Craig Hall (born ) is a New Zealand actor.
Early life Hall was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. At the age of ten, he decided he wanted to be an actor, after seeing Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future. He convinced his dad to take him to an agency after spotting a newspaper advertisement seeking film extras. He had braces at the time, so nothing came of it, but he persevered.
Hall attended high school at Macleans College in Auckland, from 1988 to 1992.
A workshop in 1993, with acting coach Kenneth McGregor (who was in New Zealand at the time, working on The Piano), resulted in Kenneth referring Hall to an agency. This in turn, led to parts in short films and television advertisements, laying the foundation for his career.
Career
Television Hall's career began with a role in the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in 1996. Other early television credits included The Chosen (1998), Street Legal (1999), Shortland Street (1999) and Xena: Warrior Princess (2000). He then secured a regular ongoing role as Clint in The Strip (2001). He also had roles in Interrogation (2005) and miniseries Burying Brian (2008).
Hall landed a regular role in New Zealand comedy crime drama series Outrageous Fortune, playing Nicky Greegan from 2008 to 2010. During this time, he also played Carter Smith in season 2 of ABC Australian series East of Everything in 2009.
Hall's portrayal of real life physician, Andrew Bowers in the 2010 TV movie Bloodlines won him the 2011 AFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He then relocated to Australia when he was cast in Underbelly: Razor, the fourth instalment of the Underbelly crime drama franchise, in the lead role of Detective Bill Mackay.
In 2012, Hall was seen in the Australian drama miniseries Howzat! Kerry Packer's War, playing the role of Gavin Warner. The following year, he made guest appearances in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Tricky Business and Rake.
Hall then secured the ongoing role of Jack Duncan, a troubled veteran working as a doctor in rural Australia in 1950s period drama series A Place to Call Home for six seasons, from 2013 through to 2018. During this period, he played the recurring role of Chief Supt. William Munro in The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Inspector Rod Lynch in two-part crime miniseries Catching Milat (2015), based on the story of real life serial killer Ivan Milat and Ted Regan in Hunters (2016). He next portrayed private investigator Tim McKinnel in 2018 New Zealand television movie In Dark Places, a crime drama based on the true story of the wrongful conviction of Teina Pora.
In 2019, Hall was seen in Jonah: The Untold Story, playing Doc Mayhew. Then from 2019 to 2021, he played a lead role as coach Vince O'Kane in the first two seasons of rugby drama Head High. Both portrayals earned him nominations at the 2020 NZTV Awards. In 2020, Hall returned to Shortland Street, in the recurring guest role of the womanising Alasdair Rolleston, brother of surgeon Boyd Rolleston, after having previously guested in 1999.
In 2023, Hall was cast in the lead role of Scott, the wealthy head of an evangelical megachurch, in New Zealand family drama miniseries Testify. He also appeared as Detective David Medcalf in the Australian crime drama miniseries The Claremont Murders. Hall more recently had supporting roles in long-running Australian soap operas Neighbours and Home and Away, as well as playing the role of Harry Freeland in police procedural series NCIS: Sydney, all in 2025.
Film In 1998, Hall made his feature film debut in New Zealand comedy Savage Honeymoon. His film appearances continued in 2003 when he scored the role of a Gondorian Captain in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the conclusion to Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings film franchise. Then in 2005, he appeared in Jackson's film King Kong, opposite Naomi Watts and Jack Black, and New Zealand biographical sports drama The World's Fastest Indian, alongside Anthony Hopkins. Hall took on three roles in 2007, with American fantasy drama film The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, American horror film 30 Days of Night, opposite Josh Hartnett, and Taika Waititi's romantic comedy Eagle vs Shark.
The following year, Green starred in New Zealand romantic comedy-drama Show of Hands with Melanie Lynskey. He appeared in Taika Waititi's 2010 comedy-drama Boy, and in 2011 he had a role in romantic comedy Love Birds as well as starring as a commando in horror film The Devil's Rock. He then appeared as Galion in the second of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 2013, with an ensemble cast including Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom. That same year, he appeared as Vincent Gregory in Australian psychological thriller film Nerve, opposite Gary Sweet.
In 2023, Hall played Drybergh, opposite Julian Dennison and Minnie Driver in New Zealand comedy-drama film Uproar, set against the 1981 South African rugby tour protests. In 2026, he appeared alongside Judy Davis, Jacki Weaver and Miriam Margolyes in road trip comedy Holy Days, playing Joe, father of the main character Brian Collins (Elijah Tamati).
Theatre Hall has also acted for the stage, having performed in various theatre productions including Killer Joe in 2009 and The Lover in 2010.
Personal life Hall lives in Auckland and Sydney. He was married to his A Place to Call Home co-star Sara Wiseman for sixteen years, after having met on the set of 2000 short horror short, Home Kill. They also appeared together in the telemovie What Really Happened – Votes for Women. The couple split in 2023.
