Kieran Darcy-Smith is an Australian actor, film director, and screenwriter.

Early life and education Kieran Darcy-Smith was born to a pharmacist father who worked in the Sydney suburb of Frenchs Forest and a stay-at-home mother, and was one of five siblings. He attended Killarney Heights High School, leaving school at the age of 15 to work at a bookshop in Manly, where he became an avid reader.

By the age of 18, Darcy-Smith was living in a long-term de-facto relationship in North Avalon. He later formed the rock band Feast of Friends with an old schoolfriend, in which he was a singer-guitarist. The band released a single and toured with Transvision Vamp in the 1980s.

When Darcy-Smith was 25, he decided to try a part-time acting class. Following this, he auditioned for drama schools and ultimately spent three years studying theatre at the University of Western Sydney, meeting Joel Edgerton on his first day there. He was 30 when he graduated.

Career At the age of 31, after graduating from university, Darcy-Smith formed the film collective, Blue-Tongue Films with Joel Edgerton and his stuntman brother, Nash, to make the short film Loaded in 1996. He also began working regularly on film and TV sets as an actor.

Early television roles included Water Rats, All Saints, Wildside and My Place, and he also appeared in the 1999 crime comedy film Two Hands, alongside Heath Ledger, Rose Byrne and Bryan Brown. Initially, Darcy-Smith played thugs and villainous characters, before scoring a role in 2005 American studio film The Cave.

As his acting career progressed, Darcy-Smith realised his passion lay in filmmaking. Blue-Tongue Films made 2008 film The Square, short film Miracle Fish (2009) and David Michôd's 2010 award-winning Animal Kingdom. He also had roles in all three films.

Darcy-Smith had roles in the films September (2007) and The Reef (2010). Blue-Tongue Films made 2010 American comedy drama Hesher, 2012 war film Memorial Day (which won the 2008 IF Award for Best Unproduced Screenplay) and 2015 Michod's western film The Rover, starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson.

In 2012, at the age of 45, Darcy-Smith made his feature film writing and directing debut with mystery drama Wish You Were Here, starring Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer, which he co-wrote with his wife Felicity Price, who also had a lead role in the film. After screening at the Sundance Film Festival, the film was so well-received, that it immediately sold for US release and was nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the AACTA Awards in 2013.

Darcy-Smith's second directorial project, 2016 western feature The Duel, starred Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Emory Cohen, William Hurt, and Alice Braga. The film had a limited release and through video on demand on 24 June 2016, by Lionsgate Premiere.

Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Darcy-Smith served as a writer and director on the 2023 series Last King of the Cross, telling the story of real life crime figure, John Ibrahim, played by Lincoln Younes. The series also starred English actor Tim Roth.

Kieran’s other television directing credits include the first season of Jack Irish, two episodes of Wolf Creek and three episodes of Reef Break. He has also collaborated on music videos and photo shoots with Powderfinger, Ben Lee, Alex Lloyd, Kasey Chambers, Paul Kelly, You Am I, Amiel, Shane Nicholson and Troy Cassar-Daley.

Darcy-Smith was curator and producer of the Homebake Festival's short film program, having been involved in the festival since 2001.

In 2025 he plays the estranged father of a transgender man in Harvey Zielinski's feature directorial debut, Sweet Milk Lake.

Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 1995 Little Sky Cambodia Australian Writers' Guild and NSW Film & Television Office Mentorship Scheme Award 2008 Memorial Day IF Award Best Unproduced Screenplay 2012 Wish You Were Here Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize 2013 AACTA Awards Best Original Screenplay Award Best Film Best Director Australian Film Critics Circle Awards Best Film Best Screenplay

Personal life Darcy-Smith first met his wife, actress Felicity Price, at the opening of Sydney's Fox Studios. They were initially just friends, after which time Price relocated overseas for a few years and the pair lost touch. On her return to Australia, the pair resumed their friendship, which eventually turned romantic and they were married on 7 January 2006. Actor Joel Edgerton was best man at their wedding and is the godfather of one of their two children.

They couple relocated to Los Angeles in 2012, shortly after their film Wish You Were Here was released, and while their children were still young.

