as Tim 'Backa' Burke.[17] He had recurring roles inHome and Away in 2009 asDavid ‘Gardy’ Gardiner[17] andWild Boys in 2011 as Francis Fuller.[17] He starred in the 2009 TV filmIn Her Skin withGuy Pearce.[9] He has also had numerous guest roles in series includingPolice Rescue[9]Wildside,[17]Medivac,[24]Farscape,[17]Young Lions,Stingers,[17]The Secret Life of Us,[17]McLeod's Daughters.[25] and theUnderbelly franchise.[26]
Sims is also a director, with no less than five feature films credits to his name. He directed and produced 2006 thrillerLast Train to Freo, which received threeAustralian Film Institute Award nominations.[27] In 2010, his second feature, the war dramaBeneath Hill 60 was nominated for 12AFI Awards, fiveInside Film Awards, and eightFilm Critics Circle of Australia Awards, including for Best Director and Best Film. He won theAlfred P. Sloan Prize at theHamptons International Film Festival.[27]
In 2014, Sims directed, produced and co-wrote the film adaptation ofLast Cab to Darwin, based on the 2003play of the same name. StarringMichael Caton andJacki Weaver, it received numerousAACTA Awards nominations.[27] including Best Director and won the AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and was selected forToronto International Film Festival in 2015.[28] In 2018, he wrote and directed the feature documentaryWayne (about motorsport championWayne Gardner) which was selected forMelbourne International Film Festival that year.[28][8] He also directed 2020 filmRams, starringSam Neill,Michael Caton, andMiranda Richardson, which was met with international acclaim.[27]
His director credits for television include 2021 six-partAmazon Prime miniseriesBack to the Rafters (spin-off and sequel to long-running drama seriesPacked to the Rafters) and eight-part medical rescue seriesRFDS from 2021 to 2023,[27] in which he also appeared. He has also directed episodes ofDoctor Doctor,A Place to Call Home,Rescue: Special Ops[28] andHome and Away.[29]
Sims is also developing several projects, including six part seriesBluebird (produced by his company Pork Chop Productions) and the drama seriesFight or Flight – The Woman who Cracked the Anxiety Code, a drama series, based on a best selling biography by Judith Hoare.[28]
Sims has also acted in and directed stage productions atSydney Theatre Company,Belvoir andMelbourne Theatre Company, as well as overseas atTrafalgar Studios in London andBrooklyn Academy of Music in New York.[28] In 1995, together with then girlfriendKym Wilson, Sims formed the theatrical production company 'Pork Chop Productions'.[5][30][10] Pork Chop has toured many shows nationally since that time and won a Drover's Award in 2005 for their production of the play,Last Cab to Darwin.[31] His stage acting credits includePhilip Seymour Hoffman's production ofRiflemind, and theEdinburgh Festival /Royal National Theatre Company production ofThe Secret River.[28]
Sims continues to act in selected projects, including the final season of comedy crime drama seriesMr Inbetween in 2021.[28] In February 2025, he was announced as part of the cast for the second season of historical heist drama seriesThe Artful Dodger.[32]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Harlequin | Young boy | Feature film | [9] |
| 1991 | Placenta | Boy | Short film | [33] |
| 1996 | Idiot Box | Mick | Feature film | [17] |
| 2000 | City of Dreams | Walter Burley Griffin | Feature film | [9] |
| 2001 | Tick | Jack | Short film | [15] |
| 2003 | Liquid Bridge | Tony | Feature film | [16] |
| Ned | Mr Kelly | Feature film | [17] | |
| 2009 | The Waiting City | Carlisle | Feature film | |
| 2015 | Ruben Guthrie | Ray | Feature film | [18] |
| 2017 | A Few Less Men | Pilot Ridgeon | Feature film | [19] |
| 2018 | Swinging Safari | Bob Marsh | Feature film | [20] |
