Brendan Cowell is an Australian actor and writer. He is known for starring in the 2024 television series Plum, which he adapted for television from his 2021 novel of the same name. In 2026 he appears in a lead role in the mystery thriller TV series Last Seen.
Early life and education Brendan Cowell was born in Sydney and grew up in the beachside suburb of Cronulla. He credits his mother and high school drama teacher with encouraging him to explore his creative side.
He attended Charles Sturt University in Bathurst to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre/Media.
Career Stage Cowell won the Patrick White Playwrights' Award for his third play, Bed along with a collection of other awards. His play Ruben Guthrie showed at the Belvoir St Theatre in 2009 to sell-out houses. It had a new production at La Boite Theatre in 2011, starring Gyton Grantley and directed by David Berthold.
He won some acclaim for his portrayal of the title role in Bell Shakespeare's 2008 Production of Hamlet and acted in Sydney Theatre Company's production of True West, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, in 2010.
The Sublime (Melbourne Theatre Company) was shortlisted for the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting in the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards 2015. His play Happy New was performed in London in 2013, starring Joel Samuels, Lisa Dillon and William Troughton. It had previously premiered in Australia.
In 2017 he starred as Galileo Galilei in the Young Vic's production of Bertholt Brecht's Life of Galileo.
Television
Cowell played the enigmatic Tom on Australian cable TV's Love My Way, for which he also wrote several episodes, and played Todd for the first two seasons on Life Support on SBS TV, for which he also wrote sketches.
In 2017 Cowell joined the cast of the HBO series Game of Thrones in season 7 as Harrag, an Ironborn sea captain allied to Theon Greyjoy.
In 2024 it was announced that Cowell had begun filming for ABC drama Plum based on his novel of the same name. The series aired on 20 October 2024.
On 27 March 2025, Cowell was named in the cast of Apple TV+ series Last Seen. The series was released on 9 September 2026.
On 13 January 2026, Cowell was named in the cast for the second series of High Country.
Film Cowell's acting work in film include roles in the 2007 crime drama Noise, the World War 1 war film Beneath Hill 60, the romantic comedy I Love You Too. and a notable role in Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash as Captain Mick Scoresby.
Other writing In 2010 Cowell published his first novel, How it Feels.
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result 2005 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor Love My Way 2006 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor Love My Way 2007 AFI Awards Best Lead Actor Noise AWGIE Awards Television - Series Love My Way Inside Film Awards Best Actor Noise Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor Love My Way 2008 ASTRA Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor Love My Way Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Actor Noise 2010 AFI Awards Best Lead Actor Beneath Hill 60 2011 Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Actor Beneath Hill 60 Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production The Dark Room 2012 AACTA Awards Best Screenplay in Television The Slap AWGIE Awards Television Mini-Series - Adaptation (with Emily Ballou, Alice Bell, Kris Mrksa, and Cate Shortland) The Slap 2015 AACTA Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Ruben Guthrie AWGIE Awards Feature Film - Adaptation Ruben Guthrie ZOOM Awards Best Director The Outlaw Michael Howe
Personal life Cowell dated Rose Byrne for six years until they parted ways amicably in early 2010.
