Editing Bruce Spence

{{short description|New Zealand-born Australian actor}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Bruce Spence
| birth_name        =   Bruce Robert Spence
| image              = Bruce Spence Photograph.jpg
| caption            = Spence in 2010
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1945|09|17|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Auckland]], New Zealand
| nationality        = New Zealander<br />Australian
| occupation         = Actor, voice artist
| years_active       = 1970–present
| height_m           = 
| spouse             = 
| children           = 
}}
'''Bruce Robert Spence'''<ref>Spence's middle name from 'Actors swear not to swear' Melbourne ''Age'' 16 January 1970 p. 2</ref> (born 17 September 1945) is a New Zealand-born Australian actor.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0817748/ | title=Bruce Spence(I) | work=Internet Movie Database | accessdate=5 May 2024}}</ref>  Spence has amassed over 100 film and television credits and has also acted in theatre.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/oral-history-actors|title=Oral History: Actors|date=25 March 2015|website=nfsa.gov.au}}</ref>

==Career==
Spence won an [[AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|AFI Award for Best Actor]] for his role in the 1971 comedy ''[[Stork (film)|Stork]]''.<ref name="auto2"/>

Spence's best known film role is as the [[gyrocopter]] pilot in ''[[Mad Max 2]]'' (1981).<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/bruce-spence-mad-max-2-absolute-joy|title=Bruce Spence on Mad Max 2: 'An Absolute Joy'|first=National Film and Sound Archive of|last=Australia|date=7 September 2020|website=nfsa.gov.au}}</ref> He also played the lead role in Werner Herzog's ''[[Where the Green Ants Dream]]'' (1984)<ref name="auto2"/> and portrayed Jedediah the pilot in ''[[Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]'' (1985).<ref name="auto1"/>

In the 21st century, Spence played the [[Mouth of Sauron]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' (2003),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/lord-of-the-rings-rewind-49-things-you-didnt-know-/2900-3570/|title=Lord of the Rings Rewind: 49 Things You Didn't Know About The Return of the King|work=Gamespot.com|date=4 September 2020}}</ref> the [[List of minor characters in the Matrix series#Trainman|Trainman]] in ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]'' (2003),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/powerful-characters-matrix-ranked/|title=Reloaded Weapons: The 20 Most Powerful Characters in the Matrix, Officially Ranked|date=15 November 2018|website=CBR}}</ref> and Baxter in Disney's ''[[Inspector Gadget 2]]'' (2003),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/inspector-gadget-2-2-1200542577/|title=Inspector Gadget 2|first1=Joe|last1=Leydon|date=25 March 2003}}</ref> and voiced the character Chum in ''[[Finding Nemo]]'' (2003).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/940386/15-things-you-never-knew-about-pixar-s-finding-nemo|title=15 Things You Never Knew About Pixar's Finding Nemo|publisher=E!|date=31 May 2018}}</ref> He also portrayed [[Tion Medon]] in ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]'' (2005)<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://starwarsinterviews.com/prequel-trilogy/episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith/bruce-spence-tion-medon/|title=Bruce Spence (Tion Medon)|date=29 December 2016}}</ref> and played Lord Rhoop in ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]'' (2010).<ref name="auto"/>

Spence portrayed the [[palaeontologist]] (Huxley) in the Australian performance of BBC's ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs]]: The Live Experience''. In his role, Spence narrated the activities of life-sized mechanical dinosaurs operated by teams of puppeteers and drivers.
[[File:Bruce Spence.JPG|thumb|right|upright|Spence taking a break during an [[Automated dialogue replacement|ADR]] session in November 2008.]]
In 2008, Spence joined the television series ''[[Legend of the Seeker]]'', which was based on the ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' series by [[Terry Goodkind]]. He played the role of [[Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander]], co-starring with [[Craig Horner]] and [[Bridget Regan]]. The show ran for two seasons.

In 2014, Spence played prison inmate George Corella in episode 3.1 of ''[[Rake (Australian TV series)|Rake]]''.

