Classifying Famous Australian Actors (Venn Diagram)

While watching an opening night showing of Clash of the Titans in completely unnecessary, after-the-fact 3D, I pondered the rise of Sam Worthington. Not too long ago, he was a former Aussie bricklayer whose career highlight was a small role in Hart’s War. That was before he somehow managed to land an audition for the James Bond reboot and a starring role in what would become the highest-grossing film ever. As a result, he’s an overnight A-lister who has headlined three of the biggest-budgeted action blockbusters of the past two years. And to think, dude was this close to going back Down Under as the guy who almost became the next Russell Crowe.

But Worthington is the next Crowe, and he’s just the latest in a long line of Australian actors to take Hollywood by storm. What makes Aussie actors so compelling to the American film industry? For one, they seem to have an easier time developing a “standard” American accent than even many Americans do. It’s more than that, though. They are rugged. They are attractive. They are intense. They have range. Sometimes all of the above.

In Worthington’s case, he’s mostly attractive and rugged. Then you have the late, great Heat Ledger, who brought attractiveness, intensity, range and ruggedness to the screen. Peter Finch was just as fine of an actor, but he was mostly rangy and intense. Hugo Weaving? Mostly intense, but he’s still a brilliant thespian. The Oscar winners? Well, they tend to all have amazing range. The stars? The biggest ones have three of the four traits. This Venn diagram uses the four traits that are such an invaluable part of the Australian acting style to classify the styles of its most renowned actors (CLICK HERE FOR FULL-SIZED IMAGE).