Bryan Brown is one of the most recognisable faces in cinema, having performed in more than 80 films and television series since the late 1970s, both in Australia and overseas. His most notable films include Breaker Morant (1980), F/X (1986), Cocktail (1988), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Along Came Polly (2004), Australia (2008), Kill Me Three Times (2014) and Gods of Egypt (2016), not forgetting his role in the incredible TV miniseries, The Thorn Birds (1983).

He’s excited to be returning to Australian screens once again as retired policeman Jack Darby in the new television series Darby and Joan, starring alongside the incredible Greta Scacchi, who plays the recently widowed Joan Kirkhope.

Searching for answers as to why her husband was on a secret trip in Australia when he died, Joan literally runs into the disgruntled Darby in her RV while careening through bushland. Together, the odd couple embarks on an epic road trip through outback Australia.

Filmed in Queensland, the part love story, part mystery features stunning locations from majestic gorges and idyllic billabongs to sweeping grass plains and historic country towns.

“We filmed in some bloody beautiful places,” Bryan says.

“I couldn’t believe we were lucky enough to find all these amazing spots right behind the Gold Coast. And I was just so pleased because I really enjoy working with Greta. She’s a fabulous actress and so much fun to be around. I admire her a lot.”

The cast features well-known Aussie actors such as Peter O’Brien, Robert Coleby, Kerry Armstrong, Heather Mitchell, and Todd MacDonald, as well as some fresh-faced and talented newcomers.

“Steve Bisley turned up to do an episode and I was so happy because I hadn’t seen him in ages, it was just great to work with him,” Bryan says.

“Then we got Kerry Armstrong and Heather Mitchell. There’s just so many great people in this series. It was a lot of fun.”

A creative mind who can’t sit still for long, Bryan is also currently working on his first novel—a follow-up to his 2021 book Sweet Jimmy, a collection of crime stories.

“Sweet Jimmy came about because I’d written a few stories and someone read them and offered to publish them. I said to them, I’m not in this for the money, I’m in it for the festivals,” he laughs.

“I can’t think of anything better than standing up in front of 300 or 400 people and talking complete bullsh*t. It completely thrills me. But then COVID came along and everything got cancelled.

“But yeah, I wrote this book and it got really good reviews—which made me question whether they had read the right book— but anyway, now I’m halfway through writing my first novel.

“I’ve always been a storyteller and writing is just another platform for me. I read all types of things but I do like crime. I like the crime writers who take me somewhere and I get a smell of the place, like Ian Rankin. I come away from his books feeling like I’ve been at a pub in Edinburgh.”

When he’s not working, Bryan loves to surf.

“I have a property up the coast of New South Wales, and there’s a certain beach area there that I thoroughly enjoy. I go and surf and then sit around and have coffee with all the other old blokes who can talk rubbish just like I can. That’s very fulfilling.”

He’s also learning to play the guitar, adding to his collection of creative pursuits.

“Three years ago, I decided to learn to play the guitar. I take lessons and I play every day. And after three years I’m just a little bit less crap than when I first started,” he laughs.

But his most cherished role is that of father and grandfather.

While filming The Thorn Birds TV miniseries in 1983, Bryan was introduced to English actress Rachel Ward. While they chatted, he read her palm and predicted she would have three children. They married a few months after filming wrapped and have—you guessed it—three adult children, Rosie, Matilda, and Joe.

Now, with grandkids rounding out the family table, Bryan’s hands and heart are full.

“It’s pretty lovely,” he says of becoming a doting grandfather.

“I come from a very small family. I never knew my grandparents on either side. I was brought up by a single mother who had no siblings, so it was pretty much just my mum, my sister, and myself.

“Then I had a family of my own and people said to me oh you’re going to love having grandchildren, but I couldn’t get an idea of what it would be like because I never had that myself. But now I’ve got grandkids and I’m goo-goo-gooing along with everyone else, and spoiling them absolutely rotten. My favourite thing to say to them is, ‘Want a Magnum?’”

Darby and Joan is available to stream now on Acorn TV (au.acorn.tv)

This article is featured in the Spring 2022 issue of National Seniors Australia’s quarterly member magazine, Our Generation. 

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