australian television information archive

Joel Edgerton was nominated for a 2000 Australian Film Industry Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Secret Life of Us telemovie, and in 2002, took home the award for Best Actor in a Television Drama (and was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the feature film "The Hard Word")

As at home in The Three Stooges (the hit US ABC telemovie), Star Wars: Episode II, or as the King in Henry V (for the Bell Shakespeare Company), Joel has the role of the considerate Will in The Secret Life of Us.

"Will is a country boy who has found himself working in the city. He hasn't quite adopted café culture and replaced beer with vodka, but he's fitting in OK.

"His strong work ethic brings him in stark contrast with Richie and Miranda—with whom he shares a flat. He's curious about the strange path they've both chosen in life with regards to their career. While he's been mates with Richie forever, over the years he's become a confidant and great friend to Miranda. She's like a sister to him.

"Mates are all-important to Will. When it comes to any chaos, he's always there to listen or to give advice. Whether it's good or not isn't the point—his heart is always in the right place. He's less insightful when he's dealing with his own flaws. He seems to lack a bit of confidence in himself with regard to relationships.

"If he is charming or charismatic, it's not something he's manipulating or using to his advantage. It's just the way he presents himself. He's just going along and doing his own thing.

"All in all, Will's a legend."

Joel believes audiences will be kept well intrigued by the characters. "You'll love them for some of their actions and you're going to question them for others. You're going to see people making mistakes and putting their right foot forward.

"Each actor gets great scope. It makes us all an enthusiastic group of people rocking up to work each day."

Joel's film credits include The Hard Word, Star Wars: Episode II, Praise and Erskineville Kings.

For television, Joel has appeared in numerous dramas including Spellbinder, Wildside, and Saturn's Return in SBS Television's Hybrid Life series. The Secret Life of Us is his first ongoing lead role for TV.

Joel studied drama at the University of Western Sydney. His theatre credits include Sydney Theatre Company productions of Third World Blues, Dead White Males and Love For Love, plus Historia for the Australian Peoples' Theatre and Henry IV parts 1 and 2 for the Bell Shakespeare Company.

Joel runs a production company—Blue Tongue Films—with his brother Nash and two colleagues.