Richard Roxburgh Movies
A handsome, sharp-featured actor who has played everything from action baddies to charming romantic comedy leads, Australian actor Richard Roxburgh became a familiar face to international audiences thanks to roles in such high-profile Hollywood features as Moulin Rouge and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Born the youngest of six siblings in Albury, Australia, Roxburgh's interest in acting wasn't sparked until he became somewhat disillusioned with studying economics (his father was a successful accountant) at A.N.U. in Canberra. An interest in acting prompted the young Roxburgh to enroll in Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Arts, though it wasn't a successful film career to which he aspired, but one in the theater. He gained a reputation as a talented actor and stage director capable of both classic and contemporary work, and soon found his star rising in Europe as well. The actor had an early supporting role in the made-for-TV feature The Saint: Fear in Fun Park, which showed the stage-oriented actor possessing remarkable onscreen charisma.Though he continued to work on-stage, Roxburgh also began making appearances in television miniseries, and grew increasingly comfortable in front of the cameras. After more supporting roles in such features as Billy's Holiday (1995) and Children of the Revolution (1996), Roxburgh landed his first feature lead in the country & western-themed road movie Doing Time for Patsy Cline (1997) -- a role that earned the rising star an AFI award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. That same year, he charmed Australian audiences opposite Cate Blanchett in the romantic comedy Thank God He Met Lizzie as a reluctant groom whose fantasies about an ex-girlfriend threaten to sour his wedding day. Though Roxburgh's onscreen exposure, to this point, had been limited mostly to European audiences, all of that changed in the early 2000s. Cast as the villainous henchman in John Woo's high-profile sequel Mission: Impossible II, Roxburgh made quite an impression despite his limited screen time. The following year, he made even more of an impact on international audiences thanks to a role as the sniveling Duke of Worcester in Baz Luhrmann's breakout musical hit Moulin Rouge. Roxburgh's later role as legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes in 2002's The Hound of the Baskervilles courted controversy by depicting Holmes as a drug addict, and, in 2003, he suited up to fight crime once again in the comic book adaptation The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Roxburgh played another famous character -- Count Dracula -- in the eagerly anticipated horror feature Van Helsing in 2004. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 1989
While in Australia, The Saint encounters a Hong Kong syndicate obsessed to own an abandoned amusement park. ~ Rovi
- 1990
The three-part British-Australian TV production The Paper Man could be described as the miniseries equivalent of Citizen Kane. John Bach headed the huge cast as Philip Cromwell, a canny Australian entrepreneur who through "ways of his own" became his country's most powerful media mogul. Any resemblance between Cromwell and the real-life Rupert Murdoch was, of course, purely coincidental. Telecast in 1990, The Paper Man was seen in the United Kingdom via Granada Television, and in Australia over that continent's ABC network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Bach, Oliver Tobias, (more)
- 1992
Based on the true story of "Major" Taylor, this is the story of an early twentieth century black athlete who bucks the prejudice and discrimination to find fame on the international circuit as he becomes a champion cyclist. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- 1994
Using a blend of fantasy and reality, this film presents an extraordinary day in the lives of two female friends in their mid thirties. The primary focus of the film is upon their conversations at work where they design and write adult comics. Julia is upset because she suspects her husband is having an affair. She has been keeping her suspicions to herself, but now she is thinking of confronting him. Stephanie is single, but is feeling pressure from her biological clock -- she wants a baby. She recently returned from Tokyo and while a TV repair man eaves drops, tells Julia every detail of her sexploits there. As Julia talks, she gets more upset and shares her fears that her husband's mistress has been following her. Julia goes to the TV repair shop to pick up the things the man repaired earlier and ends up having a steamy encounter. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Longley, Angie Milliken, (more)
- 1995
