Leon Ford is an Australian actor who has appeared in many television and theatre productions.[1] He is best known for his roles in the television series The Cooks, Changi and the telemovie Stepfather of the Bride.
Leon Willem Ford | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 December 1974 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation(s) | Actor Director Writer Author |
| Known for | The Cooks Changi The Pacific The Great Raid Ten Pound Poms Elvis |
| Partner | Alice Bell |
Early life
Ford attended Telopea Park School and Narrabundah College in Canberra, Australia.
Career
Film & television
Ford portrayed 1st Lieutenant Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones in the Emmy award-winning HBO miniseries The Pacific, which follows the story of World War II Marines through different battles of the Pacific theater of war.
He has also appeared in many other television series and films including All Saints, East West 101 and McLeod's Daughters, the 2005 movie The Great Raid and voiced a character in the 2008 stop motion animated movie $9.99. He recently appeared in the joint BBC and Stan production Ten Pound Poms and Baz Luhrmann's feature film Elvis.
Stage
Stage roles include playing pious charlatan Tartuffe in the 2014 Bell Shakespeare version of Tartuffe, based on the French play originally written by Molière.
Directing/writing
In addition to acting, Ford is both a director and screenwriter. In 2010, Ford notably wrote and directed the movie Griff the Invisible, starring Ryan Kwanten as a man who is bullied by his coworkers during the day, but a superhero by night. The film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it was well received by audiences and critics. Ford attended Binger Filmlab in 2008, where he developed short film The Mechanicals.[2]
Author
Ford is also an accomplished author. In 2009, penned "What Doesn't Kill You", the story of a man waking up to find that, instead of the ideal life he'd been living, everything has gone horribly wrong overnight. He wakes up in the wrong house, his wife doesn't love him anymore, he no longer has a job, one of his friends betrayed him in the worst possible way and his car exploded.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Water Rats | First Probationer | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Changi | as Young Bill Dwyer | Miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 2001/08 | All Saints | Ian Neal / Patrick Foster | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Young Lions | Josef Pozinak | 1 episode |
| 2002 | McLeod's Daughters | Mick Woodland | 1 episode |
| 2002 | BackBerner | Blair Fife | 1 episode |
| 2004-05 | The Cooks | Dishpig | 13 episodes |
| 2005 | The Great Raid | American POW at Palawan | Miniseries |
| 2005 | Hex | Max Risen | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Tsunami: The Aftermath | Joe Meddler | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2007 | East West 101 | John Duff | 1 episode |
| 2009 | My Place | Vernon | 1 episode |
| 2010 | The Pacific | 1st Lt. Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones | Miniseries. 3 episodes |
| 2012 | Monday Bites | ||
| 2013 | Offspring | Dean | 1 episode |
| 2014 | The Moodys | Gavin | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 2012-14 | Puberty Blues | Mr Candy | 8 episodes |
| 2014 | ANZAC Girls | Major John Prior | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Devil's Playground | Brother Warren | Miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 2015 | House of Hancock | Alan Camp | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Gallipoli | Charles Bean | Miniseries, 7 episodes |
| 2017-19 | The Letdown | Ruben | 11 episodes |
| 2022 | God's Favourite Idiot | Reverend Milton Throp | 6 episodes |
| 2023 | Ten Pound Poms | Bill Anderson | 6 episodes |
Film
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Lost Things | Gary | Feature film |
| 2004 | Go Big | Lars Foster | TV movie |
| 2006 | The Last Chip | Croupier Craig | Short film |
| 2006 | Glitch | Norton | Short film |
| 2006 | Stepfather of the Bride | Lachlan | TV movie |
| 2008 | Emerald Falls | Callum Peterson | TV movie |
| 2008 | $9.99 | Stanton (voice) | Animated feature film |
| 2010 | Beneath Hill 60 | Lieutenant Robert Clayton | Feature film |
| 2012 | The Great Raid | American POW at Palawan | TV movie |
| 2012 | Mabo | Henry Reynolds | TV movie |
| 2012 | Julian | Mr Braybon | Short film |
| 2013 | Things We Do For Love | Evan | Short film |
| 2015 | Ruben Guthrie | Dimitri | Feature film |
| 2016 | Comedy Showroom: The Letdown | Ruben | TV movie |
| 2016 | The Light Between Oceans | Franz Johannes Roennfeldt | Feature film |
| 2020 | Rams | De Vries | Feature film |
| 2022 | Elvis | Tom Diskin | Feature film |
Writing/directing
Television
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Life Support | Writer | 4 episodes |
| 2010-11 | Rush | Writer | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | Monday Bites | Writer/director | |
| 2012 | House Husbands | Writer | Season 1, episode 8 |
| 2012-17 | Offspring | Writer | 10 episodes |
| 2015 | No Activity | Writer | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Squinters | Writer | Miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 2018 | Wanted | Writer | 1 episode |
| 2019-20 | Upright | Creator/writer | 8 episodes |
| 2021-23 | Love Me | Writer/producer | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
Film
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Big Date | Writer/director/producer | Short film |
| 2005 | The Mechanicals | Writer/director | Short film |
| 2006 | Glitch | Writer/director | Short film |
| 2007 | Katoomba | Writer/director | Short film |
| 2010 | Griff the Invisible | Writer/director | Feature film |
| 2016 | Young Labor | Director/editor | Short film |
| 2023 | The Portable Door | Writer | Feature film |
Stage
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Hamlet | Green Room Awards | Best Male Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated |
| 2006 | The Mechanicals | St. Kilda Film Festival | Best Short Film (Comedy) | Won |
| 2007 | Katoomba | Sydney Film Festival | Best Australian Short Film (Dendy Award) | Won |
| 2007 | Katoomba | AFI Awards | Best Screenplay in a Short Film | Nominated |
| 2008 | Katoomba | St. Kilda Film Festival | Best Film | Won |
| 2008 | Katoomba | St. Kilda Film Festival | Best Director | Won |
| 2008 | IF Awards | Best Rising Talent | Won | |
| 2011 | Griff the Invisible | Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival | Best Feature Film | Nominated |
| 2012 | Griff the Invisible | AACTA Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Won |
| 2015 | Offspring (episode 5.10) | AWGIE Awards | Best Television Series | Nominated |
| 2019 | Day Six | AWGIE Awards | Comedy Award — Situation or Narrative | Nominated |
| 2020 | Upright (episode) | AWGIE Awards | Best Situation or Narrative Comedy Screenplay | Nominated |
| 2020 | Upright | AACTA Awards | Best Television Comedy Series | Won |
| 2022 | Love Me | AACTA Awards | Best Television Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2022 | Love Me | Logie Awards | Logie Award for Most Outstanding Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2022 | Love Me | Logie Awards | Most Popular Drama Program | Nominated |
| 2023 | Elvis | CinEuphoria Awards | Best Ensemble - International Competition | Nominated |
Personal life
Ford first met his wife Alice Bell at the Old Fitzroy Hotel in 2006 while appearing in Josh Lawson’s play Shakespearealism. Alice wrote a part for him in Puberty Blues.
Ford moved from Sydney to Los Angeles in 2018 with his wife and their three children, in order for Alice to work on The Expats, a U.S. series she was the writer and creator of (produced by Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films).[6]