Plenty of superstars have made their way from Australia and become global megastars. The fact that they speak English in the Land Down Under makes it pretty straightforward for some people to make the switch to acting or singing for other audiences – but it is definitely not easy to become a star elsewhere in the world. Aussies who have made the switch to Hollywood or become big in other areas deserve credit. It is even more impressive when we consider the fact that the Australian population is pretty tiny (a fraction of the US or even the UK).
1) Nicole Kidman
Not everyone realizes that Kidman was not born in Australia but she is a citizen. Kidman grew up in Sydney and became one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood. She made her breakthrough in the late ’80s and early ’90s with Days of Thunder. It was her role in Moulin Rouge! that really cemented her status as an A-list star. Kidman’s range as an actress is something she has become known for and she’s taken on everything from period dramas like The Hours (for which she won an Oscar) to thrillers such as The Others.
Kidman has spent much of her life in the U.S. but remains an Australian icon. She is a massive star globally and it recently made Australian entertainment news sources when she was given the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement award. People like Al Pacino hold this award and it isn’t handed out freely. She became the first Aussie to be celebrated in this way.
It isn’t easy to win the Academy Award for Best Actress and Nicole has become one of the favorites in Hollywood.
2) Hugh Jackman
Jackman has English roots as well as Australian but ask him where he’s from and he’ll tell you that he’s a proud Aussie. Wolverine himself in the X-Men film series has also shown that he can effortlessly switch between action roles and musicals. His work in Les Misérables earned him critical praise and his role in The Greatest Showman was a box-office smash – he proved he can sing as well!
Not everybody realizes his stage performances and in The Boy from Oz on Broadway, he earned a Tony Award, further proving that he is more than just an action star. Recently, people may have seen him in press for the Deadpool movie he also starred in alongside superstar Ryan Reynolds. His down-to-earth personality combined with his remarkable talent makes him one of Australia’s biggest exports in the entertainment industry.
Some people even think Jackman could break the Academy Awards’ reluctance to give awards to superhero movies and win the Oscar…
Not everything Jackman does is a success. He was in the Movie 43 which is lucky to avoid our list of flop movies that lost a lot of money at the box office. All told, Jackman’s career is a success.
3) Chris Hemsworth
It would be impossible to overlook Chris Hemsworth. The heartthrob has become linked forever to the role of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – he’s added a lot of humor to a part that has catapulted him to global stardom. But his career wasn’t an overnight success. Hemsworth even has roots in Oz in terms of his career and started his acting career on Australian television on Home and Away. Those who want to see him in the Aussie soap are spoiled for choice as there are over 170 episodes he appeared in before getting his Hollywood break.
4) Margot Robbie
Margot isn’t just one of the biggest Australians working in movies she is one of the biggest names in the industry in general. Margot Robbie’s meteoric rise in Hollywood had similar roots to Hemsworth’s as her career in Australian TV shows like Neighbours. Robbie quickly transitioned to film and her breakout role was in The Wolf of Wall Street alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.She’s become one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood, starring in critically acclaimed films Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the cultural phenomenon that was Barbie.
Robbie has also started her own production company called LuckyChap Entertainment further proving her business acumen and commitment to telling unique stories. LuckyChap is involved in the new Sims movie that continues a trend of games being turned into films.
Conclusion
Australia has an amazing movie industry and television industry and it is one that is growing. There are some new studios cropping up in the country as well as a lot of other examples of people trying to make it in Hollywood. These are just some of the very biggest names (there are hundreds of Aussie actors working in America and elsewhere around the world). Robbie as well as Jackman and other acting stars have proven to be A-listers by every definition.