Celebrated Australian filmmaker Mike Jenkins helms this controversial, true-life tale of police corruption in New South Wales that was banned from airing in the state where the events occurred for six years due to ongoing legal proceedings. Decorated police officer Roger "The Dodger" Rogerson (Richard Roxburgh) was a shining example of law enforcement at its most commendable; until he made a deal with the devil, that is. When Rogerson enters into a deadly partnership with career criminal Arthur "Neddy" Smith (Tony Martin) that gives the violent psychopath free reign to run rampant through the Sydney underworld, the stage is set for tragedy as guns on both sides start blazing. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Roxburgh, Tony Martin, (more)
Since the breakup of his marriage, Billy Apples (Max Cullen), the stocky, middle-aged owner of a hardware store in Sydney, Australia, hasn't had much going on in his life. Billy has one hobby, singing with a jazz band in a club in his neighborhood; he knows that he's not much of a vocalist and that his teenage daughter Casey (Rachael Coopes) considers him an embarrassment, especially since she's convinced that he's to blame for her parents' divorce. But late one night, Billy sees several comets dotting the night sky, and something miraculous occurs -- suddenly, Billy is capable of singing like Billie Holiday! While many people are puzzled by this development (Billy himself is near the top of the list), his new sound packs them in at the club, and soon Billy's career as a singer takes off and he signs a recording contract. His ex-wife even suggests that she might give their marriage another try, but success goes to Billy's head and he becomes difficult to get along with; then Billy's voice starts to change back, prior to his appearance in a major music contest. This musical fantasy won the Australian Film Institute award for Best Adapted Score in 1995. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Max Cullen, Kris McQuade, (more)
Children of the Revolution is an Australian film whose cinematic roots go back to the sardonic comedies of Billy Wilder. It is set in two time periods, the 1950s and 1990s, and goes back and forth between them. In the 1990s, Australian politician Joe Welch (Richard Roxburgh) is having some serious difficulties. We learn just how serious they are through a series of interviews with important political commentators. Joe blames his mother, Joan Fraser (Judy Davis), for his problems. This claim seems ridiculous until we flash back to the 1950s and discover that Joan, an ardent communist, had a very brief fling with Joseph Stalin (F. Murray Abraham) and that Joe Welch could be Stalin's love-child. Welch was brought up accompanying his mother on her political rounds, and acquired a fondness for jack-booted women -- something which haunts him in his adult life. Double agent David Hoyle (Sam Neill) also had an affair with Joan during her one brief trip to Moscow, and his shadowy influence also follows Welch into the time of the film. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judy Davis, Sam Neill, (more)
The talented teenage son of outback farmers, Ralph dreams of becoming an American country music star. When his supportive, hard working parents hand him tickets to Nashville, he is elated and eager to embark upon the highway to stardom, but before he can, the callow Ralph must learn a few life lessons on the road to Sydney. Paying tribute to country music, this sprightly comedy follows the his adventures after he is picked up by charming crook Boyd and his moll, a stunning red head who can sing as well as her namesake Patsy Cline. Ralph's education begins after the police stop Boyd, who is carrying illegal drugs and driving a stolen Jaguar. During the struggle, Patsy escapes and Ralph ends up accused of possessing the drugs and stealing the car. Both he and Boyd end up in a local hoosegow. While in jail, Ralph is befriend by the three musically inclined Brothers Grimm. A young cop also becomes a fan of Ralph's and plays a key role in the young man's musical career in Tennessee's Music City. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Roxburgh, Miranda Otto, (more)
Guy (Richard Roxburgh), a lonely bachelor, meets the woman of his dreams in Lizzie (Cate Blanchett), an impossibly beautiful doctor with elegance, style, and sophistication. Their six-week courtship leads to marriage, and the wedding is a big one, with 100 guests and a posh reception that never ends. It's during the reception that Guy begins to have flashbacks -- and second thoughts -- about Jenny (Frances O'Connor), the free-spirited woman who was his first love and who is the opposite of Lizzie. The more he thinks about warm and fun-loving Jenny, the more he sees Lizzie as cold and remote. Although it's a little late in the game to be getting cold feet, that's exactly what Guy has.