In 2024, Spence was named as the recipient for the Equity Lifetime Achievement award.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=2024-03-18 |title=Bruce Spence receives 2024 Equity Lifetime Achievement Award {{!}} TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/03/bruce-spence-receives-2024-equity-lifetime-achievement-award.html |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=tvtonight.com.au |language=en-AU}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
!Notes
|-
|1971
|''[[Stork (film)|Stork]]''
|Graham 'Stork' Wallace
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1974
|''[[Moving On (1974 film)|Moving On]]''
|Road Worker
|
|-
|''[[The Cars That Ate Paris]]''
|Charlie
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1975
|''[[The Firm Man]]''
|Messenger
|
|-
|''[[The Great Macarthy]]''
|Bill Dean
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1976
|''[[Let the Balloon Go]]''
| Chief Gifford
|
|-
|''[[Oz (1976 film)|Oz]]''
|Bass player/Blondie the Surfie
|
|-
|''[[Mad Dog Morgan]]''
|Heriot
|
|-
|''[[Eliza Fraser (film)|Eliza Fraser]]''
|Bruce McIver
|
|-
|1978
|''[[Newsfront]]''
|[[Round Australia Trial#Redex Reliability Trial|Redex trial]] driver
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Dimboola (1979 film)|Dimboola]]''
|Morrie McAdam
|
|-
|1981
|''[[Mad Max 2]]''
|The Gyro Captain
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1983
|''[[Double Deal (1983 film)|Double Deal]]''
|Doug Mitchell
|
|-
|''[[The Return of Captain Invincible]]''
| Midnight's Doctor
|
|-
|''[[Midnite Spares]]''
| Wimpy
|
|-
|''[[Buddies (1983 film)|Buddies]]''
|Ted
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1984
|''[[Pallet on the Floor]]''
|Basil Beaumont-Foster
|
|-
|''[[Where the Green Ants Dream]]'' (aka ''Wo die grünen Ameisen träumen'')
|Lance Hackett
|
|-
|1985
|''[[Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]''
|Jedediah the Pilot
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1987
|''[[Bullseye (1987 film)|Bullseye]]''
|Purdy
|
|-
|''[[The Year My Voice Broke]]''
|Jonah
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1988
|''[[Bachelor Girl (film)|Bachelor Girl]]''
|Alistair Dredge Jr
| TV movie
|-
|''[[Rikky and Pete]]''
|Ben
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1990
|''[[Wendy Cracked a Walnut]]'' (aka ''...Almost'')
|Ronnie
|
|-
|''[[The Shrimp on the Barbie]]''
|Wayne
|
|-
|1991
|''[[Sweet Talker (film)|Sweet Talker]]''
|Norman Foster
|
|-
|1993
|''[[Hercules Returns]]''
|Sprocket
|
|-
|1995
|''[[Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls]]''
|Gahjii
|
|-
|1996
|''[[The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas]]''
|[[List of The Munsters characters|Mr. Gateman]]
| TV movie
|-
|1998
|''[[Dark City (1998 film)|Dark City]]''
|Mr. Wall
|
|-
|2002
|''[[Queen of the Damned]]''
|[[Khayman]]
|
|-
| rowspan="5"| 2003
|''[[Inspector Gadget 2]]''
|Professor Baxter
|
|-
|''[[Finding Nemo]]''
|Chum (voice)
|
|-
|''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''
|[[List of minor characters in the Matrix series#Trainman|Trainman]]
|
|-
|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]''
|[[Mouth of Sauron]] (Extended edition only)
|
|-
|''[[Peter Pan (2003 film)|Peter Pan]]''
|Cookson
|
|-
|2005
|''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]''
|[[Tion Medon]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2006
|''[[Aquamarine (film)|Aquamarine]]''
|Leonard
|
|-
|''[[Solo (2006 film)|Solo]]''
|Kennedy
|
|-
|2008
|''[[Australia (2008 film)|Australia]]''
|Dr. Barker
|
|-
|2010
|''[[The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]''
|Lord Rhoop
|
|-
|2013
|''[[Mystery Road (film)|Mystery Road]]''
|Jim the Coroner
|
|-
|2014
|''[[I, Frankenstein]]''
|Molokai
|
|-
|2015
|''[[Backtrack (film)|Backtrack]]''
|Felix
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2016
|''[[Gods of Egypt (film)|Gods of Egypt]]''
|Head Judge
|
|-
|''[[Blue World Order (film)|Blue World Order]] ''
|Whippett
|
|-
| imdb="2"| 2017
|''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales]]''
|Mayor Dix
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2018
|''[[Winchester (film)|Winchester]] ''
|Augustine
|
|-
|''[[Occupation (2018 film)|Occupation]]''
|Alien Leader
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2020
|''[[Love and Monsters (film)|Love and Monsters]]''
|Old Pete
|
|-
|''[[Children of the Corn (2020 film)|Children of the Corn]]''
|Pastor Penny
|
|-
|''[[The Dry (film)|The Dry]]''
|Gerry Hadler
|
|-
|2021
|''[[The Drover's Wife (film)|The Drover's Wife]]''
|Father McGuiness
|
|-
|2023
|''Cold Water''
|Murray 
|Short film
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Note
!Ref
|-
|1972-73
|''[[Division 4]]''
|Various
|2 episodes
|
|-
|1973
|''[[Boney (TV series)|Boney]]''
|Sawyer's Ron
|1 episode
|
|-
|1973-75
|''[[Certain Women (TV series)|Certain Women]]''
|Julius 'Big Julie'
|19 episodes
|
|-
|1974
|''[[Ryan (TV series)|Ryan]]''
