Paul Blackwell

Paul Blackwell was an Australian actor whose career centered largely on the stage, with occasional small film parts. Born in Adelaide, he studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art from 1980 to 1982 after earlier work as a roadie in London. He performed with companies including Company B, Sydney Theatre Company, and State Theatre Company of South Australia, and took clown roles in The Popular Mechanicals, The Ham Funeral, and The Government Inspector. He also co-created and directed stage productions, among them a children's play for Patch Theatre. His major film role came in Rolf De Heer's The Quiet Room (1996). He also appeared in December Boys (2007) and the 2019 remake of Storm Boy, plus Red Dog and Dr. Plonk. On television he was seen in All Saints, City Homicide, and Deadline Gallipoli. He received a posthumous Premier's Award for Lifetime Achievement and a Helpmann Award for his supporting role in Faith Healer. He died in 2019.