Performances and works Film +Key Denotes productions that have not yet been released Year Title RoleNotes 1986 The Siege of Barton's Bathroom Dominic Barton Short film 1999 Kick Macca2000 Bored Olives Robert The Monkey's Mask Hayden 2001 To End All Wars Wallace Hamilton 2003 Floodhouse Herringbone John 2005 Deck Dogz Kurt 2006 Suburban Mayhem Interviewer Voice role 2007 Noise Graham McGahan2008 Three Blind Mice Glenn Carter Ten Empty Shane Hackett2010 Beneath Hill 60 Oliver Woodward I Love You Too Jim 2012 Save Your Legs! Rick 2013 The Darkside 2015 Last Cab to Darwin Publican Observance Employer 2016 Broke Kirk2017 National Theatre Live: Yerma John The Current War Confederate Soldier 2022 Avatar: The Way of WaterCaptain Mick Scoresby 2025 Avatar: Fire and Ash
Television Year Title RoleNotes 1999 Monster! Nate TV film 2001 Water Rats Jonathan Freeman Episode: "Family Matters" 2001–2002 Life Support Todd Series regular2002 Young Lions Jason Doone 2 episodes White Collar Blue Daniel Hudson 1 episode 2003 Fat Cow Motel Jack Green Mini-series 2004 Salem's Lot Dud Rogers Mini-series 2004–2007 Love My Way Tom Jackson Series regular 2008 Review with Myles Barlow As himself Season 1 Episode 3 2010 Rush Blake Fincher Episode: "Cooked"2011 The Slap Craig Episode: "Richie" Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away Benny O'Connell TV film 2012 Howzat! Kerry Packer's War Rodney Marsh Mini-series2013 The Borgias Mattai the Hebrew 5 episodes The Outlaw Michael Howe British Soldier TV film2014 Wastelander Panda Isaac 6 episodes, voice role Soul Mates Harry Cunston Episode: "Self Destruction" 2014–2016 Black Comedy Various roles 4 episodes2016 Brock Allan Moffat Mini-series Comedy Showroom: The Letdown Harry TV film 2017 Game of Thrones Harrag 3 episodes 2017–2019 The Letdown Harry 3 episodes 2018 Press Peter Langley Series regular 2020 The End Christopher Brennan 4 episodes 2022 The Twelve Garry Thorne 10 episodes 2023 The Castaways Mike Brasse 5 episodes 2024 Plum Peter 'The Plum' Lum 6 episodes Dune: Prophecy Duke Ferdinand Richese 2 episodes2026Last SeenHenry ReidTV series2026High Country: What Lies BeneathGlenn Gilmour TV series
Theatre Year Play Role Venue Notes2000 The Recruit Jimmy Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company Men Guy Old Fitzroy Theatre, Woolloomooloo, Sydney, New South Wales 2001 Happy New Lyle Old Fitzroy Theatre, Woolloomooloo, Sydney, New South Wales 2003 The Shape of Things Adam Sorenson Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company 2004 Far Away Todd Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company 2006 Dissident, Goes Without Saying Phillipe Wharf 2Loud Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company 2008 Hamlet Prince Hamlet Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, New South Wales with Bell Shakespeare 2010 True West Austin Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Sydney Theatre Company 2011 The Dark Room Stephen Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Company B2013 Miss Julie Jean Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Belvoir Sydney The Wild Duck Hjalmar Ekdal Vienna Festival & Holland Festival with Belvoir Sydney2014 Once in Royal David's City Will Drummond Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales with Belvoir Sydney The Wild Duck Hjalmar Ekdal Barbican Centre, London & UK Tour with Belvoir Sydney 2016 Yerma Juan Young Vic, London 2017 Life of Galileo Galileo Galilei Young Vic, London2018 Dance Nation Dance Teacher Pat Almeida Theatre, London Yerma Juan Park Avenue Armory, New York City 2022 The Crusible John ProctorOlivier Theatre, London 2025 The Lady from the Sea Finn MarcetBridge Theatre, London
Writing Year Title FormatNotes 2000 Men Play2001 Happy New Play 2001–2002 Life Support TV series. Satire. Comedy Writer (with others) in 4 episodes2002 Bed Play Won the Patrick White Playwrights Award and Fellowship in 2002 ATM Play Sweet Dreams Short film Co-written with Anthony Hayes Running Down These Dreams Short film. Drama Free Short film. Drama Wasted on the Young Short film. Comedy I Love U Short film. Drama Baggage Claim Short film. Drama The Doppelgangers Short film. Sci-Fi Chrono-logic Short film. Drama 2003 Rabbit Play Won the 2003 Griffin award. 2004 Morph Play 2004-2007 Love My Way TV series 8 episodes 2005 Europe Short film. Romance 2007 Ten Empty Film. Drama 2009 Ruben Guthrie Play Cowell adapted this as a film script for the 2015 feature film with the same title 2010 How It Feels Debut novel 2011 The Slap TV series based on Christos Tsiolkas' novel 2 episodes: #1.3 Harry, #1.8 Richie 2012 Save Your Legs! Feature film. Comedy 2013 The Outlaw Michael Howe TV film. Historical drama. Western 2014 The Sublime Play 2015 Ruben Guthrie Feature film. Dark comedy, drama, romance 2021 Plum Second novel Audiobook read by Cowell ().Adapted as a TV series, released in 2024. 2024 Plum TV series Writer / Exec producer; 6 episodes
Directing Year Title 2005 Europe 2013 The Outlaw Michael Howe 2015 Ruben Guthrie
References
External links