William McInnes
William McInnes is one of the most accomplished and popular actors on the Australian landscape today. In 2006 William was awarded the Sydney Morning Herald, Sun Herald and the Age Australian Star of The Year Award. Equally at home in theatre, film and television, comedy and drama, he has played countless lead and supporting roles in some of the most successful and memorable productions this country has had to offer and has multiple AFI and Logie nominations for this extensive body of work.
In television, William has shone in dramatic lead roles in The Shark Net, My Brother Jack, Blue Heelers, Stepfather of the Bride, Seachangeand more recently in the critically acclaimed ABC telemovie Curtin, about Australia’swartime prime minister and in the hard hitting SBS television series East West 101.
William’s work in Australian cinema is also widely acknowledged, by both industry peers and audiences alike. The feature film, Look Both Ways, saw William achieve a nomination for Best Lead Actor by the Australian Film Institute and receive the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor. William received an AFI Award and a Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for his performance in Unfinished Sky. In 2009, William featured in David Caesar’s Prime Mover and Blessed directed by Ana Kokkinos. In early 2011, William was seen in the New Zealand feature, The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell, directed by Brendan Donovan.
His many lead roles on the stage only further highlight William’s remarkable career. His performances include Don Juan for Sydney Theatre Company, Macbeth and Ray’s Tempest for Melbourne Theatre Company and Darcy forboth company’s landmark productions of Pride and Prejudice. Most recently, William appeared on stage in Equus for Perth Theatre Company and My Fair Lady in New Zealand.
William is also the author of five best selling books. A Man’s Gotta Have a Hobby, winner of a 2006 Australian Book industry award, Cricket Kings which is a 2007 Australian book industry award nominee, That’d Be Right and The Making of Modern Australia. His fifth book, Worse Things Happen at Sea, co-written with his late wife Sarah Watt, was awarded the 2012 Indie Non Fiction Book of the Year. William’s next book, The Laughing Clowns, will be released in October 2012.
He is Patron of The 2012 National Year of Reading and also Chair of the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra at Old Parliament House.
In 2012, William will star in the telemovie, The Homicide Franchise – Dr Wainer’s Summer Offensive and new series, The Time Of Our Lives on the ABC. He has also been seen as the host of Auction Rooms.