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Bruce Spence
Spence in 2010
Born
Bruce Robert Spence

17 September 1945
Auckland, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealander
Occupation(s)Actor, voice artist
Years active1970–present

Bruce Robert Spence[1] is a New Zealand-born Australian actor. [1] Spence has amassed over 100 film and television credits and has also acted in theatre.[2]

Biography

Spence won an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1971 comedy Stork.[2]

Spence's best known film role is as the gyrocopter pilot in Mad Max 2 (1981).[2][3] He also played the lead role in Werner Herzog's Where the Green Ants Dream (1984)[2] and portrayed Jedediah the pilot in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).[3]

In the 21st century, Spence played the Mouth of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003),[4] the Trainman in The Matrix Revolutions (2003),[5] and Baxter in Disney's Inspector Gadget 2 (2003),[6] and voiced the character Chum in Finding Nemo (2003).[7] He also portrayed Tion Medon in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)[8] and played Lord Rhoop in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010).[8]

Spence portrayed the palaeontologist (Huxley) in the Australian performance of BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs: The Live Experience. In his role, Spence narrated the activities of life-sized mechanical dinosaurs operated by teams of puppeteers and drivers.

Spence taking a break during an ADR session in November 2008.

In 2008, Spence joined the television series Legend of the Seeker, which was based on the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. He played the role of Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, co-starring with Craig Horner and Bridget Regan. The show ran for two seasons.

In 2014, Spence played prison inmate George Corella in episode 3.1 of Rake.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1971 Stork Graham 'Stork' Wallace Feature film
1974 Moving On Road Worker Feature film
The Cars That Ate Paris Charlie Feature film
1975 The Firm Man Messenger Feature film
The Great Macarthy Bill Dean Feature film
1976 Let the Balloon Go Chief Gifford Feature film
Oz Bass player/Blondie the Surfie Feature film
Mad Dog Morgan Heriot Feature film
Eliza Fraser Bruce McIver Feature film
1978 Newsfront Redex trial driver Feature film
1979 Dimboola Morrie McAdam Feature film
1981 Mad Max 2 The Gyro Captain Feature film
1983 Double Deal Doug Mitchell Feature film
The Return of Captain Invincible Midnight's Doctor Feature film
Midnite Spares Wimpy Feature film
Buddies Ted Feature film
1984 Pallet on the Floor Basil Beaumont-Foster Feature film
Where the Green Ants Dream (aka Wo die grünen Ameisen träumen) Lance Hackett Feature film
1985 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Jedediah the Pilot Feature film
1987 Bullseye Purdy Feature film
The Year My Voice Broke Jonah Feature film
1988 Bachelor Girl Alistair Dredge Jr TV movie
Rikky and Pete Ben Feature film
1990 Wendy Cracked a Walnut (aka ...Almost) Ronnie Feature film
The Shrimp on the Barbie Wayne Feature film
1991 Sweet Talker Norman Foster Feature film
1993 Hercules Returns Sprocket Feature film
1995 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Gahjii Feature film
1996 The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas Mr. Gateman TV movie
1998 Dark City Mr. Wall Feature film
2002 Queen of the Damned Khayman Feature film
2003 Inspector Gadget 2 Professor Baxter Feature film
Finding Nemo Chum (voice) Feature film
The Matrix Revolutions Trainman Feature film
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Mouth of Sauron (Extended edition only) Feature film
Peter Pan Cookson Feature film
2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Tion Medon Feature film
2006 Aquamarine Leonard Feature film
Solo Kennedy Feature film
2008 Australia Dr. Barker Feature film
2010 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Lord Rhoop Feature film
2013 Mystery Road Jim the Coroner Feature film
2014 I, Frankenstein Molokai Feature film
2015 Backtrack Felix Feature film
2016 Gods of Egypt Head Judge Feature film
Blue World Order Whippett Feature film
2017 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Mayor Dix Feature film
2018 Winchester Augustine Feature film
Occupation Alien Leader Feature film
2020 Love and Monsters Old Pete Feature film
Children of the Corn Pastor Penny Feature film
The Dry Gerry Hadler Feature film
2021 The Drover's Wife Father McGuiness Feature film
2023 Cold Water Murray Short film