~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Roxburgh, Cate Blanchett, (more)
Australian director Gillian Armstrong directed this Laura Jones adaptation of Peter Carey's 1988 Booker Prize-winning novel. In a lengthy flashback, Oscar Hopkins' great grandson (Geoffrey Rush) narrates the family history that led to his birth. On an Australian farm, Lucinda Leplastrier was tutored by her intelligent mother, a woman who took part in the early feminist movement. Oscar's lonely boyhood in rural England was under the watchful eye of his preacher father. At Oxford to train as a minister, the adult Oscar (Ralph Fiennes) feels he doesn't fit in and develops a passion for gambling, giving his winnings away to the poor. Oscar and Lucinda (Cate Blanchett) meet aboard a ship; he's off to the outback to work as a missionary, and she's returning from London after buying equipment for her glass factory. As mutual misfits, they have an instant attraction and quickly grow close, developing a romantic relationship based on trust. However, the Rev. Dennis Hasset (Ciarán Hinds) and Lucinda are friends, sharing an interest in glass. Convinced they are in love, Oscar embarks on an unusual and difficult task, building a glass church for the reverend, an ambitious project to attempt in the remote wilderness. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, (more)
Love, politics, and class at once bring together and tear apart an extended family in this period drama. In 1920, Ireland is in the midst of a political upheaval, as upper class Anglo-Irish Protestants are driven from the country by the nation's increasingly vocal wishes Irish Catholic majority. Sir Richard Naylor (Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady Myra (Maggie Smith) are wealthy members of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy who slowly realize the life they've known in County Cork is coming to an end. Living with the Naylors are their financially-embarrassed friends Hugo and Francie Montmorency (Lambert Wilson and Jane Birkin); Marda Norton (Fiona Shaw), another friend who was one involved with Hugo; their nephew Laurence (Jonathan Slinger), a student at Oxford; and their niece Lois (Keeley Hawes). Lois is infatuated with Gerald (David Tennat), a British officer helping to mind the Naylors' property, though Myra believes he's beneath Lois' station; however, she's also keenly attracted to Connolly (Gary Lydon), an IRA soldier who is hiding in a mill on the estate. The Last September was based on the novel by Elizabeth Bowen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, (more)
James Bogle directed this Australian psychological thriller adapted (by Bogle and Peter Rasmussen) from the novel by Tim Winton. Living on their farm for 30 years, Maurice (Ray Barrett) and Ida Stubbs (Brenda Blethyn) have never recovered from the loss of their child, smothered by a cat. Elsewhere in the valley are pregnant, spaced-out Ronnie (Miranda Otto), abandoned by her lover, and lonely misfit Laurie (Richard Roxburgh), a fan of Jim Reeves recordings. Fear brings these four together when an unknown predator starts slaughtering local livestock. Shown at the Sydney Film Festival (Opening Night). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brenda Blethyn, Ray Barrett, (more)
- 1999
Pianist, composer and archivist Percy Grainger was publicly known for a brief concert career, several interesting contemporary classical compositions, and researching and documenting a wealth of English folk music. Privately, Grainger's life was tumultuous and unconventional, as chronicled in the film Passion. Set in London in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, Percy Grainger (Richard Roxburgh) is making a name for himself as a pianist; his recitals are known for his fiery performing style and fondness for dropping non-traditional pieces into his repertoire. Percy's career is guided by his mother, Rose (Barbara Hershey). Their relationship goes far beyond the normal bounds of family or business; Percy and Rose are also lovers, with Percy satisfying Rose's sado-masochistic impulses (which are aggravated by the fact she's contacted syphilis). Percy is also attracted to Alfhild (Claudia Karvan), who is uncooperatively married to his best friend, Herman (Simon Burke). Karen (Emily Woof), a lovely piano student, is interested in being tutored by Percy; Alfhild and Herman think this is a fine idea, and surprisingly so does Rose. However, Karen soon becomes Percy's lover as well as his student, and when Rose discovers Karen is willing to satisfy Percy's erotic appetites for pain, she no longer approves of Karen's presence. The film follows Grainger's life until he moves to New York City, where he spent most of his life until committing suicide in 1961. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barbara Hershey, Richard Roxburgh, (more)
Director John Woo brings Hong Kong-style martial arts action to this comic book-flavored sequel that eschews the complicated plot and political maneuverings of its predecessor in favor of pure, adrenaline-charged thrills. Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, an operative for the top-secret government agency IMF (Impossible Missions Force). Fellow agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) has gone rogue, stealing a sample of a deadly synthetic virus named Chimera that could rapidly wipe out the world's population. Ambrose's plan is to sell Chimera to the highest bidder in exchange for shares of stock in the winner's company. Summoned by the new IMF chief (Anthony Hopkins in an uncredited cameo role), Ethan is assigned to recruit the help of Ambrose's former lover Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), a gorgeous woman who left Ambrose broken-hearted and who may be able to quickly regain his confidence. Once he meets and spends a night with Nyah, however, Ethan is smitten, and now must both capture Ambrose and keep Nyah alive as she infiltrates a nest of vipers. Sophisticated disguises, gun battles, and high-speed chases are the order of the day, very much in the James Bond mold. Mission: Impossible 2 is based on a story by Star Trek: The Next Generation writers Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga, with a script polish by Robert Towne. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, (more)
