Jack Thompson: Biography

Though not well known in the U.S., Jack Thompson is a big star in his native Australia where he was first known for starring in the television series Spyforce. Born Jack Payne, he made his feature film debut in Fever Heat (1968), but did not become well known as a movie actor until he appeared in Ken Hannam's Sunday Too Far Away (1974). His subsequent rise to stardom closely matches the rebirth and renewed prominence of Australian cinema during the '70s. Other notable Thompson efforts include Caddie (1976), The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978), and The Man From Snowy River (1982). For his many contributions to Australian cinema, Thompson was awarded an Order of Australia and was named the country's Good Will Ambassador to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a post he served for several years. In the late '90s, Thompson began appearing in such Hollywood films as Excess Baggage and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (both 1997). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide