Kelton Pell is an Aboriginal Australian stage, TV, and film actor, best known for his role as the court liaison officer, Sam Wallan, in the SBS legal drama The Circuit.
Early life Kelton Pell is a Noongar man from Western Australia. He was born to father John Pell. His grandmother was a child of the Stolen Generation whose own mother was incarcerated because she went searching for her.
Pell launched his professional acting career after attending an open audition in the mid-1980s, on the advice of his mother.
Career Pell has performed on stage since 1985, performing for Yirra Yaakin Theatre, the Black Swan Theatre Company, and the Sydney Theatre Company. Many of these performances were of plays which grew from Indigenous themes.
In 2000 Pell, along with Ningali Lawford and Phil Thomson, wrote a show for Yirra Yaakin called Solid, whose premiere performance was at the Perth International Arts Festival. Because of its sensitive Indigenous subject matter, before the premiere, the play was performed for (and was approved by) 2000 Indigenous Australians.
Pell performed in several productions of Bloodland, a play directed by Stephen Page with a Romeo and Juliet-style story. The play features traditional Aboriginal languages and Pidgin English, as well as song and dance.
He has also acted in performances of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Pell acted in the children's TV show The Adventures of the Bush Patrol and the SBS series The Circuit, a legal drama set in the Kimberley.
In 2012 he starred in an episode of the TV series Redfern Now, as a well-to-do Aboriginal Australian man living in Redfern, Sydney, whose life seems to be exemplary, until it is revealed that he has been receiving government benefit money fraudulently.
Pell plays vampire hunter Jalingbirri in Warwick Thornton's 2021 horror / comedy series Firebite for AMC+ (later shown on NITV).
In 2022, Pell appeared in the ABC drama series Mystery Road: Origin. In 2024, he appeared in the Stan Original movie Windcatcher. In November 2025, he was named in the cast for Treasure & Dirt.
Personal life Pell is based in Maddington, a suburb of Perth in Western Australia. Pell's eldest daughter, Tahlia took her own life at the age of 19.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1993 Blackfellas Willice 2001 One Night the Moon Albert Yang2002 Confessions of a Headhunter Vinnie, the artist Short film Australian Rules Tommy Red 2003 Cold Turkey Old Man2007 The Turtle Pop Short film September Michael Parker2009 Stone Bros. Hector Last Ride Ranger Lyall Aunty Maggie and the Womba Wakgun Uncle Peter Short film Bran Nue Dae Mean Drunk 2011 Mad Bastards Mad Dog2015 Redfern Now: Promise Me Raymond Television film Looking for Grace Detective 2016 Red Dog: True Blue Durack2017 Three Summers Jack Nobody's Child Jimmy Short film 2020 The Xrossing Bobbie 2021 Buckley's Chance Jules 2024 Windcatcher Pop Collins
Television Year Title Role Notes 1996 The Adventures of the Bush Patrol Wazza 1998 Minty Jack Episode: "If I Were You" 2007–2010 The Circuit Sam Wallman 12 episodes 2011 Cloudstreet Bob Crab 3 episodes 2012 Redfern Now Raymond Episode: "Raymond" 2013 Hard Rock Medical Uncle Albert Episode: "Other Side of the Fence"2014 The Moodys Fred Episode: "Australia Day" The Gods of Wheat Street Odin Freeburn 6 episodes 2018 Pine Gap Paul Dupain 6 episodes 2019–2020 The Heights (Australian TV series) Uncle Max 48 episodes 2020 Itch Barry 2 episodes 2021–2022 Firebite Jalingbirri 5 episodes2022 MaveriX Vic Simmons 10 episodes Mystery Road: Origin Jack Swan 3 episodes 2025 Reckless Colins TV series 2026 Treasure & Dirt TV series
Theatre Source:
As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref 1985 No Sugar David Millimurra Australia & Canada tour with WA Theatre Co 1988 Barungin (Smell the Wind) Playhouse, Perth, Arts Theatre, Adelaide with WA Theatre Co 1988 The First Born Trilogy: No Sugar, The Dreamers, Barungin (Smell the Wind) David Millimurra Fitzroy Town Hall, Melbourne with WA Theatre Co & MTC 1988 Honey Spot QPAC, Brisbane 1990 The Silent Years Deckchair Theatre, Fremantle with Fremantle Festival of Aboriginal Theatre 1990 Our Town Playhouse, Perth with Deckchair Theatre 1991 The Removalists Kenny Old Customs House, Fremantle with Deckchair Theatre 1991 Twelfth Night Antonio Octagon Theatre, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Co 1992 Wild Cat