Hugo Weaving
| Hugo Weaving | |
|---|---|
 Hugo Weaving at the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, December 2003 |
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| Born | Hugo Wallace Weaving 4 April 1960 Ibadan, Nigeria |
| Occupation | Actor/Voice actor |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English-Australian film and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "V" in V for Vendetta, Megatron in the Transformers trilogy, and Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger.
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Early life
Weaving was born in University Teaching Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria, to English parents Anne (née Lennard), a tour guide and former teacher, and Wallace Weaving, a seismologist.[1][2][3] His maternal grandmother was Belgian.[3] A year after his birth, his family returned to England, living in Bedford and Brighton before relocating to Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, Johannesburg in South Africa, and then returning to England again.[1] While in England, he attended the independent boarding school Queen Elizabeth's Hospital. His family moved back to Australia in 1976, where he attended another private school, Sydney's Knox Grammar School. He later graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1981.
Career
Weaving's first major role was in the 1984 Australian television series Bodyline, as the English cricket captain Douglas Jardine. Weaving appeared in the Australian miniseries The Dirtwater Dynasty in 1988 and also as Geoffrey Chambers in the drama Barlow and Chambers: A Long Way From Home. He starred opposite Nicole Kidman in the 1989 film Bangkok Hilton.
In 1991, Weaving received the Australian Film Institute's "Best Actor" award for his performance in the low-budget Proof. He also appeared as Sir John in the 1993 Yahoo Serious comedy Reckless Kelly, a lampoon of the famous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly.
Weaving first received international attention in the hit Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994. In 1998, he received the "Best Actor" award from the Montreal Film Festival for his performance in The Interview. He was also a voice actor in the cartoon film The Magic Pudding.
Weaving earned further international attention with his performance as the enigmatic Agent Smith in the 1999 blockbuster hit The Matrix. He later reprised that role in the film's 2003 sequels: The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
He also garnered much popular attention in the role of Elrond in Peter Jackson's three-film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, released between 2001 and 2003. Weaving was the main actor in Andrew Kotatko's award-winning film Everything Goes (2004). He also starred as a heroin-addicted ex-rugby league player in the 2005 Australian indie film Little Fish, opposite Cate Blanchett. He also played the title role as V in the 2006 film V for Vendetta, in which he was reunited with the Wachowski brothers, creators of The Matrix trilogy, who wrote the adapted screenplay. Actor James Purefoy was originally signed to play the role, but he pulled out six weeks into filming. Weaving appeared in the majority of V for Vendetta, and reshot all of James Purefoy's scenes as V (even though his face is never seen) apart from a couple of minor dialogue-free scenes early in the film. Stuntman David Leitch performed all of V's stunts.
Weaving also reprised his role as Elrond for the video game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II. He regularly appears in productions by the Sydney Theatre Company. In 2006, he worked with Cate Blanchett on a reprise of the STC production of Hedda Gabler in New York City. In a controversial move by director Michael Bay, Weaving was chosen as the Decepticon leader Megatron vocally in the 2007 live-action film Transformers, rather than using the original version of the character's voice created by the classic voice actor, Frank Welker. Bay stated on the DVD release of the film that he wanted Megatron to have a physicality similar to Weaving's, and that Welker's voice didn't fit the new interpretation of the character.
Weaving himself was unaware of the controversy and had accepted the role based on Michael Bay's personal request; in a November 2008 Sun Herald interview, he said he'd never seen Transformers. Weaving reprised his role as Megatron in the sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. He also provides the voice for the Megatron leader class figures. In February 2010 Hugo Weaving revealed to The Age that he does not know much about the Transformers films:
"[Director] Michael Bay talks to me on the phone. I've never met him. We were doing the voice for the second one and I still hadn't seen the first one. I still didn't really know who the characters were and I didn't know what anything was. It's a voice job, for sure, and people assume I've spent my life working on it, but I really know so little about it."[4]
Weaving played a supporting role in Joe Johnston's remake of the 1941 film The Wolf Man, The Wolfman, starring Benicio del Toro (the 1941 original starred Lon Chaney, Jr.). Immediately after Wolfman wrapped, he returned home to Australia to film a lead role in the film Last Ride, directed by Glendyn Ivin. Guillermo Del Toro, director of The Hobbit films, prequels to The Lord of the Rings, confirmed his intent to again cast Weaving as Elrond of Rivendell in a BBC interview[5] When asked about reprising the role, Weaving replied that he was game, but hadn't officially been approached.
Weaving spent the summer of 2009 starring in Melbourne Theatre Company's production of the worldwide theatrical hit God of Carnage, portraying the caustic lawyer Alain Reille. He intends to return to the stage in December 2010 in Sydney Theatre Company's Uncle Vanya, costarring Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh.
In May 2009, Weaving accepted a costarring role in the docudrama Oranges and Sunshine,[6] about the forced migration of thousands of British children to Australia in the 1950s. Filming began in fall 2009 in Nottingham, UK and Adelaide, Australia and was scheduled to continue through January 2010. 2010 also sees the release of Legend of the Guardians (formerly The Guardians of Ga'Hoole), in which Weaving has another high profile voice[7] role, portraying two different owls named Noctus and Grimble in Zack Snyder's film adaptation of Kathryn Lasky's popular series of children's books.
On May 4, 2010, it was officially confirmed by Marvel Studios that Weaving will play the fictional Nazi the Red Skull in the upcoming superhero film Captain America: The First Avenger.[8]
Personal life
When he was 13 years old, Weaving was diagnosed with epilepsy.[9] He lives with his wife Katrina Greenwood and two children, Harry (b. 1989) and Holly (b. 1993). He has a brother, Simon Weaving.
