Aaron Pedersen is an Aboriginal Australian television and film actor. He is known for many film and television roles, in particular as Detective Jay Swan in the film Mystery Road (2013), its sequel Goldstone (2016), and spin-off television series (2018–2020). He has been nominated for many and won several acting awards, including the 2021 AACTA Award for International Award for Best Actor in a Series.
Early life and education Aaron Pedersen, who is of Arrernte and Arabana descent, was born on an Ansett flight to Alice Springs, his home town. He and his seven siblings grew up in foster homes away from their alcoholic mother, Margaret, and experienced much family violence in the home. From an early age, he looked after his brother, Vinnie, who has cerebral palsy and a mild intellectual disability.
In the early 1990s, Pedersen underwent a cadetship at the ABC in Melbourne, and worked as a journalist and presenter. He was a host for the TV series Blackout.
Career His acting career began in 1994, when he starred in the miniseries Heartland and was voted Bachelor of the Year by Cleo magazine. He came to notice in 1995 as co-host of Gladiators Australia, an Australian game show.
Pedersen's first major acting role was as lawyer Vince Cellini in Wildside in 1997. In 1999, he played Detective Senior Constable Michael Reilly in Water Rats, and took a major role in The Secret Life of Us (2005).
Since 2007, he had the leading role in SBS's drama series The Circuit, and from 2007 to 2011 he appeared in Channel Seven's drama City Homicide. He appeared as Cam Delray in ABC Television's Jack Irish series, beginning in 2012 and running for several seasons.
Pedersen took the lead role of Detective Jay Swan in Ivan Sen's Mystery Road (2013), a role he reprised in its sequel film Goldstone (2016), and its spin-off television series (2018–2020).
He played war veteran Frank Gibbs in A Place to Call Home (2017–2018) and Tom Campbell in Total Control (2019). In 2020 to 2021, he was the presenter for an ABC Television documentary series Australia Remastered. In the same year, he featured as a presenter with writer Holly Ringland in an eight-episode documentary series on ABC Television called Back to Nature.
In 2024, Pedersen would appear in the Foxtel/Binge series High Country. On 13 January 2026, Pedersen was announced as a returning cast member of the second series.
Recognition In 2007, Pedersen was the recipient of the Bob Maza Fellowship, which recognises emerging acting talent and support professional development for Indigenous actors.
Awards Pedersen has been nominated for many and won several awards.
He won the Best Actor award at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival for Darklovestory (2006).
The documentary film My Brother Vinnie (2006) won the Best Short Documentary award at the Melbourne International Film Festival and was nominated for an IF Award for Best Short Documentary. Pedersen was also nominated for a Deadly Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film.
Pedersen won a Deadly Award nomination for Male Actor of the Year in 2003 and 2011, and was nominated for it in 2007.
In 2013, he was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, for his role in the film Mystery Road.
After being nominated several times over the years for AFI and AACTA Awards, in 2021 he won the AACTA International Award for Best Actor in a Series, for his role in Mystery Road.
Other roles Pedersen speaks at schools and prisons, and is concerned at the rate of incarceration of Indigenous Australians, seeing parallels with the early history of Australia, being founded as a penal colony; the link between poverty and crime. Other speaking roles include emceeing various events, including the Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival, and has hosted Black Nite Film Festival since 2009. He was co-host of the 2011 Deadly Awards, and has undertaken many other public speaking engagements.
Personal life Pedersen has looked out for his younger brother Vinnie, who has cerebral palsy and mild intellectual disabilities, on and off since he was a child. In 1997, when Aaron was pursuing his career as an actor in Sydney, their grandmother, who had been helping to care for Vinnie in Alice Springs, died. There were no services available nor other family support, so Aaron took on the role as full-time carer and Vinnie joined him in Sydney. After things got difficult for Aaron, his de facto mother-in-law, Mum Frances, stepped in and Vinnie moved in with her.
Vinnie accompanies Aaron during his filming. The short documentary film My Brother Vinnie (2006), written by Pedersen, directed by Steven McGregor, and shot by Warwick Thornton (both friends), was selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival and Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival. (28 mins) VJM, 7 Feb 2017.
Pedersen's partner was Sarah Bond. They split up in 2017. While he is not currently seeing anyone, he says that caring for Vinnie means that there is no space in his life for children. He loves working with wood, and has a "secret desire to be a tradie".
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1996 Dead Heart Tony 2000 Saturday Night Mac2004 Queen of Hearts Floodhouse Uncredited2006 Darklovestory Gil My Brother Vinnie Himself Short film 2012 Bad Karma Bear2013 Mystery Road Detective Jay Swan The Darkside 2014 The Fear of Darkness Dr. Nicholas Trengrove 2015 Spear Suicide Man 2016 Killing Ground German Goldstone Detective Jay Swan Sequel to Mystery Road 2017 1% (aka Outlaws) Sugar 2019 Dirt Music Beaver 2020 High Ground Walter 2021 Back to the Outback Clive the Dung Beetle (voice) 2026 Apex Park Ranger
Television Year Title Role Notes 1993–1996 Crocadoo Billy TV series 1994 Heartland Clarrie Carmichael 6 episodes 1996 The Territorians Tom Daly Television film 1997–1999 Wildside Vince Cellini 50 episodes 1999–2001 Water Rats Det. Snr. Constable Michael Reilly 88 episodes 2002–2003 MDA Dr. Tony McKinnon 23 episodes 2003 Grass Roots Joe Ventimiglia Episodes: "Investigation" and "Garbage"2005 The Secret Life of Us Corey Mailins 9 episodes Grange Sam Television film A Very Barry Christmas Warrun (voice only) Television film 2006 Blackjack: Dead Memory Greg Television film 2006–2011City Homicide Duncan Freeman 85 episodes 2007 East West 101 Adam King Episode: "Death at the Station" 2007–2010 The Circuit Drew Ellis 12 episodesLogie nominee in 2009 for the 'Most Outstanding Actor' award 2008 Double Trouble Kelton 13 episodes2012 Jack Irish: Black TideCam Delray Television filmJack Irish: Bad Debts Television film2014 Jack Irish: Dead Point Television film The Code Tim Simons 6 episodes 2016 It's a Date Matt Episode: "Should You Re-connect with an Old Flame?" 2016–2021 Jack Irish Cam Delray 16 episodes2017 A Place to Call Home Frank Gibbs 12 episodes Blue Murder: Killer Cop Detective Joe Kenshell Miniseries, 2 episodes 2018–2020 Mystery Road Jay Swan 12 episodesSequel to Mystery Road (2013) and Goldstone 2019 Total Control Tom Campbell Jnr 4 episodes 2020 The Gloaming Inspector Lewis Grimshaw 8 episodes 2023 Barfuß Durch Australien Kalti Rogers Television film 2024-present High Country Owen Cooper 8 episodes
Other appearances +YearTitleRoleNotes2020–presentAustralia RemasteredHost4 episodes2021Back to NatureHost1995Australian GladiatorsHostSeries 1
References
Further reading "Aaron Pedersen is a different kind of archetypal leading man" by Elisabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times, 13 October 2020
External links