|Wally Scott
|1 episode
|
|-
|1974-75
|''[[Matlock Police]]''
|Johnny / Maxie
|2 episodes
|
|-
|1978
|''[[Case for the Defence]]'' 
|Alfred
|2 episodes
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Barnaby and Me]]''
|Tall Baddie
|TV movie
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Shirl's Neighbourhood]]''
|Bruce the gardener
|
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Skyways (TV series)|Skyways]]''
|David Howard
|1 episode
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Cop Shop]]''
|Student Counsellor 
|1 episode
|
|-
|1981
|''[[And Here Comes Bucknuckle]]''
|
|Series
|
|-
| 1982
|''[[Deadline (1982 film)|Deadline]]''
|Towie
|TV movie
|
|-
|1981-82
|''[[Kingswood Country]]''
|Dentist / Samson
|2 episodes
|
|-
|1984
|''[[Special Squad (Australian TV series)|Special Squad]]''
|Professor
|1 episode
|
|-
|1984
|''[[Carson's Law]]''
|Vernon
|2 episodes
|
|-
|1985
|''[[Zoo Family]]''
|George
|1 episode
|
|-
|1987
|''[[Great Expectations: The Untold Story]]''
|Joe Gargery
|TV movie
|
|-
|1988
|''[[The Dirtwater Dynasty]]''
|Lonely Logan
|5 episodes
|
|-
|1988
|''[[Australians (TV series)|Australians]]'' 
|Cecil Cook
|1 episode
|
|-
|1987-89
|''[[Rafferty's Rules]]''
|Triggs
|2 episodes
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1989
|''{{ill|Sugar (1989 film)|de|3=Zucker – Eine wirklich süße Katastrophe|lt=Sugar}}''
|Robert Flemming
|TV movie
|
|-
|''[[Tanamera – Lion of Singapore]]''
|Hammond
|7 episodes
|
|-
|1989–92
|''[[Dearest Enemy]]''
|Lenny
|14 episodes
|
|-
|1992
|''[[Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left]]''
|The Chief
|18 episodes
|
|-
|1994–95
|''[[Over the Hill (TV series)|Over the Hill]]''
|Tall Bob
|
|
|-
|1996
|''[[After the Beep]]''
|
|7 episodes
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1997
|''[[Return to Jupiter]]''
|Ed Unit
|13 episodes
|
|-
|''[[Bullpitt!]]''
|Darcy Kelso
|26 episodes
|
|-
|''[[Twisted Tales (Australian TV series)|Twisted Tales]]''
|Colin
|1 episode
|
|-
|''[[Good Guys, Bad Guys]]''
|Squirt Man
|1 episode
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1998
|''[[Moby Dick (1998 miniseries)|Moby Dick]]''
|Elijah
|1 episode
|
|-
|''[[Halifax f.p.]]: Isn't It Romantic''
|Eric Washburn
|1 episode
|
|-
|1999
|''[[Chuck Finn]]''
|Heinz
|1 episode
|
|-
|2000
|''[[Tales of the South Seas]]''
|Naari
|1 episode
|
|-
|2001
|''[[Beastmaster (TV series)|Beastmaster]]''
|Annubis
|1 episode
|
|-
|2002
|''[[Farscape]]''
|Prefect Falaak
|1 episode
|
|-
|2002
|''[[Short Cuts (TV series)|Short Cuts]]''
|Mr Coxon
|5 episodes
|
|-
|2001-03
|''[[Always Greener]]''
|Rev Millburn
|3 episodes
|
|-
|2004
|''[[The Brush-Off#Movie|The Brush Off]]''
|Philip Veale
|TV movie
|
|-
|2005
|''Grange''
|
|TV movie
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2006
|''[[RAN Remote Area Nurse (TV series)|RAN (Remote Area Nurse)]]''
|Vince
|6 episodes
|
|-
|''[[Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King|Nightmares & Dreamscapes]]''
|Hans Morris
|1 episode
|
|-
|''Equal Opportunity''
|Death
|
|
|-
|2008
|''[[Double the Fist]]''
|Mayor McCarthy
|1 episode
|
|-
|2008
|''[[City Homicide]]''
|Maurice
|1 episode
|
|-
|2008–10
|''[[Legend of the Seeker]]''
|[[Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander]]
|44 episodes
|
|-
|2009
|''[[All Saints (TV series)|All Saints]]''
|Barry Goldsworthy
|1 episode
|
|-
|2011
|''[[Cloudstreet (miniseries)|Cloudstreet]]''
|Pig
|3 episodes
|
|-
|2014
|''[[Rake (Australian TV series)|Rake]]'' 
|George Corella
|1 episode
|<ref>{{cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=30 July 2013 |title=Cameras roll on Rake's third season &#124; TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2013/07/cameras-roll-on-rakes-third-season.html |website=TVtonight.com.au}}</ref>
|-
|2015
|''[[Let's Talk About]]''
|Man in Toilet
|1 episode
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016
|''The Wizards of Aus''
|Regimand
|3 episodes
|<ref>{{cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=9 December 2015 |title=Airdate: The Wizards of aus &#124; TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2015/12/airdate-the-wizards-of-aus.html |website=TVTonight.com.au}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Black Comedy (TV series)|Black Comedy]]''
|Guest Cast 
|1 episode
|
|-
|2018
|''[[True Story with Hamish & Andy]]''
|The Oracle
|1 episode
|<ref>{{cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=25 September 2018 |title=True Story with Hamish & Andy: Sept 25 &#124; TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2018/09/true-story-with-hamish-andy-sept-25.html |website=TVTonight.com.au}}</ref>
|- 
|2021
|''[[Back to the Rafters]]''
| Charles Whiteman
|4 episodes
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2023
|''[[Ten Pound Poms (TV series)|Ten Pound Poms]]''
|Father
|1 episode
|
|-
|''Faraway Downs''
|Dr Barker 
|6 episodes
|
|-
|2024
|[[Nautilus (TV series)|''Nautilus'']] 
|CBIO President
|2 episodes
|
|}

