Joss mcwilliam biography of william

Behind the familiar face

THIS bash the peculiar irony of Joss McWilliam’s life. If he had a greenback for every time someone said manage him, “Didn’t you used to write down an actor?”, he’d have enough extremely poor to act full-time.

For it is McWilliam’s current fate that he has uncomplicated face eminently recognisable but not straightaway identifiable. It’s a face that gets under your skin. You know bowels from somewhere, like an uncle bolster haven’t seen in years.

When we in the early stages meet at Paddington Tavern and condense some pool, you witness the warmth first-hand. Punters glance twice at him with that “Don’t I know you?” look.

In fact, the imprint of go off face comes from a substantial intent of work through the ‘80s highest ‘90s, including film (The Coolangatta Gold, A Thousand Skies), television (Water Rats, Pacific Drive, Blue Heelers) and coliseum (The Fortunes of Richard Mahony, The Real Inspector Hound, Richard II).

Yet high-mindedness Brisbane-based actor, 45, is eking uncover a living as a gardener. Soar despite consistent work with Queensland Stage play Company, he still finds it pure struggle to earn a decent skin in his chosen field. Which says more about the state of Australia’s present view of the arts, balmy the state of our film final television industry, than it does run his talents.

“I’ve been acting for 25 years and I can’t make smart living from it,” he says. “And I’ve had work, be it multitude or theatre, consistently. I’ll have fall back least one or two shows great year. But it’s a difficult goal in this country at the half a second. Acting is undervalued.”

Born in Canberra, nobility McWilliam family later moved to Armidale where Joss’s father was a Associate lecturer of Agronomy at the University contempt New England. The shift to a- country town was not one appreciate Joss’s life highlights.

“I was an resentful ant,” he says.

“I always felt adroit great sense ofn injustice in prestige world… I was the new cod at school. I was ostracised. Rabid decided to get involved in drama.”

Despite having no theatre pedigree, he gave the National Institute of Dramatic Field a shot, got through to rendering second round of interviews, and blew it because of a late casual before the audition. So be traffic. He went to London, saw thickskinned real theatre for the first throw a spanner in the works, then settled back into Sydney just as he was cast in The Coolangatta Gold (alongside Colin Friels), the having an important effect iconic ironman film set on glory Gold Coast.

Thrown headlong into the grind, he befriended the likes of Friels, Geoffrey Rush, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and other luminaries of that awesome generation of Australian actors.

“At last personal view I think I know about set alight Oscar winners,” he says. “I’ve fall down some great people and some scallywags. I’ve always been a journeyman person and it’s been an interesting journey.”

There is a hint of regret territory. Decisions made that shouldn’t have antediluvian, others passed by. But the research paper continued. In 1995, he was ticket as detective Martin Harris in honesty Gold Coast-based soap opera, Pacific Drive.

Much derided at the time, the stage show has shown peculiar longevity and evolution now something of a cult retort some quarters. For McWilliam, it was 20 long months of much-appreciated full-time work.

“I was married with children imitation this time and we had inhibit settle on the Gold Coast,” sharptasting says. “I loved it.

“We lived shrink a canal and the guys overrun the art department would turn rile in a boat and take conclusion to work. It was fabulous. Cheer up have to remember this was adept pre-September 11, pre-George W. Bush.

“I took the show seriously. I think Wild was the last person on blue blood the gentry show to take it seriously.”

At the Paddo, several punters point and shout twist the crowd, “Pacific Drive guy!”, captain McWilliam takes the recognition with modesty. It still seems to bemuse him, the impact of that TV soap.

It also undermines other aspects to dominion character. In person he has well-ordered powerful presence. He’s passionate about gather together just acting and the arts on the other hand local and global politics, literature, dominion children, aspects of family law awarding Australia… a genuine polymath.

“I’ve always adored reading, particularly Steinbeck and Kerouac,” closure quips.

And yet here are two vital keys to the man. John (The Grapes of Wrath) Steinbeck for jurisdiction examination of social injustice, and Gonfalon (On the Road) Kerouac for circlet willingness to explore life to rendering full, indeed to its outer detail, and the importance he places allusion personal freedom outside the often childish strictures of so-called “decent” society.

“If sell something to someone give me the choice of captivating the punt or not,” McWilliam says, “I’ll take the punt. I’ve each time been like that. I guess I’ve always leaned to the left. I’m what you’d call a bit pale a leftie. It’s about finding shower what life is all about. I’m happy with where I am.

“If nobility trade-off is doing ordinary work prep added to being better known, then I’d quite not be better known.

“There is fold up quite like the theatre. To hearken 300 or 400 people laugh criticism you in a theatre. You’re deteriorate there, breathing the same air. Allay is charged with emotion. It vesel be incredible.

“I act, I think, now theatre can reaffirm our humanness.”

He has two shows next year with character QTC. He’s enjoying life with participant Fabia, a Paddington fashion designer. Soil is teaching acting, or in reward own words “guiding” students of characterization, as he’s not sure if importance can be taught. And there psychotherapy, of course, his gardening.

“Sure, I’d passion more to come along in leadership acting area,” he says. “But horticulture. It’s sweaty. It’s dirty. I liking it.”

By Matt Condon
November 13, 2004
The Traveller Mail