Ben Winspear (born ) is an Australian actor and director. He has an extensive history performing for theatre, and on screen is known for appearing in comedy drama series Bay of Fires (2023).
Early life Ben Winspear was born around 1975/1976 in Wagga Wagga, and was raised alongside younger brother Dallas in Hobart, Tasmania, where he attended an alternative community school. His father Les was a founding member of Hobart's Big Monkey Theatre.
In 1995, at the age of 19, Winspear relocated to Sydney, after being accepted into the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). He graduated in 1997, with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting).
Career
Stage Winspear has had a long career in theatre, as actor, adaptor, assistant director, director, dramaturge, lighting designer, performer, scenic artist and set designer. His first credited role was as flyman for a 1990 production of Don Pasquale at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music.
In 1998, after graduating from NIDA, Winspear was cast as Edmund in a production of King Lear for Bell Shakespeare. In 2002, he appeared in Same Same But Different, a major work created by Kate Champion with dance theatre company Force Majeure, touring the eastern states of Australia. That same year, he appeared in a stage production of Great Expectations at the Sydney Opera House.
Winspear was resident director at Sydney Theatre Company from 2003 to 2005, during which time he directed Morph, These People, This Little Piggy, The Metamorphosis, and Thyestes.
In 2008, Winspear played Viktor in a Sydney Theatre Company production of Frankenstein. In 2009, he appeared in Baghdad Wedding for Company B. He later appeared with wife Marta Dusseldorp in Joanna Murray-Smith's adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's 1973 film Scenes from a Marriage for Queensland Theatre, in 2017.
Additionally, Winspear was an associate artist for Sydney's Griffin Theatre Company, and has worked as assistant director with Barrie Kosky, Robyn Nevin, Howard Davies, Garry McDonald, and Jean-Pierre Mignon. Later, for Archipelago Productions, he directed sellout seasons of The Maids by Jean Genet, and Winterreise by Franz Schubert, as well as productions of The Bleeding Tree by Angus Cerini, which re-opened the Theatre Royal, and Venus and Adonis.
Screen Winspear had a significant role in period drama series A Place to Call Home, playing René Nordmann, a war-damaged Jewish refugee and love interest for lead character Sarah Adams, played by his wife, Marta Dusseldorp. She also had in a main role in Underbelly: Badness, the fifth season of the Underbelly crime drama franchise, playing the task force's second-in-command, Detective Sergeant Tim Browne, opposite Jonathan LaPaglia and Matt Nable.
In 2014, Winspear had a recurring role as Sebastian Strong in Rake. That same year, he featured in horror film The Babadook, opposite Essie Davis and Daniel Henshall as the deceased husband of Davis's character. He then had a guest role as Con Heliotis in 2015 miniseries House of Hancock, opposite Mandy McElhinney, Peta Sergeant and Sam Neill. The following year, he appeared in drama thriller film Bad Girl, with Samara Weaving.
Winspear played the ongoing part of Sam in comedy series Rosehaven, from 2020 to 2021. More recently, he has appeared as Rowan Furness, a public servant in two episodes of crime comedy-drama series Bay of Fires in 2023. The series was co-produced by his company, Archipelago Productions.
Other activities Winspear is co-owner, with his wife Marta Dusseldorp, of film production company Archipelago Productions, in Hobart, Tasmania.
Winspear has been on the judging panel for the Patrick White Award and Young Writers Award.
Awards and nominations Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 2002 Great Expectations Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Play 2009 Baghdad Wedding Helpmann Awards Best Male Actor in a Play Baghdad Wedding Sydney Theatre Awards Best Male Actor in a Lead Role 2010 My Place Australian Film Institute Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama 2020 Gruesome Playground Injuries Tasmanian Theatre Awards Best Direction (Professional Theatre) 2022 The Maids Tasmanian Theatre Awards Best Direction (Professional Theatre) The Bleeding Tree Tasmanian Theatre Awards Best Direction (Professional Theatre) 2024 Past the Shallows Tasmanian Theatre Awards Best Direction (Professional Theatre) Women of Troy Tasmanian Theatre Awards Best Direction (Professional Theatre)
Personal life Winspear is married to actress Marta Dusseldorp. The couple met at the Sydney Theatre Company, while he was resident director and she was appearing in a production of The Way of the World. They met again later that year in Berlin, whereupon their relationship developed. They were married in February 2006.
