Colin Friels

Biography

Colin Friels is a Scottish-born Australian actor of stage, film and television. Born in Kilwinning, he moved to Australia as a child and trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1976. His early work was mostly in theater and television, and in 1980 he presented the Australian version of Play School. He played the title role in Malcolm (1986), a film about a shy mechanical genius, and won the 1986 AFI Award for Best Actor. A nomination followed for Ground Zero, and he took another AFI Award in 1995 for the Halifax f.p. telemovie Hard Corps. He played Frank Holloway on Water Rats from 1996 to 1999, winning a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor, and appeared as a corporate executive in Darkman (1990). Later television includes the BlackJack telemovies, Killing Time, Mystery Road and Total Control. He has also won two Helpmann Awards for his stage performances.

74years old

Turns 75 on September 25in 317 days

Born September 25, 1952Kilwinning
Star sign: LibraThe sign runs September 23 to October 22

Movie Career

Films: 12
Career span: 36 years1986 to 2022

Genres

Drama67%, 8 films
Comedy33%, 4 films
Crime25%, 3 films
Romance25%, 3 films
Action17%, 2 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A change of course
Colin Friels worked as a bricklayer's laborer before he trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, where he graduated in 1976.
First role
Friels got his first film role in Prisoners (1981), which was never released, playing opposite David Hemmings and Tatum O'Neal.

Colin Friels movies on Netflix

Interceptor2022IMDb rating 4.7as Frank Collins
Jack Irish: Bad Debts2012IMDb rating 6.8as Garth Bruce
The Eye of the Storm2011IMDb rating 6.0as Athol Shreve
Tomorrow, When the War Began2010IMDb rating 6.1as Dr. Clements
The Book of Revelation2006IMDb rating 5.2as Olsen
The Man Who Sued God2001IMDb rating 6.4as David Myers
Dark City1998IMDb rating 7.5as Walenski
Cosi1996IMDb rating 6.6as Errol
A Good Man in Africa1994IMDb rating 5.1as Morgan Leafy, 1st Secretary of the High Commissioner
Class Action1991IMDb rating 6.4as Michael Grazier
Darkman1990IMDb rating 6.4as Louis Strack Jr.
Malcolm1986IMDb rating 7.1as Malcolm Hughes

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Darkman1990 Action, Crime, Fantasyas Louis Strack Jr.
IMDb rating 6.476K votes
Dark City1998 Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fias Walenski
IMDb rating 7.5229K votes
Class Action1991as Michael Grazier
IMDb rating 6.49.0K votes
Tomorrow, When the War Began2010as Dr. Clements
IMDb rating 6.133K votes
Malcolm1986as Malcolm Hughes
IMDb rating 7.13.2K votes
The Man Who Sued God2001as David Myers
IMDb rating 6.45.4K votes
Interceptor2022as Frank Collins
IMDb rating 4.730K votes
A Good Man in Africa1994as Morgan Leafy, 1st Secretary of the High Commissioner
IMDb rating 5.12.8K votes

Most often with

Mark Joffe directed two of these films. Five actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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David Wenham

Judy Davis

Heather Mitchell

Bille Brown

Olivia PigeotMark JoffeDirector, 2 films

Films together

David Wenham2 films together, 1996 to 1998
David Wenham's page
- Dark City1998IMDb rating 7.5Friels as WalenskiWenham as Schreber's Assistant
- Cosi1996IMDb rating 6.6Friels as ErrolWenham as Doug
Judy Davis2 films together, 2001 to 2011
Judy Davis's page
- The Eye of the Storm2011IMDb rating 6.0Friels as Athol ShreveDavis as Dorothy de Lascabanes
- The Man Who Sued God2001IMDb rating 6.4Friels as David MyersDavis as Anna Redmond
Heather Mitchell2 films together, 1986 to 2011
Heather Mitchell's page
- The Eye of the Storm2011IMDb rating 6.0Friels as Athol ShreveMitchell as June
- Malcolm1986IMDb rating 7.1Friels as Malcolm HughesMitchell as Barmaid
Bille Brown2 films together, 2001 to 2011
Bille Brown's page
- The Eye of the Storm2011IMDb rating 6.0Friels as Athol ShreveBrown as Dudley
- The Man Who Sued God2001IMDb rating 6.4Friels as David MyersBrown as Gerry Ryan
Olivia Pigeot2 films together, 2006 to 2010
Olivia Pigeot's page
- Tomorrow, When the War Began2010IMDb rating 6.1Friels as Dr. ClementsPigeot as Mrs. Linton
- The Book of Revelation2006IMDb rating 5.2Friels as OlsenPigeot as Bernadette
Mark JoffeDirector, 2 films, 1996 to 2001
All films by Mark Joffe
- The Man Who Sued God2001IMDb rating 6.4Friels as David Myers
- Cosi1996IMDb rating 6.6Friels as Errol

Awards

Three awards and honors from 1986 to 1997.

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Colin Friels's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Other honors
1997	Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor in a Series	Water Rats	Won
1995	AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama	Halifax f.p.	Won
1986	AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role	Malcolm	Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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