David Roberts is an Australian actor who has appeared in television, film and theatre.
Early life Roberts graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1987.
Career
Television Roberts began acting on screen in the early 1990s, with guest roles in television series including medical drama The Flying Doctors, sitcom All Together Now and miniseries Seven Deadly Sins. He also played the recurring guest role of Detective Brett Murray in Halifax f.p. alongside Rebecca Gibney.
His first big break was in crime drama series Phoenix playing Detective Russell Howie, followed by a role in newsroom drama Mercury, opposite Geoffrey Rush playing Dave 'Gibbo' Gibson.
In 2005, Roberts joined the cast of ABC family series Holly's Heroes, playing the driven Coach Peterson. He then appeared in long running soap opera Home and Away in 2009, playing ill-fated trawler owner, Lou De Bono, a love interest for Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger). In 2013, he had a lead role in comedy series Please Like Me, playing Alan, the father of Josh Thomas's character.
In 2019, Roberts played a senior member of Parliament in political series Total Control, alongside Rachel Griffiths and Deborah Mailman in 2019. More recently, he appeared in 2023 SBS drama thriller miniseries Safe Home and opposite his wife Helen Thomson, as Bernie in award-winning television series Colin from Accounts.
Further television credits include Devil's Playground, The Code, Secret City, Rake, Offspring, Bad Mothers, Barons, Queen of Oz, Silver and Sunny Nights.
Film Roberts is best known for his role as Captain Roland in the 2003 science-fiction action films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, alongside Keanu Reeves and Hugo Weaving. He has also appeared in 2007 Marvel Comics adaptation Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage.
In 2008, he was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the role of Raymond Yale in Nash Edgerton's feature film debut, the thriller The Square. In 2014, he appeared in gritty crime drama film The Convict.
He starred opposite his wife in the films Gettin' Square (2002), A Savage Christmas (2023) and Spit (2025), the latter in which he reprised his role from Gettin' Square.
Other film credits include Me Myself I (2000), alongside Rachel Griffiths, Three Dollars (2005) with David Wenham and Frances O'Connor and US productions Fool's Gold (2008) opposite Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson and Unbroken (2014) by Angelina Jolie.
On 11 April 2025, Roberts was named to appear in the film Posthumous.
Theatre Roberts has performed in stage productions for Griffin, Belvoir, and Malthouse Theatre.
He appeared in Melbourne Theatre Company productions of Les Liaisons Dangereuses and The Touch of Silk in 1988 followed by The Recruiting Officer and Our Country's Good in 1989.
He acted together with his wife in a stage production of In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) in 2011.
Personal life Roberts is married to fellow actor Helen Thomson. Together they have two children and reside at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.
Awards and nominations Year Title Award Category Result Ref. 2008 The Square Australian Film Institute Awards Best Lead Actor 2014 Please Like Me Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Power Games: The Packer–Murdoch War Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Miniseries or Telemovie
