15 Australians who conquered Hollywood

Nicole is truly the woman of the moment, with her recent run of incredible projects solidifying her as one of the greatest actresses of her generation.

While the 57-year-old grew up in Sydney, she was actually born in Hawaii when her parents were living there on student visas.

In Sydney, she attended theatre classes alongside another Aussie icon, Naomi Watts, until she started to make a name for herself with BMX Bandits in 1983 and the miniseries Vietnam in 1987.

Her international breakout role came with 1989’s Dead Calm, co-starring Billy Zane, and she moved to Hollywood for good when she landed the role on Days of Thunder. It was on this film set that she met her future husband, Tom Cruise.

 Nicole is now one of the most recognisable actresses in the world and is beloved by Australians nationwide for her talent and humble approach.

She also married a fellow Aussie, Keith Urban, confirming their status as the country’s royal couple. While they don’t live Down Under, they do own a beautiful property just south of Sydney in the countryside, and a slew of apartments in the popular city.

Chris is another of Australia’s most popular exports, rising to fame with his breakout role in 2011 as the Norse god of thunder, Thor, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before that, the brawny star grew up between Melbourne and the Outback Northern Territory.

“Certainly, most of my childhood was in Melbourne, but probably my most vivid memories were up there [in the Northern Territory] with crocodiles and buffalo. Very different walks of life,” he told Film Festival Traveller in 2011.

He started his career with several minor local roles, like Neighbours and The Saddle Club, before clinching a three-year contract on the hit soap opera Home and Away. 

After a small role in Star Trek in 2009, which garnered him critical acclaim, Chris moved to Hollywood to follow his dreams and almost immediately landed a role alongside Sean Bean in Ca$h. He was picked out for his famous superhero role in 2011, and the rest is history.

Despite his astronomical success, the father of three decided to move his family back to Australia in 2015 to live a quieter lifestyle away from the glitz and glamour of LA.

Chris and his wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, built a multi-million dollar house overlooking the ocean in the beautiful Byron Bay.  While he still jets back to Hollywood for work from time to time, Chris prefers the Australian coast’s laid-back vibe.

We couldn’t put Nicole on this list without adding her husband, beloved country music star Keith Urban. Keith was actually born in New Zealand; his family moved to a coastal town north of Brisbane, Queensland, when he was two years old.

The Grammy winner slowly made a name for himself in the local country music scene before conquering the rest of Australia and touring with the iconic singer Slim Dusty.

He made the move to Nashville in 1992, determined to become a star — and a star he became upon the release of his 1999 self-titled American debut album, which included hits like ‘But for the Grace of God’.

Keith met fellow Australian Nicole Kidman at the G’Day USA Gala in 2005, an event honouring Australians in Hollywood. They fell in love and married a year later, and have since welcomed daughters Sunday and Faith. 

Most recently, the country crooner was inducted into the Roll of Renown at the Golden Guitar Awards in Tamworth, Australia, where he was recognised for his incredible contribution to both local and international country music.

“Keith’s influence on the global country music scene is ongoing and immeasurable,” said the Golden Guitar Awards executive producer, Peter Ross. “His journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and talent.”

The blonde bombshell has firmly earned her spot on this list  thanks to her incredible range and the significant impact she has made on the film industry. Margot was born in country Queensland and grew up on the Gold Coast amid the surf culture; she acted in minor roles during high school and got a job on the hit Aussie soap Neighbours in 2008.

While she was only slated for a guest appearance, Margot solidified her spot on the show and became a beloved cast member until her exit in 2011.

 She moved to Hollywood around this time to start her international career and snagged a role on the short-lived ABC show Pan Am. It wasn’t until her breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street in 2011 alongside Leonardo Di Caprio — at just 22 years old — that she shot to international stardom. 

She became a fan favourite after playing DC antihero Harley Quinn in 2016 and gained recognition for her incredible acting and producing chops with 2023’s Barbie. The film grossed $1.45 billion as of May 2024, making it the biggest debut for a movie directed by a woman.

Not only that, but the film became a cultural touchpoint in 2023 and influenced fashion, pop culture, music, film, and so much more.

While she lives in London now with her husband, Tom Ackerley, the pair got married in Byron Bay in 2016 and own a property in the beachside town.

Arguably the biggest heartthrob on this list is Jacob Elordi, who has proved that he might just have the acting talent to rival his biggest acting inspiration and fellow Aussie, Heath Ledger. 

Jacob was born and raised in Brisbane and credits The Dark Knight star for sparking his love of acting. After being involved in local theatre productions in high school, he moved to Melbourne to study performance and then made the big leap to Hollywood in 2017 at just 19 years old.

He nabbed a role almost immediately upon arriving in LA in Netflix’s hit romcom The Kissing Booth, which catapulted him to stardom and had girls fawning over him worldwide. The 6 ft 5 in dreamboat then shocked fans with his turn as the villainous Nate Jacobs in Euphoria, which garnered him critical acclaim. 