Television

Year Title Role Note
1972-73 Division 4 Various 2 episodes
1973 Boney Sawyer's Ron 1 episode
1973-75 Certain Women Julius 'Big Julie' 19 episodes
1974 Ryan Wally Scott 1 episode
1974-75 Matlock Police Johnny / Maxie 2 episodes
1978 Case for the Defence Alfred 2 episodes
1979 Barnaby and Me Tall Baddie TV movie
1979 Shirl's Neighbourhood Bruce the gardener
1979 Skyways David Howard 1 episode
1979 Cop Shop Student Counsellor 1 episode
1981 And Here Comes Bucknuckle Series
1982 Deadline Towie TV movie
1981-82 Kingswood Country Dentist / Samson 2 episodes
1984 Special Squad Professor 1 episode
1984 Carson's Law Vernon 2 episodes
1985 Zoo Family George 1 episode
1987 Great Expectations: The Untold Story Joe Gargery TV movie
1988 The Dirtwater Dynasty Lonely Logan 5 episodes
1988 Australians Cecil Cook 1 episode
1987-89 Rafferty's Rules Triggs 2 episodes
1989 Sugar [de] Robert Flemming TV movie
Tanamera – Lion of Singapore Hammond 7 episodes
1989–92 Dearest Enemy Lenny 14 episodes
1992 Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left The Chief 18 episodes
1994–95 Over the Hill Tall Bob TV Series
1996 After the Beep 7 episodes
1997 Return to Jupiter Ed Unit 13 episodes
Bullpitt! Darcy Kelso 26 episodes
Twisted Tales Colin 1 episode
Good Guys, Bad Guys Squirt Man 1 episode
1998 Moby Dick Elijah 1 episode
Halifax f.p.: Isn't It Romantic Eric Washburn 1 episode
1999 Chuck Finn Heinz 1 episode
2000 Tales of the South Seas Naari 1 episode
2001 Beastmaster Annubis 1 episode
2002 Farscape Prefect Falaak 1 episode
2002 Short Cuts Mr Coxon 5 episodes
2001-03 Always Greener Rev Millburn 3 episodes
2004 The Brush Off Philip Veale TV movie
2005 Grange TV movie
2006 RAN (Remote Area Nurse) Vince 6 episodes
Nightmares & Dreamscapes Hans Morris 1 episode
Equal Opportunity Death
2008 Double the Fist Mayor McCarthy 1 episode
2008 City Homicide Maurice 1 episode
2008–10 Legend of the Seeker Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander 44 episodes
2009 All Saints Barry Goldsworthy 1 episode
2011 Cloudstreet Pig 3 episodes
2014 Rake [9] George Corella 1 episode
2015 Let's Talk About Man in Toilet 1 episode
2016 The Wizards of Oz [10] Regimand 3 episodes
2016 Black Comedy Guest Cast 1 episode
2018 True Story with Hamish & Andy[11] The Oracle 1 episode
2021 Back to the Rafters Charles Whiteman 4 episodes
2023 Ten Pound Poms Father 1 episode

Video games

Year Title Role Ref.
2003 Enter the Matrix Trainman [12]
2014 Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! Scav Gyro, Sir Dennis, Toby Van Adobe, Tony Slows, Taunting Scav #2 [13]
202? Edge of Twilight Horace

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1969 Dimboola Morrie McAdam La Mama Theatre
1970 The Coming of Stork Graham 'Stork' Wallace La Mama Theatre
1985 A Stretch of the Imagination Nimrod Theatre Company
2005 The Marvellous Boy Victor/Bain Cipolla WB Stables by Griffin Theatre Company
2013 The Secret River Loveday Sydney Theatre

References

  1. ^ Spence's middle name from 'Actors swear not to swear' Melbourne Age 16 January 1970 p. 2
  2. ^ a b c d "Oral History: Actors". nfsa.gov.au. 25 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b Australia, National Film and Sound Archive of (7 September 2020). "Bruce Spence on Mad Max 2: 'An Absolute Joy'". nfsa.gov.au.
  4. ^ "Lord of the Rings Rewind: 49 Things You Didn't Know About The Return of the King". Gamespot.com. 4 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Reloaded Weapons: The 20 Most Powerful Characters in the Matrix, Officially Ranked". CBR. 15 November 2018.
  6. ^ Leydon, Joe (25 March 2003). "Inspector Gadget 2".
  7. ^ "15 Things You Never Knew About Pixar's Finding Nemo". E!. 31 May 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Bruce Spence (Tion Medon)". 29 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Cameras roll on Rake's third season | TV Tonight". 30 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Airdate: The Wizards of aus | TV Tonight".
  11. ^ "True Story with Hamish & Andy: Sept 25 | TV Tonight".
  12. ^ Shiny Entertainment. Enter the Matrix. Atari Games.
  13. ^ 2K Australia, Gearbox Software. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!. 2K Games. Scene: Closing credits, 3:39 minutes in.((cite book)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Authority control databases
Categories