Falling Narrogin Town Hall, SWY Theatre, Perth 1993 Tourmaline Rock / Driver Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts with Black Swan Theatre Co 1994 Dead Heart Old Boans Warehouse, Perth, Eveleigh Railway Yards, Sydney with Black Swan Theatre Co & Belvoir 1994 Crow Boofhead Playhouse, Adelaide, Playhouse, Perth with STCSA 1995 Cosi Subiaco Theatre, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Co 1997 Runamuk Yirra Yaakin Theatre, Perth 1998 Welcome to Broome Uncle Barney Subiaco Theatre, Perth, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney with Black Swan Theatre Co 2003 Strategy for Two Hams Victoria Hall, Fremantle with Deckchair Theatre 2003 Message Sticks – New Blak Films Sydney Opera House with Black Swan Theatre Co 2008 Jandamarra Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre with Black Swan Theatre Co 2010 The Fence Riverside Theatres Parramatta 2010 Bindjareb Pinjarra Victoria Hall, Fremantle with Deckchair Theatre 2010; 2011 Waltzing the Wilarra Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth with Yirra Yaakin 2010 Twelfth Night Antonio Playhouse, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Co 2011 Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country William Black Melba Hall, Melbourne, Healesville Sanctuary with La Mama 2011 A Midsummer Night's Dream Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Co 2011 Bloodland Billy Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC, Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, QPAC, Brisbane with Bangarra Dance Theatre 2012 Signs of Life Lu Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth & Sydney Opera House with Black Swan Theatre Co & STC 2012–2013 Bindjareb Pinjarra Australian tour with Deckchair Theatre 2013; 2014 Coranderrk Actor 5 / Commissioner 5 / Edward Curr / Thomas Bamfield Belvoir Theatre, Sydney, Northcote Town Hall, Melbourne with Torres Strait Islander Theatre Coop 2014 Dust Eddie / Tony Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Co 2015 Bindjareb Pinjarra Sydney Opera House 2016 The Secret River Yalamundi Playhouse, Melbourne with STC 2017–2018 The Season Australian tour with Performing Lines 2017 Endgame Clov Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth with Black Swan Theatre Co 2018 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Roo Webber Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth & Online with Black Swan Theatre Co 2023 Woolah! Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth with Yirra Yaakin 2023 Beyond the Vasse Saltwater 2024 Dear Brother Dad / Uncle Max / Grandad Bille Brown Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
As writer/director Year Title Role Notes Ref 1990 No Sugar Assistant director Australian tour with WA Theatre Co 1994; 1996; 1997 Bindjareb Pinjarra Creator / writer WA Actors' Centre, Tandanya Theatre, Adelaide, Lennox Theatre, Parramatta 2000 National Playwrights Conference 2000 - Early Readings Playwright Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide 2000 Bindjarreb Pinjarra Creator / writer Black Swan Theatre Co 2001 Solid Playwright Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga, Courtyard Studio, Canberra, Araluen Arts Centre 2012–2013 Bindjareb Pinjarra Creator / writer Australian tour with Deckchair Theatre 2015 Bindjareb Pinjarra Creator / writer Sydney Opera House
Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref 1991 Kelton Pell WA Aboriginal Artist of the Year Award 1994 Kelton Pell Swan Gold Award Best West Australian Actor 1996 Contemporary Performing Arts Award Best Collaboration 2013 Redfern Now Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2015 The Gods of Wheat Street Sichuan TV Festival International Gold Panda Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television 2018 The Season Theatre Council of Tasmania Best Performance (Male) – Professional Theatre 2018 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Performing Arts WA Awards Best Actor in a Mainstage Production (Male) 2019 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Play 2019 Kelton Pell CinefestOZ Screen Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Film Industry 2023 Mystery Road: Origin Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for 2024 Genocide in the Wildflower State WA Screen Culture Awards Outstanding Achievement in Performance
References
External links