He has since enjoyed success in Hollywood with his  impressive versatility and the acting talent to back up his good looks. His most recent hit was in Saltburn alongside Barry Keoghan, which earned him a BAFTA nomination; however, he is only getting started in Hollywood with a slew of films lined up for release in the next few years. 

How could we forget Hugh Jackman, perhaps one of Australia’s most beloved stars? Born and raised in Sydney, all Hugh wanted to do was to explore the world however he could. “I used to spend nights looking at atlases,” he told Biography Today in 2010.

“I decided I wanted to be a chef on a plane. Because I’d been on a plane and there was food on board, I presumed there was a chef. I thought that would be an ideal job.”

The Sydney native grew up performing in theatre productions and became a successful stage actor in his home country before trying his luck on the West End.

He garnered critical acclaim in Oklahoma! in 1998 and abruptly switched to take over Hollywood in 2000 with his role as Wolverine in X-Men. Hugh would go on to reprise this role eight more times in the following years.

Not one to forget his theatre (and Aussie) roots, the father of two portrayed legendary songwriter Peter Allen in the hit Broadway musical The Boy from Oz, which earned him a Tony Award in 2004.

Despite spending his time between New York and LA now, Hugh still owns a $12 million penthouse near Bondi Beach in Sydney, which he frequently escapes to for a dip in the beautiful ocean nearby.

The ethereal Cate Blanchett grew up in Melbourne and made a name for herself as a stage actress with roles opposite heavy hitters like Geoffrey Rush, before transitioning to television.

The Aussie native moved to Hollywood in the late ’90s to pursue her dream and landed the role of a lifetime as Queen Elizabeth I in 1998’s Elizabeth. The film earned her a Golden Globe and a BAFTA and paved the way for her casting in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as Galadriel.

She moved back to Australia with her family in 2006 and set her focus on climate activism and humanitarian work alongside her acting projects.

While she moved to England in 2017, where she now resides with her husband and kids, she has never forgotten her roots.

The Oscar winner co-created and produced the hit Aussie series Stateless in 2020 and is a patron of numerous film organisations in the country. She is regarded as one of the finest actors of her generation.

Toni has been a Hollywood staple for decades now, after making her feature film debut in 1992 with Spotswood alongside Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins.

She was born and raised in Sydney and studied theatre after high school, only to drop out after securing a stage role alongside Geoffrey Rush.

It wasn’t until Muriel’s Wedding in 1994 that she broke onto the international film scene, earning a Golden Globe nomination for her starring role.

She further solidified her place in Hollywood with 1999’s The Sixth Sense alongside Bruce Willis, for which she received an Oscar nomination.

Toni moved to Hollywood in 1995 to further her career but returned to her hometown with her husband, Dave Galafassi, in the early ’00s. The family moved back and forth between the cities until their 2022 divorce.

One of Australia’s brightest stars had his lights dimmed too soon when he passed away in 2008, following an accidental overdose of prescription medications, with chronic insomnia and a possible underlying respiratory condition contributing to his death. 

Heath grew up in Perth, Western Australia, and left school at 16 years old to pursue an acting career. He played small parts in a handful of Australian films and TV series before moving to the US in 1998 to see if Hollywood would make or break him.

He burst onto the scene with 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You, becoming a teen heartthrob known for his showstopping smile and quick wit.

The father of one garnered critical acclaim with his role as a repressed cowboy in Brokeback Mountain in 2005. On this film set, he met his girlfriend Michelle Williams, with whom he welcomed a daughter, Matilda, in October 2005.

While he wanted his family to reside in Australia part-time, he found the country’s press too invasive and chose to remain in the US instead.

He reached legend status with his turn as The Joker in The Dark Knight in 2008, which won him a posthumous Oscar for his incredible performance. Sadly, this would be his final completed film, as he passed away six months before its release.

Upon his death, he received a tribute from the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, and he was laid to rest in his hometown. Heath has an enduring legacy as one of the most talented actors of his generation and certainly one Australia can be proud of.

The red-haired beauty is another star on this list with international roots. Isla spent her early years in Oman due to her father’s job working for the UN. Her family moved to Perth when she was six years old, and she enjoyed an adventurous childhood in the remote city.

Isla starred in a slew of high school theatre productions and nabbed a role on star-maker Home and Away from 1994 to 1997 before moving to Paris in 1998 to study theatre.

After moving to Hollywood, she played several minor roles until she broke through with Wedding Crashers in 2005. The mother of three went on to become a beloved comedic actress in LA and married another comedy icon, Sacha Baron Cohen, after a fortuitous meeting in Sydney in 2001.

She moved her family back to Perth during the pandemic and told Marie Claire how wonderful it was to be home. “I feel like I can be myself in Australia,” she said. “I love the people. I love the colours and the sights and the taste and the smells. And there’s something about being home which is just…it feels very magical.”

“I miss it so much when I’m away, and I have a very Australian sensibility,” she continued. “Whenever I meet another Aussie, I always think, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re twins!'” Isla has since moved to the UK after divorcing her husband.

