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Famed Australian Indigenous Actor David Gulpilil Dies at 68

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5 years ago

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David Gulpilil poses on the red carpet at the 2015 AFI AACTA Awards at the Star in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. Gulpilil has died of lung cancer, a government leader said on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. He was 68 years old. (Nikki Short/AAP Image via AP)

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

Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs Presents ‘HYPE HAIR’ Exhibit by Peppermint Sandy in Downtown Orlando

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2 weeks ago

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June 8, 2026

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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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Entertainment

USF Credit Union Named Presenting Sponsor of ‘Rainbow To Your Door’ With $5,000 Challenge Match Grant

Published

3 weeks ago

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June 1, 2026

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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — The production team behind Rainbow To Your Door announced that USF Credit Union has joined the upcoming theatrical production as its Presenting Sponsor, accompanied by a $5,000 Challenge Match Grant aimed at encouraging community support and helping fully fund the project.

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to arts, education, and community engagement across Central Florida. Organizers say the challenge grant will match community contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000, helping expand public access and educational opportunities connected to the production.

Original Play Celebrates Florida’s Artistic Legacy

Rainbow To Your Door is an original stage production written by Los Angeles-based playwright Kenneth Brown. The play is inspired by the historic friendship and artistic exchange between acclaimed author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston and artist Jules André Smith.

Set in 1938 at the historic Maitland Art Center, the production explores the challenges, triumphs, and purpose of artists navigating a rapidly changing world while preserving their creative voices.

“This partnership represents more than sponsorship. It is an investment in storytelling, culture, and preserving the legacy of artistic voices that helped shape Florida’s creative identity,” Brown said. “We are incredibly grateful to USF Credit Union for believing in this vision and helping us create meaningful community impact through the arts.”

Challenge Match Campaign Aims to Fully Fund Production

As part of the sponsorship, USF Credit Union will provide a $5,000 Challenge Match Grant to encourage community participation and charitable giving. Production organizers say that once the matching goal is reached, Rainbow To Your Door will be fully funded.

Donations generated through the campaign will support expanded accessibility initiatives, educational programming, community outreach, and audience engagement efforts associated with the production.

“USF Credit Union is proud to support initiatives that enrich the communities we serve,” said Rick Skaggs, CEO of USF Credit Union. “Rainbow To Your Door reflects the power of culture, education, and the arts to inspire meaningful conversations and strengthen community connections.”

Production Scheduled for October 2026

Media relations and promotional efforts for the production are being coordinated by Fierce Entertainment.

Rainbow To Your Door is scheduled for Oct. 10–11, 2026, at the Timucua Arts Foundation in Orlando.

Additional information regarding ticket sales, sponsorship opportunities, and the community challenge campaign will be announced in the coming weeks.

Media Contact:
Rob Henlon
Fierce Entertainment
rob@alwaysfierce.com

For sponsorship information and production updates, visit Rainbow To Your Door.

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Central Florida News

FNN Honors Teen Reporter Isabella Schmitt as She Graduates and Pursues Communications Degree

Published

1 month ago

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May 15, 2026

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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Florida National News proudly celebrates Isabella Schmitt as she marks an important milestone with her high school graduation and prepares to begin an exciting new chapter pursuing Communications in college.

Over the years, Isabella has represented the next generation of young voices with professionalism, creativity, determination, and passion.

Through reporting opportunities, community involvement, and media experiences, she has continued to shine both on and off camera while inspiring others through her dedication and work ethic.

Jenny Rosario, Vice President of Florida National News, praised Isabella’s accomplishments and bright future ahead.

“Watching Isabella grow both personally and professionally has been truly inspiring,” Rosario said. “She represents the future of journalism, communications, and storytelling. Her passion, confidence, and commitment to making a positive impact through media are remarkable, and we are incredibly proud of all she has accomplished.”

Rosario added that Isabella’s decision to pursue Communications in college is a natural next step for someone with such strong talent and determination.

“The world of media and communications needs more young voices like Isabella’s,” Rosario said. “We know this is only the beginning of many great accomplishments to come.”

Florida National News congratulates Isabella Schmitt and the entire Class of 2026 on this exciting achievement.

“Keep dreaming big and telling stories that matter,” Rosario added.

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