Bill Hunter is one of Australia's acting "legends", having worked with almost every notable Australian Director and Actor of the last thirty years - evidence of his genuine popularity amongst the public and acting fraternity alike.

He started out in Australian television in the '60s (a hotbed of well written & directed drama), and rapidly became a favourite amongst Directors during the boom in the Australian movie industry in the '70s. He's often played the strong, opinionated, archetypically gruff Australian - who ultimately betrays a softer heart.

Some of his most notable movie roles include the Australian officer (Major Barton) who will only ask his troops to do as he would, in 'Gallipoli' (Peter Weir's groundbreaking 1981 movie, starring the young Mel Gibson), the meddling Barry Fife in 'Strictly Ballroom' (Baz Luhrmann's 1st international hit), the scheming politician Bill Heslop in 'Muriel's Wedding' (P.J. Hogan's 1st international hit), the lovable country battler in 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' (Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving's 1st major internationally successful movie).


1996: Went bankrupt. 1995: Received a Variety Club Award for Services to the Film Industry. Filmed Muriel's Wedding (1994) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) at the same time, each requiring him to have different length hair, beard and to be in different parts of Australia.