Awards YearWork Award Category Result Ref. 2011 Bloodlines Aotearoa Film and Television Awards Best Performance by a Supporting Actor 2012 Underbelly: Razor Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Miniseries or Telemovie 2014 A Place to Call Home Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2020 Jonah New Zealand Television Awards Best Supporting Actor Head High New Zealand Television Awards Best Actor 2022 New Zealand Television Awards Best Actor
Filmography
Film YearTitleRole Notes Ref. 1996Siren Soldier Short film 2000 Savage Honeymoon Dean Savage 2001 Home Kill Wayne Short film 2003 The Gateway to Hell Pilot Short film2005The World's Fastest Indian Antarctic Angel King Kong Mike2006 Perfect Creature Det. Dominic Knife Shift Shane Short filmEmbers Jonathan Short film2007 Eagle vs Shark Doug Davis The Ferryman Chris Hamilton 30 Days of Night Wilson Bulosan The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep Charlie MacMorrow 2008 Show of Hands Tom Shrift 2010 Boy Mr. Langston Captain Amazingly Incredible and the Space Vampires from the Evil Planet!!! Johnny Depp (voice) Das Tub U-Boat Commander Short film Be Careful... Mike Short film2011 Love Birds Craig Watson The Devil's Rock Captain Ben Grogan 2013 Nerve Vincent Gregory The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Galion 2014 The Light Harvester Troy Short film 2016 Pete's Dragon Adult Pete Uncredited 2022 Dark Noise Inspector Stuart Thompson 2023 Uproar Drybergh 2026 Holy Days Joe Collins
Television YearTitleRole Notes Ref. 1995 Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Timuron Episode: "Highway to Hades"1998 The Chosen Darren TV film Duggan: Sins of the Fathers Jason Bridges TV film (credited as Craig A. Hall) 1999 Shortland Street Leo Kenny Forbidden Island Marine Lieutenant Unsold pilot2000 Cleopatra 2525 Guard Episode: "Mind Games" Street Legal Justin Lynch Episode: "Heroin Chic" 2001 Xena: Warrior Princess Raczar Episode: "Dangerous Prey"2002 The Vector File Melvin TV film Mataku Private Tatts Episode: "The Lost Tribe" 2002–2003 The Strip Clint 31 episodes (main role) 2003 Revelations – The Initial Journey Joseph of Arimathea Episode: "The Good Samaritan" Mercy Peak Ryan Episode: "The Day That the Rain Came Down"2004 Raising Waylon Alex TV film Ike: Countdown to D-Day 101st Corporal TV film 2005 Interrogation Jason Sumner Episode: "As If Nothing Had Happened" 2005–2006 SCU: Serious Crash Unit Narrator Seasons 2–3 2008 Burying Brian Pete Donnelly Main role 2008–2010 Outrageous Fortune Nicky Greegan Seasons 4–6, 48 episodes 2009 East of Everything Carter Smith Season 2 (main role) 2009–2010 Legend of the Seeker Drago 2 episodes2010 Bloodlines Dr. Andrew Bowers TV film Denk nur an uns beide Oliver TV film Avalon High Coach Barker TV film 2011 Underbelly: Razor Inspector Bill Mackay Miniseries, main role Emilie Richards – Entscheidung des Herzens Oliver TV film2012 Votes for Women: What Really Happened William Lovell-Smith TV film Tricky Business George Blake Episode: "Bad Hair Day" Howzat! Kerry Packer's War Gavin Warner Miniseries Rake Todd Episode: "R v Mohammed" 2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Jefferson Clarke Episode: "Framed for Murder" 2013–2018 A Place to Call Home Dr. Jack Duncan Main role 2014 Auckland Daze Craig 2 episodes2015 Catching Milat Inspector Rod Lynch Miniseries True Crime: Venus and Mars Grant Nicholls TV film 2015; 2017 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Chief Supt. William Munro 9 episodes 2016 Hunters Ted Regan 5 episodes 2018 James Patterson's Murder is Forever Det. Marshall Episode: "Murder in Paradise" In Dark Places Tim McKinnel TV film Constance David Rooks Web pilot2019 Jonah Dr John Mayhew Miniseries Bondi Slayer Josh Episode: "Buffy Isn't Real"2020 Head High Vince O'Kane Main role Halifax: Retribution Ben Sailor Miniseries; 3 episodes Shortland Street Alasdair Rolleston 6 episodes Between Two Worlds Detective Gordon Taylor 2 episodes 2021 The Brokenwood Mysteries Rory Grainger Episode: "Something Nasty in the Market" 2022 My Life Is Murder Jack Sallinger 1 episode 2023 The Claremont Murders Detective David Medcalf Miniseries, 1 episode 2024 Testify Scott Jacobson Series regular Neighbours Victor Stone 35 episodes Neighbours to revisit a scrapped story as Byron and Nicolette's father Victor arrives Yahoo! News. 22 April 2024 2025 Home and Away Detective Mark Townsend Season 38
Theatre YearTitleRole Notes Ref. 2002–2003 Red Fish Blue Fish Tim Silo Theatre, Auckland, Circa Theatre, Wellington 2004 Gagarin Way Gary 2005 The Boys in the Band Alan McCarthy Silo Theatre, Auckland The Mercy Seat Ben Silo Theatre, Auckland 2006 Take Me Out Kippy Sunderstrom Silo Theatre, Auckland 2009 Killer Joe Ansel Smith The Basement Theatre, Auckland 2010 The Lover Richard The Basement Theatre, Auckland with Easy Company 2016 Venus in Fur Thomas Aotea Centre, Auckland with ATC
References
External links
Craig Hall at Johnson & Laird Craig Hall at NZ On Screen Craig Hall at Showcast