| 2019 | Bilched | Matt's Dad | [34] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–1992 | Chances | Alex Taylor | 126 episodes | [35][17] |
| 1994 | Police Rescue | Terry | TV movie | |
| Heartland | Garth Maddern | 2 episodes | [17] | |
| 1995 | Police Rescue | Jeff Bertram | 1 episode | [17] |
| 1996 | Natural Justice: Heat | Gavin Larsen | TV movie | |
| 1997 | Kangaroo Palace | Jack Gill | TV movie | [21] |
| Frontline | Steve Barrett | 1 episode | ||
| 1998 | Wildside | Greg Zelka | 1 episode | [17] |
| Medivac | Mark Best | 4 episodes | [24] | |
| The Day of the Roses | Gerry Buchtmann | Miniseries | [17] | |
| The Chosen | Peter McAlister | TV movie | [15] | |
| 1999 | Aftershocks | John Constable | TV movie | [17] |
| Secret Men's Business | Warwick Jones | TV movie | [17] | |
| 1999–2000 | Farscape | Rorf | 3 episodes | [17] |
| 1999–2003 | Stingers | Troy Thorpe / Aaron Fielder | 4 episodes | [17] |
| 2000 | The Lost World | Vorded | 1 episode | |
| 2001 | The Bill | Ken McEvoy | 1 episode | [17] |
| Corridors of Power | Tony Dunne MP | 6 episodes | [17] | |
| 2002 | Young Lions | Rob Carne | 3 episodes | |
| 2003 | Balmain Boys | Andy | TV movie | [36] |
| The Secret Life of Us | Neil | 3 episodes | [17] | |
| 2004 | Fireflies | Tim Burke | 22 episodes | [37][17] |
| 2005 | McLeod's Daughters | Will Hamiltion | 1 episode | [25] |
| 2008 | Blue Water High | Loren's Dad | 1 episode | |
| In Her Skin | McLean | TV movie | ||
| 2009 | Home and Away | David Gardiner | 15 episodes | [17] |
| 2010 | City Homicide | Pete Copland | 1 episode | [17] |
| 2011 | Wild Boys | Francis Fuller | 10 episodes | [17] |
| Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away | Tony Moynihan | TV movie | [26] | |
| 2012 | Dangerous Remedy | Bertram Wainer | TV movie | [38] |
| 2016 | Doctor Doctor | Mike | 1 episode | |
| 2020 | Black Comedy | 1 episode | ||
| 2021 | Mr Inbetween | Rafael | 5 episodes | [39] |
| 2025 | The Artful Dodger | Uncle Dickie | Season 2 | [40] |
| Sunny Nights | Lachlan Jennings | TBA | [citation needed] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Last Train to Freo | Director / executive producer | Feature film | [27] |
| 2010 | Beneath Hill 60 | Director | Feature film | [27] |
| 2015 | Last Cab to Darwin | Director / producer / co-writer | Feature film | [27] |
| 2018 | Wayne | Director / writer | Documentary film | [28] |
| 2020 | Rams | Director | Feature film | [27] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rescue: Special Ops | Director | 2 episodes | [28] |
| 2016 | Doctor Doctor | Director | 4 episodes | [28] |
| 2017–2018 | A Place to Call Home | Director | 6 episodes | [28] |
| 2021 | Back to the Rafters | Director | 2 episodes | [27] |
| 2021; 2023 | RFDS | Director | 2 episodes | [49][27] |
| 2022 | Home and Away | Director | 10 episodes | [29] |
| TBA | Bluebird | [28] | ||
| TBA | Fight or Flight – The Woman who Cracked the Anxiety Code | [28] | ||
| TBA | The Star of the Sea | In development | [50] | |
| TBA | Everything I Never Did | Director | In development | [51] |
Sims was engaged to fellow Australian actor and directorKym Wilson in the early 1990s. They were set to be married in 1994, but the wedding was postponed when Wilson accepted a recurring guest role in television seriesThe Man from Snowy River.[63]
Sims' first daughter, China was born in 2000.[3] He married film directorSamantha Lang in 2004, with whom he had two daughters, Frederique[3] and Evelyn. They were divorced in 2011.[4]
Sims married academic, Dr. Tania Leimbach inKangaroo Valley in 2015[2] and together they have a son, Leroy.[citation needed]
In June 2005, Sims was found unconscious in aKings Cross alley in Sydney, and blamed it on exhaustion.[3]
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