The third film from pop-music-obsessed director Baz Luhrmann tweaks the conventions of the musical genre by mixing a period romance with anachronistic dialogue and songs in the style of his previous Romeo+Juliet (1996). Ewan McGregor stars as Christian, who leaves behind his bourgeois father during the French belle époque of the late 1890s to seek his fortunes in the bohemian underworld of Montmartre, Paris. Christian meets the absinthe- and alcohol-addicted artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo), who introduces him to a world of sex, drugs, music, theater, and the scandalous dance known as the cancan, all at the Moulin Rouge, a decadent dance hall, brothel, and theater that's the brainchild of Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent). Christian also meets and falls into a tragically doomed romance with the courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman), who becomes the star of the play he's writing, which parallels the couple's romance and utilizes rock music from a century later, including songs by Nirvana, Madonna, the Beatles, and Queen, among others. Loosely based on the opera Orpheus in the Underworld, Moulin Rouge was shown in competition at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, (more)
The remarkable life and tragic death of Marilyn Monroe has fascinated film fans for decades, but this two-part TV miniseries, based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, takes an unusual approach, using dramatic license (the film announces itself as a work of fiction using the names of real people) to look inside the minds of Monroe and those around her to ponder the circumstances of her rise and fall. Young Norma Jeane Baker (Skye McCole Bartusiak) is raised by single mother Gladys (Patricia Richardson), who is unstable, uncaring, and poorly equipped to deal with the responsibilities of parenthood. As Norma Jeane grows up without a father and with little affection from her mother, she suffers from a poor self-image and craves attention; when she grows into a beautiful young woman who is unusually attractive to men, she falls into a number of romances and a short-lived marriage in search of the approval she needs so desperately. When Norma Jeane (now played by Poppy Montgomery) turns 20, she meets a photographer, Otto (Eric Bogosian), who sees star potential in her beauty. Otto's cheesecake pictures catch the eye of I.E. Shinn (Wallace Shawn), an agent who in turned introduces her to Mr. R (Richard Roxburgh), the head of a movie studio, who offers to make Norma Jeane a star -- if she would be willing to have sex with him. Norma Jeane unenthusiastically agrees, and Mr. R proves good to his word; renamed Marilyn, she becomes an major film star and an international sex symbol. But the adulation proves to be a poor substitute for the love she craves, and as she falls into relationships with any man who treats her with a modicum of respect -- including a famous baseball player (Titus Welliver) and an acclaimed author (Griffin Dunne) -- her life begins to spiral out of control. Blonde also stars Ann-Margret, Kirstie Alley, and Patrick Dempsey; the series first aired May 13 and May 16, 2001, on the CBS television network. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Poppy Montgomery, Patricia Richardson, (more)
- 2002
- PG13
Peter Pau, the oscar winning cinematographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed Tian Mai Chuanqi (The Touch). Pak Yin-fay (Michelle Yeoh) and Pak Yeuk-tong (Brandon Chang) are siblings in a family of acrobats. Bad guy Karl (Richard Roxburgh) employs gifted thief/acrobat Eric (Ben Chaplain) to steal an item created in the 1200s. Eric is successful, but the fact that he is Yin-fay's adopted brother makes his motivations less than clear. While everyone attempts to possess the item, it is Yeuk-tong who ends up with it. He and his girlfriend take off with the object, with all of the other characters in pursuit. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michelle Yeoh, Ben Chaplin, (more)
- 2002
An adaptation of the 1999 Danish film Den Eneste Ene and set in modern day Newcastle, England, this easygoing urban comedy concerns a recently widowed father attempting to start anew following the death of his spouse. Though he had been having doubts about their relationship and in particular the prospect of adopting six-year-old African orphan Mgala (Angel Thomas), kitchen fitter Neil (Richard Roxburgh) agreed to the adoption shortly before the death of his wife Sharon (Kerry Rolfe). Despite his single parent status, Neil commences to join mate Stan (Michael Hodgson) in boozing it up at the local pub. Gradually growing closer to new client Stevie (Justine Waddell) despite her failing relationship with footballer lout Sonny (Jonathan Cake), the two embark on a tentative relationship driven by their mutual dissatisfaction with their current circumstances. When Stevie discovers that she is pregnant and that Sonny has been seeing other women behind her back, she and Neil find that love has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Roxburgh, Justine Waddell, (more)
The formative years of celebrated Australian feminist Jill Ker-Conway are recounted in the two-hour TV biopic The Road From Coorain. Growing up in the Outback of New South Wales in the 1930s, Jill chafes under the domination of her mother, Eve (Juliet Stevenson), a prickly relationship that becomes even more so after the death of Jill's father. Though she grows wealthy from various investments, Eve becomes a bitter alcoholic, all but forcing Jill to go out into the world and stand on her own two feet. Drawn into the Australian intellectual renaissance of the 1940s, Jill finds her feminist values challenged when she falls in love with rough-hewn American mining engineer, Alec (Tim Guinee). First telecast in Australia on March 3, 2002, The Road From Coorain was seen in America as an episode of the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre on May 13, of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson
Probably the most filmed of all Sherlock Holmes stories, Arthur Conan Doyle's 1901 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles was given another go-round with this BBC television production. Richard Roxburgh, best known as the libidinous nobleman in the 2001 theatrical feature Moulin Rouge, is cast as The Great Detective, with Ian Hart as Holmes' friend, assistant and chronicler Dr. John Watson. The game is afoot when Holmes and Watson head to gloomy Baskerville Manor near the forbidding Grimpen Moor, the new home of young Sir Henry Baskerville (Matt Day). A number of curious events have led the detectives to the conclusion that Sir Henry's life is in danger -- that, in fact, he may at any time be torn asunder by a gigantic, vicious hound. Is this the fulfillment of "The Baskerville Curse," brought about by villainous debauchery of Sir Henry's ancestor, or is the would-be murderer a human being, using the legend of the Hound as a smoke-screen? Taking quite a few liberties with the original, The Hound of the Baskervilles was a nonetheless entertaining "shorthand" version of the Doyle classic. Making its British broadcast debut on December 26, 2002, the film was curiously premiered over Canadian television some five weeks earlier, on November 18. In the United States, The Hound of the Baskervilles was first seen as part of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre anthology on January 19, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Roxburgh, Ian Hart, (more)
- 2003
- PG13
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Based on the comic book miniseries by Alan Moore, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen takes place in an alternate universe where the characters of several literary classics exist in reality. As if that weren't enough, they've been assembled together in 1900 by Queen Victoria as a team of evil-fighting heroes. Among them are Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery) from H. Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines; Mina Harker (Peta Wilson) from Bram Stoker's Dracula; Tom Sawyer (Shane West) from several works by Mark Twain; Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend) from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray; Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah) from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; The Invisible Man (Tony Curran) from H.G. Wells book of the same name; and several others. Working together, the odd assortment of characters must combine their powers to defeat a mysterious villain and save the world from certain destruction. Directed by Stephen Norrington (Blade), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen also stars Jason Flemyng, Tom Goodman-Hill, and David Hemmings. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Connery, Shane West, (more)
The greatest monster hunter of them all has his work cut out for him as he tracks down three deadly foes in this action-adventure saga. Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) is a man who has dedicated his life to battling evil forces who exist outside the bounds of nature; Van Helsing's work has not always made him friends, and a false accusation of murder still trails him. But when he's summoned to Transylvania at the behest of Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), whose family has been fighting supernatural beings for generations, Van Helsing wastes no time answering her call. There, Van Helsing discovers that the undying vampire Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) has put a misshapen creature named Igor (Kevin J. O'Connor) under his spell, and, in turn, has forged an alliance with a hideous monster (Shuler Hensley) who was created by the misguided Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Samuel West). Adding to Anna's burden is her brother, Velkan (Will Kemp), a lycanthrope who becomes a bloodthirsty wolf under the light of the full moon. Van Helsing also co-stars Elena Anaya, Silvia Colloca, and Josie Maran as Dracula's vampire brides. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, (more)
A malevolent supernatural force besets a dilapidated children's hospital on the Isle of Man, terrifying the young patients and breaking their bones in this supernatural thriller from Spanish horror specialist Jaume Balagueró (The Nameless, [REC]). Mercy Falls Hospital has been in operation for nearly a hundred years, but now the authorities have declared it unfit for human inhabitation. As a result, the time has come for the hospital to close. But just as the helicopters arrive to transport the children to a new facility, bad weather forces them to remain grounded. Later, as Nurse Amy (Calista Flockhart) tends to her young charges, the children's bones begin to fracture for no apparent reason. Though the doctors remain baffled by the inexplicable injuries, the children sense something that the grown-ups do not. Somewhere in these crumbling corridors lurks a force of darkness consumed by pain, and filled with hatred. The children have dubbed it "The Mechanical Girl," and they claim to have stolen glimpses of it sobbing in the shadows. In order to banish the spirit and save the children, one brave soul will have to summon the courage to face a force powerful enough to cause physical damage, yet so fragile it might be completely destroyed by the slightest touch. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Calista Flockhart, Richard Roxburgh, (more)
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