Filmography

Film

Writer / Director Year Title Role Notes 1996 Loaded Writer / Producer / Composer Short film 1998 Bloodlock Writer / Producer / Composer / Production Coordinator Short film 2000 The Island Writer / Co-producer Short film 2002 Texas Additional Cinematographer Documentary film 2006 Kokoda: 39th Battalion Script Editor Feature film 2008 I Love Sarah Jane Production Stills Short film The Square Additional Stills Feature film Netherland Dwarf Still Photographer Short film 2009 Daybreakers ADR Loop Group Feature film 2010 Tomorrow, When the War Began Loop Group Performer Feature film 2012 Wish You Were Here Writer / Director Feature film 2016 The Duel Director Feature film 2021 Our Father Executive Producer Short film Power & Way Director In development Blackwater Director In development Fever Director / Writer Pre-production Treat Writer In development Out of Mind Producer In development

Actor Year Title Role Notes1996 Daydream Believer Stagehand (uncredited) Feature film Loaded Paddy Short film Jac et Bill Jac Short film 1998 Bloodlock Scott Robertson Short film 1999 Two Hands Craig Feature film 2000 The Island The Man Short film 2001 The Pitch Chainsaw Maniac Short film 2005 The Cave Strode Feature film 2006 Pacific Man Short film2007 Katoomba Brian Short film September Rick Feature film 2008 The Square Barney Feature film The List Nick Short film 2009 Miracle Fish Peter Unwin / TRG Negotiator Short film2010 Animal Kingdom John Harrop Feature film The Reef Warren Feature film Grey Scale Michael Short film2012 Cryo The Captain Short film Spirit-ED Mr Jones Short film 2021 Shark Captain Rick Short film 2024 How to Make Gravy Red Feature film 2024 Make It Look Real Himself Documentary film 2026 Sweet Milk Lake Lee Feature film

Television

Writer / Director Year Title Role Notes 2016 Jack Irish Director 2 episodes 2017 Wolf Creek Director 2 episodes: "Chase", "Singing" 2019 Reef Break Director 3 episodes2023 Last King of the Cross Director 4 episodes (co-directed 2 episodes with Grant Brown) Writer 3 episodes Script Producer 10 episodes

Actor Year Title Role Notes 1996 Police Rescue Col Season 5, episode 1: "The Ultimate"1997 Fallen Angels Hoon Season 1, episode 10: "Bury My Heart in Endeavour Park" Murder Call Felix Kiver Season 1, episode 3: "Cat & Mouse" 1997–2001 Water Rats Stewart Renshaw / Craig Castle / Xavier Tully / Des 4 episodes1999 Big Sky Cooly 2 episodes Wildside George Renner Season 2, episode 11 Blue Heelers Travis Watson Season 6, episode 36: "Second Chance" Breakers Slim 4 episodes 1999–2008 All Saints Dave Hegarty / Mathew King / Gordie Hallam / Dave Barclay 4 episodes 2001 Going Home Stalker 7 episodes 2001; 2009 Home and Away Tim Coleman / Terry 9 episodes2002 Young Lions Marty Charlton 2 episodes Always Greener Trevor Southall Season 2, episode 9: "Understanding the Cry"2003 White Collar Blue Neil Jeffries Season 2, episode 20 McLeod's Daughters Lindsay Stubbs Season 6, episode 10: "The Big Commitment" 2006 Stupid, Stupid Man Jack Hanson Season 1, episode 7: "The Mole" 2007 Dangerous Garry Miniseries, 6 episodes 2008 Infamous Victory: Ben Chifley's Battle for Coal Don Rogers TV movie 2009 My Place Pa 3 episodes 2011 Rescue: Special Ops Detective Brendan Lockyer Season 3, episode 17: "Art Attack" 2019 Mr Inbetween Vinnie Williams Season 2, 4 episodes 2025 Apple Cider Vinegar Andrew Dal-Bello Miniseries, episode 2: "Clean Sheets"

Music videos

Director / Producer Year Artist Title Role 2003 You Am I Deliverance Director / Producer 2003 You Am I The Cream & the Crock Director / Producer / Additional Cinematographer 2010 Powderfinger Sunsets: Powderfinger Farewell Tour Live in Concert Camera Operator

Actor Year Artist Title Role 2002 Eskimo Joe Liar Actor

References

External links