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes 1984Attack on Fear Seth Andersen TV movie 1988 Miracle at Beekman's Place TV movie1990 Beyond My Reach Christopher Brookes Feature film Nirvana Street Murder Policeman Feature film 1997 Nightride Short film 1999 Me Myself I Robert Dickson Feature film 2003 Roundabout Michael Taylor Short film The Matrix ReloadedCaptain Roland Feature film The Matrix Revolutions Feature film Gettin' Square Niall Toole Feature film 2005 A Divided Heart Charles Vickery Three Dollars Gerard Feature film 2006 Small Claims: The Reunion Peter Hindmarsh TV movie2007Ghost Rider Captain Jack Dolan Feature film Skin Short film2009Fool's Gold Cyrus Feature film The Square Raymond Yale Feature film 2010 The Foal Uncle John Short film2012 Careless Love Mr Stevenson Feature film Fatal Honeymoon Daniel Samuels TV movie 2013 The Landing Edward Short film 2014 The Convict Harvey Feature film Unbroken Officer Collier Feature film 2017 My Pet Dinosaur Doctor Feature film 2018 Slam Alan McLeary Feature film 2020 Occupation: Rainfall Abraham Feature film 2023 A Savage Christmas James Savage Sr Feature film 2025 Spit Niall Toole Feature film2026 Posthumous Neil Film
Television Year TitleRoleNotes 1990 The Flying Doctors Peter Gardiner 1 episode1991 All Together Now Etienne 1 episode Chances Matt Hennessy 24 episodes1993 Seven Deadly Sins Alistair Miniseries, 1 episode Phoenix Robert Howie 10 episodes Law of the Land Peter Lawrence 13 episodes1996 Snowy River: The McGregor Saga John Archer 1 episode Mercury Dave Gibson 13 episodes 1997 Big Sky Pete Martin 1 episode1998 Wildside Murray Anders 1 episode Water Rats Barry Strong 2 episodes 2000 Tales of the South Seas Episode: "The Boxer Rebellion" 2000; 2002 Halifax f.p. Detective Murray 2 episodes2001 Do or Die Dr Baker Miniseries Head Start Stephen Perry 1 episode2002 The Lost World Morden Miniseries, 1 episode BackBerner David Frost 1 episode Bootleg Martin Burrows 3 episodes2003 Out There Johnathan Archer 1 episode The Secret Life of Us Bruce Lane 2 episodes Blue Heelers Peter Ball 1 episode MDA John Alfrano 4 episodes2005 Last Man Standing Gerry 1 episode Holly's Heroes Alan Peterson 26 episodes2007–2008 Satisfaction Tim 3 episodes All Saints Graeme Collins / Owen Ferguson 2 episodes2009 Rescue: Special Ops Ed Frazer 2 episodes City Homicide Max McKenzie 2 episodes The Jesters Andrew Shrapton 1 episode Underbelly: Razor Frank de Groot 1 episode 2009–2015 Home and Away Judge Menzies / Lou de Bono 20 episodes 2010–2016 Rake Norton 4 episodes 2011 Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities Angus Campbell 2 episodes 2011–2017 Offspring Phil D'Arabont 15 episodes2012 Tricky Business David Lang 1 episode Devil's Dust Ian Hutchinson 2 episodes2013 The Packer Murdoch Story David McNicoll Miniseries, 2 episodes Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Lachlan Pepper 1 episode 2013–2016 Please Like Me Dad 27 episodes 2014 The Code Peter Lawson 3 episodes2016 Secret City General McAulffie 6 episodes Soul Mates Mayor of Bondi 2 episodes 2017 True Story with Hamish & Andy Chris 1 episode 2018 The Blacklist Desk Sergeant 1 episode Fighting Season Ian Vogel 4 episodes2019 Bad Mothers Harry 5 episodes Total Control Kevin Cartwright 6 episodes 2020 Drunk History Australia Cricketer 1 episode 2021 Blue Bloods Lieutenant 1 episode2022 Barons George Thompson 4 episodes Colin From Accounts Bernie 2 episodes2023 Safe Home Gerard Priestly 4 episodes Queen of Oz Richard Steele 3 episodes 2025 Scrublands: Silver Vern Jones 4 episodes TBADallianceTBATV series
Theatre Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1987 King Lear Edmund Guild Theatre, Melbourne 1988 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Le Chevalier Danceny Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC The Touch of Silk David Ritchie 1989 The Recruiting Officer Costar Piermain Our Country's Good Midshipman Harry Brewer 1994 On the North Diversion Road Beckett Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox 1995 The Incorruptible Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox / STC The Head of Mary Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox 1998 Natural Life Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox & Queen's Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA 2003–2004 King Lear Edgar Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox & Tokyo / Nagoya / Seoul tour 2011 In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) Dr Givings Sydney Opera House with STC
Music video Embracing Me (2015) by SAFIA
References
External links