Entertainment
Famed Australian Indigenous Actor David Gulpilil Dies at 68
Published
5 years agoon
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s most acclaimed Indigenous actor, David Gulpilil, has died of lung cancer, a government leader said on Monday. He was 68 years old.
Gulpilil found his widest audiences with his roles in the 1986 hit film “Crocodile Dundee” and in director Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 epic “Australia” in a career that spanned five decades. He was often described as a bridge between Indigenous Australia and the outside world who never fit comfortably in either place.
“It is with deep sadness that I share with the people of South Australia the passing of an iconic, once-in-a-generation artist who shaped the history of Australian film and Aboriginal representation on screen,” South Australia state Premier Steven Marshall said.
An accomplished didgeridoo player, Gulpilil mixed with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley. He was feted in New York and Paris. He also spent periods of his life as an itinerant drinking and sleeping in parks in the northern Australian city of Darwin and stints in prison for alcohol-fueled offenses.
Gulpilil was born on tribal land in the sparsely populated wilds of the Australian northern frontier in the early 1950s, his friend and caregiver Mary Hood said. His date of birth was recorded as July 1, 1953, a guesswork date set by local missionaries.
First contacts between Indigenous Australians and the outside world were becoming rare but continued in the remote Outback for another 30 years from the time of Gulpilil’s birth. Family groups followed in nomadic traditions unaware their land had been colonized by Britain two centuries earlier.
Gulpilil said he never saw a European Australian until he was 8 years old and considered English his sixth language, his biographer Derek Rielly wrote. The other 13 were Indigenous dialects. Gulpilil’s Christian name was foisted upon him at school.
Gulpilil was a 16-year-old ceremonial dancer performing in the Indigenous mission of Maningrida in 1969 when he met British director Nicolas Roeg, who was scouting for filming locations. Gulpilil starred in Roeg’s acclaimed 1971 movie “Walkabout” as a lone youth wandering the Outback as part of a tribal rite of passage, who comes across and rescues two lost British children. The British siblings were played by a teenage Jenny Agutter, who later found fame in Hollywood, and the director’s 7-year-old son, Lucien.
Roles followed in popular movies “Storm Boy” in 1976 and “The Last Wave” in 1977.
His final role was the remake of “Storm Boy” in 2019, in which he played the father of the central character in the original, Fingerbone Bill.
Gulpilil recalled learning to binge on alcohol and drugs from counter-culture icon Dennis Hopper, who played the starring role in the 1976 movie about a nineteenth-century Australian outlaw, “Mad Dog Morgan.” The 22-year-old Indigenous actor had third billing on the film after Hopper and Jack Thompson, a stalwart in Australian cinema.
Gulpilil won multiple best-actor awards for the 2002 Rolf de Herr-directed movie “The Tracker,” in which he played one of the many Indigenous men that Australian police routinely used as trackers of fugitives in the Outback.
Weeks before the movie was released, journalists visited him in the small Indigenous community of Ramingining on his crocodile-infested tropical tribal land. He was living in a hut with his then-partner, Indigenous painter Robyn Djunginy, without power or running water.
They cooked kangaroo meat and fish over an open fire beneath a scrap iron roof. Hunting spears were slung from a rafter and Gulpilil kept a wooden Indigenous fighting club known as a nulla nulla for self-protection.
“I was brought up in a tin shed. I wandered all over the world — Paris, New York — now I’m back in a tin shed,” Gulpilil said.
He presented himself as a victim of his own celebrity and his own people’s misunderstanding of his position in the wider world.
“People say to me: You’re a big name. You have money. Why don’t you buy yourself a house; get out of Ramingining?” he said.
“This is my country. I belong here, and I’m broke,” he added.
Exactly why he was broke was not clear. He was vague about how much he earned over the years, and wealth in Australian Indigenous society is communal, tending to permeate through relatives and friends.
Back then, Gulpilil liked to drink beer, smoke marijuana and take kava. But because all three were banned in Ramingining, he avoided some of the temptations of city life excesses.
Gulpilil’s friend and caregiver, Hood, first met him in 2006 at the Darwin premiere of “Ten Canoes,” the first feature-length movie in an Australian Indigenous language.
Gulpilil narrated the movie and his son, Jamie Gulpilil, was part of the cast that was mostly drawn from Ramingining.
“When I first met him, I saw a real kindness,” Hood said. She acknowledged there was also a “dark” side.
A Darwin judge sentenced Gulpilil in 2011 to a year in prison for breaking the arm of his then-partner, indigenous artist Miriam Ashley, during a drunken argument in a Darwin home. He used his time in prison to turn his life away from alcohol and cannabis.
Hood regularly visited Gulpilil in prison. He was released to live with her and, for a time, Ashley at Hood’s Darwin home while on parole. He eventually followed Hood to Murray Bridge in South Australia state, 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) from Ramingining and his traditional country.
Hood became his caregiver after he was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in 2017.
He is survived by his sisters Mary and Evonne, daughters Makia and Phoebe, and sons Jamie and Jida. Director Peter Weir said during an interview in New York in 1977 while promoting his supernatural thriller “The Last Wave” that Gulpilil had created untold personal tensions by straddling two disparate cultures.
“He’s enigmatic. He’s an actor, a dancer, a musician. He’s a tribal man, initiated in the tribal ways,” Weir said. “He has a foot in both cultures. It’s an enormous strain on the man.”
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Central Florida News
Dr. Phillips Center Generates $227.6 Million Annual Economic Impact, Supports Nearly 2,500 Central Florida Jobs
Published
4 days agoon
July 30, 2026
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts generated $227.6 million in annual economic impact, supporting 2,483 jobs and producing $13.2 million in state and local tax revenue, according to a newly released independent study by Tourism Economics.
