Hugo Weaving (b.
April 14, 1960) - Australian actor
Weaving's father was a
seismologist for a multinational
oil company, so his family moved frequently when he was a child. He was born in
Nigeria, but his family left that country before he turned one.
"I've often dreamed about going back to Nigeria, but that's a very romantic notion. It's a hideous country to go to in reality." They finally settled in
Sydney,
Australia in
1976 when he was 16.
Weaving graduated from the
National Institute of Dramatic Arts in
1981. His film debut was in
The City's Edge (
1983), one of the earliest films to treat
aboriginies sympathetically. He won a best actor award from the
Australian Film Institute for his role as a blind
photographer in
Proof (
1994). International attention came with his turn as the
drag queen Tick in
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (
1994) and as the voice of the
sheepdog Rex in
Babe (
1995).
Unlike many actors, Weaving is perfectly happy starring in small Australian films and staying in Sydney with his wife and two children. Despite his best efforts, he is on his way to becoming an actor of some international renown. Most people, even if they don't know his name, remember him from his scene-stealing role as
Agent Smith in
The Matrix (
1999). In
2001, he appeared as the elven lord
Elrond in
Lord of the Rings and finished filming the two sequels to The Matrix.
Incomplete filmography:
V For Vendetta (2005) .... V/William Rookwood
Little Fish (2005) .... Lionel Dawson
Peaches (2004) .... Alan
Everything Goes (2004) .... Ray
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) .... Elrond
The Matrix Revolutions (2003) .... Smith
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) .... Smith
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) .... Elrond
The old man Who read Love Stories (2000)
The Magic Pudding (2000) ( voice ) .... Bill Barnacle
Russian Doll (2000) .... Harvey
The Strange Planet (1999) .... Steven
The Matrix (1999) .... Agent Smith
Babe : Pig in the city (1998) ( voice ) .... Rex
The Kiss (1998) - A 7 minutes short film
The Interview (1998) .... Eddie Rodney Fleming
Bedrooms & Hallways (1998) .... Jeremy
True Love and Chaos (1997) .... Morris
Frontier (1997) (mini) TV Series .... Governor Arthur
Halifax f.p: Isn't It Romantic (1997) (TV) .... Det. Sgt. Tom Hurkos
The Bite (1996) (mini) TV Series .... Jack Shannon
Babe (1995) (voice) .... Rex
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) ....Tick/Mitzi
Exile (1994) .... Innes
True Stories (1994) .... "narrator" in episode: " TheForgotten force" 7/31/1994
What's Going On, Frank? (1994) .... Strange Packer in Supermarket
Reckless Kelly (1993) .... Sir John
Seven Deadly Sins (1993) (mini) TV Series
The Custodian (1993) .... Church
Frauds (1993) .... Jonathan Wheats
Proof (1991) .... Martin
...Almost (1990) .... Jake
Bangkok Hilton (1989) (mini) TV Series .... Richard Carlisle
Dadah Is Death (1988) (TV)
The Dirtwater Dynasty (1988) (TV)
The Right Hand Man (1987) .... Ned Devine
For Love Alone (1986) .... Johnathan Crow
Bodyline (1984) (mini) TV Series .... Douglas Jardine
The City's Edge (1983) .... Andy White
Sources: The filmography comes from an impressively comprehensive, if sometimes poorly spelled, fan site at http://home.hanmir.com/~innoce77/hugoweaving.html. The biographical info is culled from allmovie.com and articles from the fan site.