Alex Dimitriades
Encyclopedia
Alex Dimitriades is a Greek Australian
film and television actor.
. His parents divorced when he was twelve.
.
Dimitriades played the protagonist Ari in the Ana Kokkinos
film Head On
(1998). Dimitriades' performance in the role was critically acclaimed and earned him an AFI Award
nomination. He appeared in the Australian comedies Let's Get Skase
(2001) and La Spagnola
(2001). He has had roles in the Hollywood
films Ghost Ship (2002) and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
(2005). He also starred in the Greek film (To Gamilio Party) (English Title "(Bang Bang Wedding)"; 2008). In his latest film, Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos
(opened on 20 May 2010) he stars as Mihali, a smooth talking, immaculately dressed Mykonos mogul. He has recently completed shooting the film Summer Code starring alongside Rachael Taylor.
, he starred in the movie's television spin-off, Heartbreak High
, in which he played Nick Poulos. He then set off to play an underworld figure, Warren Lanfranchi, in the 1995 drama television series Blue Murder
. In 1997, he had a role in the police drama Wildside
In 2002, he appeared in Young Lions
. In years to follow, he had small guest roles in the Australian soap
Neighbours
and the science fiction
series Farscape
. In 2008, Dimitriades played assassin Victor Brincat (known as Mr. T in the show) in TV drama Underbelly
.
He features in the TV adaptation of Christos Tsiolkas' novel The Slap
, which premiered on ABC1
in October 2011.
for Griffin Theatre Company
, The Woman with Dog's Eyes
(2004) and The Emperor of Sydney
(2006). He has also starred in The Nightwatchman (2007) and Rainman alongside Daniel Mitchell (May, 2010). .
Greek Australian
Greeks are the seventh-largest ethnic group in Australia, after those declaring their ancestry simply as "Australian". In the 2006 census, 365,147 persons declared having Greek ancestry, either alone or in conjunction with another ethnicity....
film and television actor.
Early life
Dimitriades was born in Sydney, the son of first generation Greek immigrants and is the youngest of three siblings (He has a brother, George, and a sister, Melinda). He grew up in the suburb of EarlwoodEarlwood, New South Wales
Earlwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Earlwood is located 12 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury...
. His parents divorced when he was twelve.
Film
Dimitriades began his career in the 1993 Australian film The Heartbreak KidThe Heartbreak Kid (1993 film)
The Heartbreak Kid is a 1993 Australian film starring Claudia Karvan and Alex Dimitriades, which was based on a play of the same name by Richard Barrett and first performed by Griffin Theatre Company...
.
Dimitriades played the protagonist Ari in the Ana Kokkinos
Ana Kokkinos
Ana Kokkinos is an Australian film director. Kokkinos was born in Melbourne and prior to her career in film, she worked as an industrial lawyer...
film Head On
Head On (1998 film)
Head On is a 1998 award-winning Australian film directed by Ana Kokkinos. Based on the acclaimed novel Loaded written by Christos Tsiolkas, it stars Alex Dimitriades as a young gay man of Greek descent, living in the inner city of Melbourne. The film gained notoriety upon its release for its sexual...
(1998). Dimitriades' performance in the role was critically acclaimed and earned him an AFI Award
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
nomination. He appeared in the Australian comedies Let's Get Skase
Let's Get Skase
Let's Get Skase is a 2001 Australian comedy starring Lachy Hulme, Alex Dimitriades, Craig McLachlan and Bill Kerr. It is based on the life of failed Australian businessman Christopher Skase, who after the collapse of his Qintex business, fled to Majorca, Spain. Skase died at around the time of the...
(2001) and La Spagnola
La Spagnola
La Spagnola is a 2001 Australian film directed by Steve Jacobs. It was Australia's submission to the 74th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.-See also:*Cinema of Australia...
(2001). He has had roles in the Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
films Ghost Ship (2002) and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo is the 2005 sequel to the 1999 film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, from Happy Madison Productions. Rob Schneider returns in the role of a male prostitute Deuce Bigalow who visits his former pimp T.J...