===Video games===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Ref.
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Enter the Matrix]]''
| [[List of minor characters in the Matrix series#Trainman|Trainman]]
| <ref>{{cite video game | title = [[Enter the Matrix]] | developer = [[Shiny Entertainment]] | publisher = [[Atari Games]]}}</ref>
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!]]''
| Scav Gyro, Sir Dennis, Toby Van Adobe, Tony Slows, Taunting Scav #2
| <ref>{{cite video game | title = [[Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!]] | developer = [[2K Australia]], [[Gearbox Software]] | publisher = [[2K Games]] | scene=Closing credits, 3:39 minutes in }}</ref>
|-
|202?
|''Edge of Twilight'' 
|Horace
|
|}

==Theatre==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1969 || ''[[Dimboola (play)|Dimboola]]'' || Morrie McAdam || [[La Mama Theatre (Melbourne)|La Mama Theatre]]
|-
| 1970 || ''[[The Coming of Stork]]'' || Graham 'Stork' Wallace || [[La Mama Theatre (Melbourne)|La Mama Theatre]]
|-
| 1985 || ''[[A Stretch of the Imagination]]'' || || [[Nimrod Theatre Company]]
|-
| 2005 || ''[[The Marvellous Boy]]'' || Victor/Bain Cipolla || WB Stables by [[Griffin Theatre Company]]
|-
| 2013 || ''[[The Secret River (play)|The Secret River]]'' || Loveday || [[Sydney Theatre Company|Sydney Theatre]]
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0817748|name=Bruce Spence}}

{{Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role 1972-1979}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Bruce}}
[[Category:Best Actor AACTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New Zealand male film actors]]
[[Category:New Zealand male television actors]]
[[Category:New Zealand male video game actors]]
[[Category:New Zealand male voice actors]]
[[Category:People educated at Henderson High School, Auckland]]
[[Category:Australian male film actors]]
[[Category:Australian male comedians]]
[[Category:Australian male television actors]]
[[Category:Comedians from Auckland]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:New Zealand sketch comedians]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand comedians]]