Rowan Witt is an Australian film, television and theatre actor. He is known for starring in stage productions of The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, Totally Completely Fine, She Loves Me, Dogfight, Gloria, Into The Woods and South Pacific, the television series Home and Away and his role as 'Spoon Boy' in The Matrix.
Early life
Witt was born in Australia. His high school graduating artwork topped the state, and was exhibited at the NSW Art Gallery, and was awarded the Julian Ashton drawing scholarship. Witt also undertook intensive acting training throughout school.
Witt then attended the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he studied a Bachelor of music performance, majoring in classical voice. He also trained in acting at various notable institutions including ATYP and NIDA, with a background in theatre and improvisation.
Career Witt was discovered at an early age and began working extensively in film and television, including a role in 1999 sci-fi film The Matrix playing 'Spoon Boy', alongside Keanu Reeves. Also in 1999, he played Frankie in drama film Somewhere in the Darkness. In 2001, he had a recurring guest role in long-running soap opera Home and Away, as runaway child, Toni Davidson. That same year, he landed the role of Oliver Twist in children's series Escape of the Artful Dodger in 2001.
Witt was short-listed to the final few for the titular role of Harry in the Harry Potter film franchise and was notably, the only Australian actor to be flown to Leavesden Studios in England to screen-test.
In 2010, the same year he graduated from the Conservatorium, Witt had a role in the third season of true crime series Underbelly and also played Leaf Coneybear in a stage production of William Finn's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
In 2012, Witt appeared in a musical theatre production of South Pacific at the Sydney Opera House for The Lincoln Centre. It was the highest selling show in the opera house's history and starred Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Lisa McCune. The following year, he had a role in drama film Adoration opposite Naomi Watts, Robin Wright and Ben Mendelsohn.
Witt landed the role of Jack, in the 2014 Australian production of Into The Woods, at the Melbourne Arts Centre, for which he garnered critical acclaim. That same year, he played John Hinckley in the Australian tour of Sondheim's Assassins.
Witt was then cast in the 2015 Australian premiere of Pasek and Paul's musical, Dogfight, at the Hayes Theatre, as the abusive Vietnam marine, Bernstein. Midway through the season of Dogfight, Witt was cast and started work on Cameron Mackintosh's production of Les Misérables (25th anniversary production), performing and rehearsing both shows simultaneously.
In 2016, Witt played Young Buddy in the acclaimed concert production of Sondheim's Follies, opposite Philip Quast, Debra Byrne, Lisa McCune, and David Hobson. He also appeared as Danny in the musical Baby at the Hayes Theatre.
Witt's breakout role came as Elder McKinley in the original Australian cast of musical The Book of Mormon, both at The Princess Theatre in Melbourne and the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney. For this role, he won several awards including a 2018 Sydney Theatre Award, and a 2017 Helpmann Award nomination. The production boasted the biggest opening sales of any musical in Australia's history, selling more than $5 million worth of tickets in the first few hours.
Directly after The Book of Mormon, Witt signed on as the romantic lead in the acclaimed revival of Bock and Harnick's She Loves Me at the Hayes Theatre, before playing Dean in the acclaimed Sydney premiere of Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins' play, Gloria. For both roles he was nominated for Broadway World and Sydney Theatre Awards.
In 2021, Witt starred opposite Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) in the Paramount+ original television series Spreadsheet. He also originated the role of Chandler Bing in the Australian stage production of Friends: the Musical. Then from 2022 to 2023, Witt took up the role of King George III in the Australian stage production of Hamilton. It was during this period that he was cast in Sundance's dark comedy television series Totally Completely Fine, in which he starred as John, opposite Thomasin McKenzie, and Devon Terrell.
In 2025, Witt starred as Sean, partner of Kate (played by Tamala Shelton) and one of the living characters in Ghosts, an Australian adaptation of the British sitcom of the same name.
Personal life Witt has a sister, a pop musician, who performs under the stage name, ELKI.
Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 2017 The Book of Mormon Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical 2018 Sydney Theatre Awards Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in a Musical Glugs Theatrical Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical She Loves Me Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical Sydney Theatre Awards Best Male Performer in a Lead Role 2019 Gloria Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes Ref.1999 Somewhere in the Darkness Frankie The Matrix Spoon Boy 2002 Little Blue Steven Short film 2010 Thick as Thieves Thomas Short film 2011 X: Night of Vengeance Luke 2011 3:12 Tom Short film 2011 Sean & Marcus Sean Short film 2012 Pride Jarvis Short film 2013 Adoration Oswald (aka Adore or Two Mothers) Trunk Neil Short film 2027 Spaceballs: The New One Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes Ref.2001 Home and Away Toni Davidson 16 episodes Escape of the Artful Dodger Oliver Twist 13 episodes 2010 Underbelly: The Golden Mile Koala 1 episode 2011 The Gruen Transfer: The Pitch Sam Second Skin Bobby 2012 People You May Know Cyrano 2013 Nick & Seaton's Palace of Sexy Secrets Rowan 2 episodes 2021 Spreadsheet Alex Ryan 8 episodes 2023 Wellmania Jesse 1 episode Totally Completely Fine John Cunningham 6 episodes 2025 Ghosts: Australia Sean 8 episodes All Her Fault Brendan Hill Miniseries, 2 episodes
Stage
As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2001 Die Zauberflöte Second Spirit Opera Australia 2002 The Turn of the Screw Miles Opera Australia 2008 By Jeeves Augustus 'Gussie' Fink Genesian Theatre, Sydney The Magic Flute Papageno National Youth Opera 2010 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Leaf Coneybear Squeaky Floor Productions Il Campanello Fabio Panettone Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera by Candlelight Principal Soloist Opera By Candlelight 2012–2013 South Pacific Professor Sydney Opera House with Lincoln Center Theatre 2014 Into the Woods Jack Playhouse, Melbourne with Victorian Opera Assassins John Hinckley Jr. West Gippsland Arts Centre with Auspicious Arts Projects 2015 Bye Bye Birdie Randolph Macafee Seymour Centre, Sydney with Squabbalogic Hats Off! To the Hits Seymour Centre, Sydney Les Misérables Claquesous Capitol Theatre, Sydney, QPAC, Brisbane Dogfight Bernstein Hayes Theatre Co, Sydney Mystery Musical Randolph Squabbalogic 2016 Follies in Concert Young Buddy Melbourne Recital Centre with Storeyboard Entertainment Kiss Me, Kate Gremio / Aide / Dance Captain Seymour Centre, Sydney Baby Danny Hayes Theatre Co, Sydney 2017 The Book of Mormon Elder McKinley Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Lyric Theatre 2018 She Loves Me Georg Nowack Hayes Theatre Co, Sydney 2019 Good Omens Newt / various Squabbalogic 2019 Gloria Dean / Devin Seymour Centre, Sydney with Outhouse Theatre Co 2021 Friends: the Musical Chandler Bing SK Entertainment 2022 Hamilton King George III Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne 2026 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Freddy Benson Hayes Theatre Co, Sydney
As writer Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2015 My Vagabond Boat Writer Adelaide Festival Centre
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2005 The Matrix: Path of Neo Spoon Boy Video game 2023 Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4: Bush Rescue Returns Julius the Koala Video game
References
External links