Aidan Gillett (born 12 April 1986) is an Australian actor and stunt performer, who is best known for his roles as Daniel McManus in the BBC-commissioned soap opera Out of the Blue[1] and Robert Cruze in Home and Away.[2]
Aidan Gillett | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 April 1986 Blue Mountains, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2007–present |
Early life
editGillett was born and raised in the Blue Mountains region west of Sydney, Australia.[3] In his early years, his main interests were music and sport, studying piano at the age of five, learning to play guitar at seven and focusing on jazz by the age of ten.[3] He chose not to study drama at high school, instead continuing to focus on music and sport, particularly soccer and snowboarding.[3]
In 2004, while working as a concierge and pursuing a Bachelor of Music, Gillett was encouraged by his manager to pursue an acting career. He subsequently trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.[3]
Career
editGillett appeared in the Martin Crimp play Attempts on Her Life while studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art late in 2007.[4] After graduating from NIDA, Gillett appeared in Steven Spielberg's Australian production The Pacific.[3]
In early 2008, it was announced that he had been cast in Out of the Blue, a BBC-commissioned soap opera, playing the role of Daniel McManus.[5] The series premiered in the UK on BBC One on 28 April 2008 but was later moved to BBC Two after three weeks.[6] The show ran for 130 episodes but is not expected to be commissioned for a second series following disappointing ratings.[7] It started airing nightly in Australia on 17 November 2008 on Network Ten,[8] before being moved to an earlier slot on Sunday evenings in January 2009.[9] In 2009, Gillett started appearing in Home and Away, playing the guest role of Robert Cruze.[2] In 2010, Gillett appearing in the first episode of Cops L.A.C. as Peter, the grieving partner. In 2014 Aidan began a transition into stunt work, grading with the MEAA in 2015. He has since performed in many feature films and television shows including Hacksaw Ridge, Cargo and Home & Away.
In 2024, Gillett appeared in Stan Australia drama Critical Incident.[10]
Filmography
edit| Year | Tilte | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Last King of the Cross | Tim Dolan | 2 episodes |
| Critical Incident | Rory Hooper | 6 episodes | |
| 2023 | NCIS: Sydney | Constable Scott | 1 episode |
| Year Of | Truck driver | 1 episode | |
| 2022 | Heartbreak High (2022 TV series) | Cop | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Born To Spy | Turmoil Agent | 1 episode |
| RFDS | Josh | 1 episode | |
| 2020 | The Secrets She Keeps | Plain Clothes Cop | 1 episode |
| Stateless | Cop | 1 episode | |
| 2019 | The Unlisted | Security Guard / Driver | 3 episodes |
| Les Norton | Wrongside | 1 episode | |
| 2016-19 | Secret City | ASIO Officer / Intruder | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Mr Inbetween | Passenger | 1 episode |
| Bite Club | Simon Keynes | 1 episode | |
| 2009-17 | Home and Away | Various | 17 episodes |
| 2017 | Doctor Doctor | Dead passenger | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Rescue: Special Ops | Scott | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Cops LAC | Peter | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Out of the Blue | Daniel McManus | 76 episodes |
Film appearances
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2067 | Protestor | |
| 2018 | Nekrotronic | Finnigan's Goon | |
| 2015 | River | Lachlan | |
| 2013 | Final Move | Silas | |
| 2007 | The Journal | Bne | Short |
Awards and recognition
edit| Year | Award | Category | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Bad Boy | Robert Cruze, Home and Away | Nominated[11] |
| 2017 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture | Hacksaw Ridge | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Characters: Daniel McManus". BBC. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ a b "Carolyn's blog: Week of February 23, 2009". TV Week. Retrieved 1 April 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e "Out of the Blue: Actor biographies". BBC. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ "Attempts on Her Life | NIDA". www.australianstage.com.au.
- ^ "TEN grabs Out of the Blue". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ "'Out of the Blue' moves to BBC Two". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ "BBC scrap Out of the Blue soap". BBC. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ TV Week, 15–21 November 2008, p.13
- ^ "Bumped: Out of the Blue". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ Knox, David (16 July 2024). "Airdate: Critical Incident | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ Inside Soap Awards 2009, Inside Soap, 6 July 2009