The analysis, conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company specializing in economic impact and tourism research, measured the direct, indirect and induced economic activity generated by the arts center’s operations, performances, visitors and related spending throughout Central Florida.
The findings underscore the Dr. Phillips Center’s role as both a premier performing arts destination and a major contributor to the region’s economy.
“For more than a decade, we’ve seen firsthand how the arts inspire people, bring communities together and create lasting value,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. “This study confirms that our impact reaches far beyond our stages—supporting thousands of jobs, driving business growth, attracting visitors from around the world and helping position Central Florida as a more vibrant, competitive and connected region.”
Economic Impact by the Numbers
According to the Tourism Economics report, the Dr. Phillips Center generated:
- $227.6 million in annual economic output
- 2,483 jobs supported across Central Florida
- $70.8 million in total labor income in Orange County
- $13.2 million in state and local tax revenue
- $73.1 million in off-site spending by event attendees, performers and production crews
- 61,600 hotel room nights generated annually
The study highlights the ripple effect created by visitors attending performances, benefiting nearby hotels, restaurants, retailers and other local businesses.
A Global Destination for Arts and Entertainment
Now in its 11th year, the Dr. Phillips Center welcomes more than 910,000 guests annually, attracting visitors from all 50 states and more than 80 countries.
Since opening in 2014, the venue has hosted:
- More than 6.2 million guests
- More than 6,200 performances and events
- Programming presented 99% of the year
- Venue occupancy rates ranging from 82% to 97%
The center has become one of the world’s busiest performing arts destinations while helping position downtown Orlando as a leading hub for arts, culture and entertainment.
Community Investment Beyond the Stage
In addition to its economic impact, the Dr. Phillips Center continues investing in arts education, community outreach and cultural programming throughout Central Florida.
According to the organization, it has:
- Served 935,920 students and community participants
- Supported and hosted 202 regional arts organizations
- Received support from 24,085 donors
- Benefited from $256 million in philanthropic contributions since its inception
Through partnerships with schools, nonprofit organizations, community groups and touring productions, the center continues to expand access to the performing arts while strengthening the region’s cultural and economic vitality.
Looking Ahead
Eleven years after opening, the Dr. Phillips Center continues to demonstrate that investment in arts and culture produces measurable returns through tourism, employment, education and community engagement.
As Central Florida continues to grow, the independent analysis reinforces the performing arts center’s importance as both a cultural landmark and an economic engine for the region.
Additional information about the economic impact study is available through the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Entertainment
Blue Man Group Orlando Launches $25 Kids Ticket Offer at ICON Park Through Dec. 31
Published
4 weeks agoon
July 6, 2026
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Families can enjoy Blue Man Group Orlando for less this summer and fall thanks to a new ticket promotion that allows children to attend performances for $25 with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket.
The limited-time offer is available for online purchases through Dec. 31, 2026, making one of Orlando’s newest live entertainment attractions more affordable for families.
Special Kids Ticket Offer
Under the promotion, guests who purchase a full-priced adult ticket may purchase a children’s ticket for $25.
The offer is valid for performances:
- Monday through Thursday
- Fridays at 5 p.m.
The promotion is not valid for:
- Saturday performances
- Sunday performances
- Fridays at 8 p.m.
New Orlando Production at ICON Park
Blue Man Group opened its new resident production at ICON Park in May inside a custom-built theater located along Orlando’s International Drive entertainment district.
The production blends music, comedy, technology and audience participation, while featuring many of the signature moments fans expect from Blue Man Group alongside new material created exclusively for the Orlando production.
Global Entertainment Phenomenon
Since debuting in 1991 at New York’s Astor Place Theatre, Blue Man Group has entertained more than 50 million people worldwide through resident productions and international tours.
The show continues to expand with performances in Orlando, Las Vegas, touring productions across North America and an upcoming tour in Japan.
Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.
Central Florida News
Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs Presents ‘HYPE HAIR’ Exhibit by Peppermint Sandy in Downtown Orlando
Published
2 months agoon
June 8, 2026
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs will present “HYPE HAIR,” a new exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Peppermint Sandy, in the Atrium Gallery at the Orange County Administration Center in downtown Orlando.
The exhibit will be on display from June 11 through June 25, 2026, showcasing Sandy’s wearable sculptures and mixed-media works that explore beauty, fashion, culture, and identity through the lens of Black hair and lived experiences.
Opening Reception Scheduled June 11
An opening reception will be held Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Orange County Administration Center.
- Doors open at 5 p.m.
- Program begins at 5:45 p.m.
- Admission is free
- Advance registration is requested
Exploring Beauty, Culture and Identity
Peppermint Sandy is a multidisciplinary artist whose work incorporates fabric, hair, textiles, and mixed media to examine cultural and societal perceptions of beauty, fashion, and personal identity.
“HYPE HAIR is a series of wearable sculptures inspired by not just my relationship with Black hair, but a dedication and love letter to all Black women and girls everywhere with our hair as well,” Sandy said. “From the beginning of time, Black hair is not only art, but a form of communication.”
The exhibition highlights the artistic, historical, and cultural significance of Black hair while celebrating self-expression and identity through contemporary art.
Exhibit Information
The exhibition will remain on display through June 25, 2026, in the Atrium Gallery at the Orange County Administration Center, located at 201 S. Rosalind Ave. in downtown Orlando.
The Administration Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
The exhibit is presented by Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs as part of its ongoing commitment to showcasing diverse artistic voices and cultural perspectives throughout Central Florida.
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