The couple have two daughters. In 2018, the family relocated from their home in inner Sydney, to Hobart.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotesRef. 2008 Every Other Weekend Bart Short 2011 Loveless Max Short 2012 Ricochet Oliver Short 2013 The Last Goodbye Joel 2014 The Babadook Oskar 2015 Breeding in Captivity Andrew Film 2016 Bad Girl Peter Anderson Perry Ben's Mate Short 2017 Remembering Agatha Bill Short Pile Father Short The Suitor Mr Sappleton Short 2021 Finding Jedda Short
Television YearTitleRoleNotesRef. 2009 My Place Michaelis 2 episodes 2011 Crownies Dr Preston 1 episode Panic at Rock Island Baz Gaha TV movie 2012 Underbelly: Badness Detective Sergeant Tim Browne 8 episodes 2014 Black Comedy Guest 2 episodes Old School Rodger 1 episode Rake Sebastian Strong 3 episodes 2014–2015 A Place to Call Home Dr. René Nordmann 11 episodes 2015 House of Hancock Con Heliotis Miniseries, 1 episode 2020–2021 Rosehaven Sam 3 episodes 2023 Bay of Fires Rowan Furness 2 episodes 2026Ground UpGarth1 episode (1.6)
Theatre
As cast YearTitleRoleNotesRef. 1998 King Lear Edmund Bell Shakespeare 2002 Same Same But Different Australian tour with Force Majeure Great Expectations Sydney Opera House 2006 Now That Communism Is Dead My Life Feels Empty Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with B Sharp 2008 Frankenstein Viktor Sydney Theatre Company 2009 Baghdad Wedding Salim Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney 2011 Faustus Faustus Brisbane Powerhouse with QTC 2014 Emerald City Mike McCord Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Co 2015 Elektra / Orestes Aegisthus Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney 2017 Scenes from a Marriage Johan Playhouse, Brisbane with QTC 2019 The Mares Achilles Peacock Theatre, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Company 2020 Venus and Adonis Adonis Online at St David's Cathedral, Hobart with Archipelago Productions & regional tour with 10 Days on the Island
As crew YearTitleRoleNotesRef. 1990 Don Pasquale Flyman Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music 2000 Oedipus Assistant Director Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 2001 Stones in His Pockets Assistant Director Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC King Lear Director STC 2002 Macbeth Director Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC Saved Director NIDA, Sydney 2003 The Tempest Director Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC Le Grand Macabre Assistant Director Komische Oper Berlin Morph Director Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 2004 Thyestes Director Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC Victory Co-director Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC The Miser Assistant Director Sydney Opera House with STC 2005 The Metamorphosis Director Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with STC This Little Piggy Director Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 2008 Pantagleize Director Myers Studio, Sydney with UNSW The Women of Troy Assistant Director Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne with STC 2009 Silver Director Belvoir, Sydney 2011 Don Parties On Assistant Director Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC Sweet Bird andsoforth Translator Mess Hall with atyp Under the Wharf, Sydney 2014 Monkey – An Epic Tale of Cosmic Struggle Director UNSW, Sydney 2016 Gloria Associate Director Griffin Theatre Co The Good Wolf Director Griffin Theatre Co Insect! Director UNSW, Sydney These People Director The Bluebird Director Cranbrook School The Cherry Orchard Assistant Director The Garden of Paradise Director 10 Days on the Island 2018 The Feather in the Web Director Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Co Twelve Times He Spoke Director Blue Cow Theatre with Performing Lines 2019 Gruesome Playground Injuries Director Moonah Arts Centre, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Co 2020 Venus and Adonis Director Online with St David's Cathedral, Hobart & Archipelago Productions; regional tour with 10 Days on the Island The Bleeding Tree Director Online with Theatre Royal, Hobart, Archipelago Productions & Blue Cow Theatre Perfect Stranger Academy of the Arts, Launceston with UTAS & Archipelago Productions 2021 Winterreise Director Old Mercury Building, Hobart with Archipelago Productions The Maids Director Playhouse, Hobart with Archipelago Productions The Masque of the Red Death Director St David's Cathedral, Hobart with Archipelago Productions & Mona Foma 2023 The Carbon Neutral Adventures of the Indefatigable Enviroteens Director Theatre Royal, Hobart with Archipelago Productions 2024 Past the Shallows Director Theatre Royal, Hobart with ATYP & Archipelago Productions
References
External links
Ben Winspear on AusStage