Baz Luhrmann grew up in a small Australian country town, which inspired his incredible storytelling style. After studying performance and creating his own theatre company, he turned his attention to directing and quickly made a name for himself with his vibrant approach to filmmaking.

His breakthrough came in 1992 with Strictly Ballroom, a romantic comedy celebrating Australian culture which showcased his singular flair.

He followed it up with showstoppers like Romeo + Juliet in 1996, featuring Leonardo Di Caprio, and Moulin Rouge! in 2001, starring fellow Aussie Nicole Kidman. He also paid tribute to his home country with 2008’s Australia, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman.

Baz’s global success continued with The Great Gatsby in 2013 and Elvis in 2022. His bold visuals and attention to detail have made him one of the most distinctive filmmakers of his generation.

While he spends much of his time in LA and New York, Baz and his wife are based on the Gold Coast in Queensland, and he frequently returns to Australia to soak up the sun.

Inspired by his older brothers and their budding acting careers, Liam starred in high school plays and cultivated his love of acting, garnering a slew of roles after graduating. He had guest appearances on Home and Away and McLeod’s Daughters and had a recurring role on Neighbours, just like Chris.

The heartthrob moved to LA in 2009 to pursue acting and hadn’t even found a manager yet when he was offered a part in the Nicholas Sparks film The Last Song opposite his future wife, Miley Cyrus. Liam had almost won the role of Thor at this point, until it went to his brother.

 While he was beloved by young women everywhere for his role in the romantic drama, it wasn’t until he played Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games trilogy that he broke through to the mainstream.

 Liam returned to his roots in 2020 when the pandemic swept the world, opting to move back to Australia after his divorce was finalised. Despite returning to LA at the end of 2021, he bought land next to Chris in Byron Bay and began construction on a $15 million mansion.

The comedy queen was born in Sydney and couldn’t decide whether to pursue a career in law or acting. She took her first steps into the entertainment industry — creating, producing and starring in a slew of musicals and plays in Australia and rising to prominence for her comedic skill in the series Fat Pizza in the early ’00s. 

It wasn’t until Rebel had a malaria-induced hallucination of winning an Oscar while on a trip to South Africa that she decided to become an actress and studied performance at university.

After graduating in 2009, she moved to the US to try her hand at Hollywood and landed a small part in the smash hit comedy Bridesmaids alongside Matt Lucas; incredibly, the role was written for her by Judd Apatow, the film’s producer. 

Her breakout role was as the hilarious Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect series, which won her several awards, shot her to international stardom and kickstarted her Hollywood career.

She’s since tackled everything from romcoms like Isn’t It Romantic (starring fellow Aussie Liam Hemsworth) to more personal projects.

Now, Rebel will step behind the camera with her directorial debut, The Deb, a musical comedy set in the Australian Outback that celebrates her roots in the sunburnt country.

Rose Byrne, a Sydney native, always knew she wanted to act. After graduating high school, she pursued a degree in arts, balancing her studies with auditions and early acting gigs.

“I still have great memories of those days: studying, working, auditioning. Just being a jobbing actor trying to figure out life after high school,” she told MEAA.

Rose got her start in Australia, starring in a series of local TV shows and films before landing a breakout role alongside Heath Ledger in Two Hands in 1999.

The critically acclaimed indie film paved the way for her transition onto the international stage. Rose soon found herself in LA and rose to prominence for her part in I Capture the Castle in 2003. 

Her Hollywood career has been incredibly versatile, from intense dramas like Damages with Glenn Close to side-splitting comedies like Bridesmaids. Today, she lives in New York with her family, and yet still feels deeply connected to the country she was born in. 

“Australia’s always going to be my emotional home,” she told Marie Claire. “My children were born in America, and I’ve been based there for many years, but I will always have a feeling, a little bit, of being an outsider. Australia is where my family and earliest memories and friendships are – all the grounding things in my life are here.”

Though born in Cambridge, England, Olivia Newton-John became a quintessential Aussie icon after her family migrated to Melbourne when she was just five years old.

She grew up with a passion for performing, winning a local talent contest at 16, which sent her on a trip to the UK. That trip led to her staying in England to pursue music and acting.

Her breakout came in the ’70s when she won global acclaim for her hit albums, including Let Me Be There and Have You Never Been Mellow. But it was her starring role as Sandy in the 1978 movie musical Grease opposite John Travolta that made her a worldwide superstar.

The film’s soundtrack, featuring classics like ‘You’re the One That I Want’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’, became one of the best-selling of all time.

Olivia’s career continued to thrive with hits like Physical and her iconic turn in Xanadu, cementing her as a pop culture legend. Despite her international fame, Olivia remained deeply connected to her Australian roots and bought a farm near Byron Bay in 1980, which she frequented for decades until it was sold in 2019. 

She was celebrated as one of the country’s most beloved stars and her legacy continues to endure even after her passing in 2022. Upon her tragic death, a slew of Australian landmarks were lit up in her honour, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his sorrow at her loss.