(2005). He also starred in the Greek film (To Gamilio Party) (English Title "(Bang Bang Wedding)"; 2008). In his latest film, Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos
Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos
The Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos is a 2010 Australian motion picture comedy sequel to the 2000 film The Wog Boy, starring Nick Giannopoulos, Vince Colosimo and Costas Kilias. It was released in Australia on 20 May 2010 and UK on 7 January 2011.-Plot:...
(opened on 20 May 2010) he stars as Mihali, a smooth talking, immaculately dressed Mykonos mogul. He has recently completed shooting the film Summer Code starring alongside Rachael Taylor.
Television
After making his acting career in the film The Heartbreak KidThe Heartbreak Kid (1993 film)
The Heartbreak Kid is a 1993 Australian film starring Claudia Karvan and Alex Dimitriades, which was based on a play of the same name by Richard Barrett and first performed by Griffin Theatre Company...
, he starred in the movie's television spin-off, Heartbreak High
Heartbreak High
Heartbreak High is an Australian television series that ran for seven years from 1994 to 1999. The series dealt with the students of Hartley High, a tough high school in a multi-racial area of Sydney, and proved to be a more gritty and fast-paced show than many of its contemporaries...
, in which he played Nick Poulos. He then set off to play an underworld figure, Warren Lanfranchi, in the 1995 drama television series Blue Murder
Blue Murder (mini-series)
Blue Murder is a two-part Australian television miniseries produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1995, and is based on true events. Given its confronting content, the DVD release was classified MA 15+...
. In 1997, he had a role in the police drama Wildside
Wildside (TV drama)
Wildside is an Australian police procedural television series broadcast on the ABC from 1997 to 1999.The show consisted of a one hour format that followed police interactions in inner Sydney. It starred Rachael Blake, Tony Martin, Richard Carter and Alex Dimitriades...
In 2002, he appeared in Young Lions
Young Lions (TV series)
Young Lions was an Australian TV police drama broadcast on the Nine Network in 2002 and in Ireland on RTÉ Two.The series was based around the professional and private lives of four rookie detectives, the Young Lions, of South West 101, an inner city Sydney police station.The program rated poorly...
. In years to follow, he had small guest roles in the Australian soap
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
and the science fiction
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Farscape
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
. In 2008, Dimitriades played assassin Victor Brincat (known as Mr. T in the show) in TV drama Underbelly
Underbelly (TV series)
Underbelly is a 13-part Australian television mini-series that retells the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne, and is the first series in the larger Underbelly Franchise. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival,...
.
He features in the TV adaptation of Christos Tsiolkas' novel The Slap
The Slap (TV series)
The Slap is an Australian television drama series produced by Matchbox Pictures for ABC1, screening each Thursday night at 8:30pm in October and November 2011 - repeats air the following night each week on ABC2...
, which premiered on ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
in October 2011.
Theatre
Dimitriades has also appeared in many theatre productions, including two plays by Louis NowraLouis Nowra
Louis Nowra is an Australian writer, playwright, screenwriter and librettist.He is best known as one of Australia's leading playwrights...
for Griffin Theatre Company
Griffin Theatre Company
Griffin Theatre Company is an Australian theatre specialising in new writing. It is the resident theatre company at the SBW Stables Theatre in Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia...
, The Woman with Dog's Eyes
The Woman with Dog's Eyes
The Woman with Dog's Eyes is a play by the Australian writer Louis Nowra. It is the first part of the Boyce trilogy written for the Griffin Theatre Company at the behest of its Artistic Director David Berthold. The other two plays are The Marvellous Boy and The Emperor of Sydney...
(2004) and The Emperor of Sydney
The Emperor of Sydney
The Emperor of Sydney is a play by Australian playwright Louis Nowra, the third part of the Boyce trilogy following The Woman with Dog's Eyes and The Marvellous Boy...
(2006). He has also starred in The Nightwatchman (2007) and Rainman alongside Daniel Mitchell (May, 2010). .