Weaving is also the primary ambassador for Australian animal rights organization Voiceless. Hugo attends events and promotes Voiceless in interviews. He also assists Voiceless in their judging of annual grant's recipients.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | ...Maybe This Time | Student 2 | |
| 1983 | The City's Edge | Andy White | |
| 1984 | Bodyline | Douglas Jardine | |
| 1986 | For Love Alone | Johnathan Crow | |
| 1987 | Melba | Charles Armstrong | |
| 1987 | The Right Hand Man | Ned Devine | |
| 1988 | Dadah Is Death | Geoffrey Chambers | |
| 1990 | ...Almost | Jake | |
| 1991 | Proof | Martin | |
| 1992 | Road to Alice | Morris | |
| 1993 | Frauds | Jonathan Wheats | |
| 1993 | Reckless Kelly | Sir John | |
| 1993 | The Custodian | Det. Church | |
| 1994 | Exile | Innes | |
| 1994 | The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert | Anthony 'Tick' Belrose/Mitzi Del Bra | |
| 1994 | What's Going On, Frank? | Strange Packer in Supermarket | |
| 1995 | Babe | Rex the Male Sheepdog | voice |
| 1997 | True Love and Chaos | Morris | |
| 1997 | Halifax f.p: Isn't It Romantic | Det. Sgt. Tom Hurkos | |
| 1998 | Babe: Pig in the City | Rex the Male Sheepdog | voice |
| 1998 | Bedrooms and Hallways | Jeremy | |
| 1998 | The Interview | Eddie Rodney Fleming | |
| 1998 | The Kiss | Barry | |
| 1999 | Strange Planet | Steven | |
| 1999 | Little Echo Lost | Echo Man | |
| 1999 | The Matrix | Agent Smith | |
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Elrond | Nominated: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast – Motion Picture |
| 2001 | Russian Doll | Harvey | |
| 2001 | The Old Man Who Read Love Stories | Rubicondo (Dentist) | |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Elrond | Nominated: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast – Motion Picture |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Elrond | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast – Motion Picture |
| 2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | Agent Smith | |
| 2003 | The Matrix Revolutions | Agent Smith | |
| 2003 | After the Deluge | Martin Kirby | |
| 2004 | Everything Goes | Ray | |
| 2004 | Peaches | Alan | |
| 2005 | Little Fish | Lionel Dawson | |
| 2006 | Happy Feet | Noah | voice |
| 2006 | V for Vendetta | V | |
| 2007 | Transformers | Megatron | voice |
| 2008 | The Tender Hook | McHeath | |
| 2009 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | Megatron | voice |
| 2009 | Last Ride | Kev | |
| 2010 | The Wolfman | Detective Aberline | |
| 2010 | Oranges and Sunshine[6] | ||
| 2010 | Legend of the Guardians | Noctus and Grimble | voice |
| 2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger | Red Skull / Johann Schmidt | |
| 2011 | Transformers 3 | Megatron | voice |
| 2012 | The Avengers | Red Skull / Johann Schmidt | pre-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Dirtwater Dynasty | Richard Eastwick | 4 episodes |
| 1989 | Bangkok Hilton | Richard Carlisle | TV mini-series |
| 1993 | Seven Deadly Sins | Lust | TV mini-series |
| 1995 | Bordertown | Kenneth Pearson | 10 episodes |
| 1996 | The Bite | Jack Shannon | TV mini-series |
| 1996 | Naked: Stories of Men | Martin Furlong | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Frontier | Governor Arthur | TV mini-series |
Awards
- 1991 – Australian Film Institute Awards, Best Actor in a Lead Role: Proof
- 1998 – Australian Film Institute Awards, Best Actor in a Lead Role: The Interview
- 2005 – Australian Film Institute Awards, Best Actor in a Lead Role: Little Fish
- 2007 – The Constellation Awards, Best Male Performance in a 2006 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Miniseries: V for Vendetta
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Quiet achiever". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2006-04-03. http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/quiet-achiever/2006/04/02/1143916400860.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2.
- ↑ "Hugo Weaving Profile: Biography, Filmography & Photos". uk.movies.yahoo.com. http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/artists/w/Hugo-Weaving/index-133496.html. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Meet the listener: Anne Lennard, wartime evacuee – Life Matters". abc.net.au. 29 September 2009. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2009/2698446.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
- ↑ "Depth among the shallows". The Age. Fairfax Digital. 12 February 2010. http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/film/depth-among-the-shallows/2010/02/11/1265477641321.html?page=2.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jaafar, Ali. "Emily Watson joins 'Oranges'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011741.html?categoryid=19&cs=1&ref=vertintl.
- ↑ http://www.reelzchannel.com/movie-news/5106/zack-snyders-guardians-of-gahoole-cast-coming-together
- ↑ "Hugo Weaving confirmed as Red Skull in Captain America". http://www.rogdykker.com/hugo-weaving-confirmed-as-red-skull-in-captain-america. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ↑ The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/18/.html.
- "The Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia — Theatre . Film . Radio . Television — Volume 1" — Ann Atkinson, Linsay Knight, Margaret McPhee — Allen & Unwin Pty. Ltd., 1996
- "The Australian Film and Television Companion" — compiled by Tony Harrison — Simon & Schuster Australia, 1994