Bruce Spence

Bruce Spence
Spence in 2010
Born
Bruce Robert Spence

(1945-09-17) 17 September 1945 (age 79)
Auckland, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealander
Australian
Occupation(s)Actor, voice artist
Years active1970–present

Bruce Robert Spence[1] (born 17 September 1945) is a New Zealand-born Australian actor.[2] Spence has amassed over 100 film and television credits and has also acted in theatre.[3]

Career

[edit]

Spence won an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1971 comedy Stork.[3]

Spence's best known film role is as the gyrocopter pilot in Mad Max 2 (1981).[3][4] He also played the lead role in Werner Herzog's Where the Green Ants Dream (1984)[3] and portrayed Jedediah the pilot in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).[4]

In the 21st century, Spence played the Mouth of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003),[5] the Trainman in The Matrix Revolutions (2003),[6] and Baxter in Disney's Inspector Gadget 2 (2003),[7] and voiced the character Chum in Finding Nemo (2003).[8] He also portrayed Tion Medon in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)[9] and played Lord Rhoop in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010).[9]

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.

In 2024, Spence was named as the recipient for the Equity Lifetime Achievement award.[10]

Filmography

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Film

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

Television

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Year Title Role Note Ref
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
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 George Corella 1 episode [11]
2015 Let's Talk About Man in Toilet 1 episode
2016 The Wizards of Aus Regimand 3 episodes [12]
Black Comedy Guest Cast 1 episode
2018 True Story with Hamish & Andy The Oracle 1 episode [13]
2021 Back to the Rafters Charles Whiteman 4 episodes
2023 Ten Pound Poms Father 1 episode
Faraway Downs Dr Barker 6 episodes
2024 Nautilus CBIO President 2 episodes

Video games

[edit]
Year Title Role Ref.
2003 Enter the Matrix Trainman [14]
2014 Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! Scav Gyro, Sir Dennis, Toby Van Adobe, Tony Slows, Taunting Scav #2 [15]
202? Edge of Twilight Horace

Theatre

[edit]
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

[edit]
  1. ^ Spence's middle name from 'Actors swear not to swear' Melbourne Age 16 January 1970 p. 2
  2. ^ "Bruce Spence(I)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Oral History: Actors". nfsa.gov.au. 25 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b Australia, National Film and Sound Archive of (7 September 2020). "Bruce Spence on Mad Max 2: 'An Absolute Joy'". nfsa.gov.au.
  5. ^ "Lord of the Rings Rewind: 49 Things You Didn't Know About The Return of the King". Gamespot.com. 4 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Reloaded Weapons: The 20 Most Powerful Characters in the Matrix, Officially Ranked". CBR. 15 November 2018.
  7. ^ Leydon, Joe (25 March 2003). "Inspector Gadget 2".
  8. ^ "15 Things You Never Knew About Pixar's Finding Nemo". E!. 31 May 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Bruce Spence (Tion Medon)". 29 December 2016.
  10. ^ Knox, David (18 March 2024). "Bruce Spence receives 2024 Equity Lifetime Achievement Award | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  11. ^ Knox, David (30 July 2013). "Cameras roll on Rake's third season | TV Tonight". TVtonight.com.au.
  12. ^ Knox, David (9 December 2015). "Airdate: The Wizards of aus | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.au.
  13. ^ Knox, David (25 September 2018). "True Story with Hamish & Andy: Sept 25 | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.au.
  14. ^ Shiny Entertainment. Enter the Matrix. Atari Games.
  15. ^ 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)
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