Tommy Lewis
Biography
Tom E. Lewis, whose traditional name was Balang Lewis, was an Aboriginal Australian who worked as an actor, musician and artistic director. Fred and Rhonda Schepisi spotted him at Melbourne Airport, which led to his first film role, the title part in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978). His other screen credits included We of the Never Never (1982), Red Hill (2010) and Goldstone (2016). In 2006 the Australia Council for the Arts honored him with a Red Ochre Award. His recordings included Sunshine After Rain (2005), while Beneath the Sun followed in 2013. His stage work ranged from playing Othello in Darwin in 2006 to co-creating The Shadow King in 2013. In Beswick, Northern Territory, he was the founding director of Djilpin Arts. He died in 2018.
59years old at death
- Born Ngukurr
- Died Katherine
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Tom E. Lewis
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 38 years1978 to 2016
Every film, newest first
- 2016GoldstoneIMDb rating 6.6
- 2010Red HillIMDb rating 6.3
- 1982We of the Never NeverIMDb rating 6.9
- 1978The Chant of Jimmie BlacksmithIMDb rating 7.3
Genres
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Big break
Fred and Rhonda Schepisi spotted Lewis at Melbourne Airport, and he was later cast in the 1978 film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.
Beyond film
In 2013, Tommy Lewis co-created The Shadow King with Michael Kantor for Malthouse Theatre, a play billed as an Indigenous take on King Lear. It premiered at the Melbourne Festival that October, and in June 2016 the production was performed at London's Barbican Theatre.
Beyond film
With Handspan theater company, Lewis devised Lift 'Em Up Socks, a semi-autobiographical multimedia work that premiered in April 2000 and had him performing on stage with a marionette.
Beyond film
Lewis played didgeridu, flute, clarinet and guitar, and in the 1990s toured Europe, Asia and Australia in the jazz duo Lewis & Young.
Behind the camera
Lewis co-directed the music video Warrk Warrk (Black Crow) with Julia Morris in 2007 and directed the short film One River, All Rivers in 2008, both screened at imagineNATIVE in Toronto.
Tommy Lewis movies on Netflix
Worked with
Tommy Lewis shares two films with Angela Punch McGregor, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Angela Punch McGregor's page
Jacki Weaver's page
Jack Thompson's page
David Wenham's page
Ryan Kwanten's page
John Jarratt's page
Patrick HughesDirector, 1 film, 2010
All films by Patrick Hughes
Ivan SenDirector, 1 film, 2016
All films by Ivan Sen
Fred SchepisiDirector, 1 film, 1978
All films by Fred Schepisi
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.