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Paul Hogan (born 8 October 1939) is an Australian actor and comedian. He was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Awards, Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Be ...
and won the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance i ...
for his performance as outback adventurer
Michael "Crocodile" Dundee Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee (also called Mick), played by Paul Hogan, is a fictional protagonist in the ''Crocodile Dundee'' film series consisting of ''Crocodile Dundee'', ''Crocodile Dundee II'', and ''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles''. Th ...
in ''
Crocodile Dundee ''Crocodile Dundee'' (stylized as ''"Crocodile" Dundee'' in the U.S.) is a 1986 action comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee, and American actress Linda Kozlowski as ...
'' (1986), the first in the ''Crocodile Dundee'' film series.


Early life

At the start of his career, Paul Hogan said he was born in
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales Lightning Ridge is a small outback town in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Part of Walgett Shire, Lightning Ridge is situated near the southern border of Queensland, about east of the Castlereagh Highway. The Lightning Ridge area is ...
, to appear more interesting. He was actually born in
Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
, a suburb in
Greater Western Sydney Greater Western Sydney (GWS) is a large region of the metropolitan area of Greater Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia that generally embraces the north-west, south-west, central-west, and far western sub-regions within Sydney's metropoli ...
. He moved to Granville in Western Sydney at a young age and worked as a rigger on the
Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North Shore. The view of the bridg ...
. He attended both Primary and High School at
Parramatta Marist High School , motto_translation = Go Forth With Strength , location = 2 Darcy Road, Westmead, Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Australia ...
.


Career

Hogan's first public appearance was on Australian television, the
Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
's amateur talent program ''New Faces'' in 1971. Hogan had observed to his Harbour Bridge workmates that the program's entertainment value relied significantly on the judges ridiculing and belittling the performers, and suggested the judges deserved similar treatment. Hogan inveigled his way onto the program by claiming to be a "tap-dancing knife-thrower". Hogan appeared on stage in his work boots, holding elaborate prop "knives," and proceeded to make a series of jokes at the judges' expense; he finished by performing a rudimentary shuffle and throwing the knives onto the floor. Strong positive response from the viewing public saw Hogan invited back for repeated performances on ''New Faces''; in another of these, he proposed to "play the shovels", which consisted of making a series of jokes before banging two shovels together a few times. Hogan's natural ability as a comedic performer attracted the attention of
Mike Willesee Michael Robert Willesee, (29 June 1942 – 1 March 2019) was an Australian television journalist, interviewer and presenter. Willesee was the son of politician senator Don Willesee; Mike first came to prominence in 1967 as a reporter for the ...
, host of Nine's news magazine program ''
A Current Affair ''A Current Affair'' may refer to: * ''A Current Affair'' (Australian TV program), 1971–present Australian current affairs program that airs on Nine Network * ''A Current Affair'' (American TV program), a 1986–1998 American television news ...
''. Willesee offered Hogan regular appearances on the series, during which Hogan would make humorous comment on some issue of the day. During this time, Hogan befriended ''A Current Affair'' producer
John Cornell John Cornell (2 March 1941 – 23 July 2021) was an Australian actor, director, producer, writer, and businessman. He was best known for his role as "Strop" on ''The Paul Hogan Show'', and he was instrumental in the introduction of World Serie ...
, who became Hogan's manager and business partner. Hogan followed this with his own comedy sketch program ''
The Paul Hogan Show ''The Paul Hogan Show'' was a popular Australian comedy show which aired on Australian television from 1973 until 1984 for a total of 12 seasons and 60 episodes. It made a star of Paul Hogan, who later appeared in ''Crocodile Dundee.'' Hogan' ...
'', which he produced and wrote, and in which he played characters with Cornell and
Delvene Delaney Delvene Delaney (born 26 August 1951) is an Australian actress of soap opera and film, television presenter and singer. Career Delaney was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia, on 26 August 1951, the beauty pageant winner found fame on Austra ...
. The series, which ran for 60 episodes between 1973 and 1984, was popular in the UK, where it aired on the new Channel Four from 1982 and also in South Africa, and showcased his trademark lighthearted but laddish
ocker The term "ocker" is used both as a noun and adjective for an Australian who speaks and acts in a rough and uncultivated manner, using Strine, a broad Australian accent. Definition Richard Neville defined ockerism as being "about conviviality: ...
humour. Hogan won the 1973
TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
Logie Award The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
for 'Best New Talent'. The early series was on Channel Seven and, by 1975, it was screened on Channel Nine where it remained until the end of 1984. In the 1970s, Hogan advertised Winfield cigarettes in television, print and billboard advertisements in which he wore a formal dinner suit. These ads always ended with the catchphrase "Anyhow, have a Winfield." During the early 1980s, Hogan filmed a series of television ads promoting the Australian tourism industry, which aired in the United States. An advertisement with the phrase "
shrimp on the barbie "Shrimp on the barbie" is a phrase that originated in a series of television advertisements by the Australian Tourism Commission starring Paul Hogan from 1984 through to 1990. The full quote spoken by Hogan is "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the ...
", which aired from 1984, was particularly successful. In 1985, Hogan appeared as an Australian
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
' digger' named Pat Cleary in the mini-series ''
Anzacs ''Anzacs'' (named for members of the all volunteer army formations) is a 1985 Australian five-part television miniseries set in World War I. The series follows the lives of a group of young Australian men who enlist in the 8th Battalion (Austr ...
'', which aired on the
Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
. Cleary was described as the quintessential Aussie
larrikin Larrikin is an Australian English term meaning "a mischievous young person, an uncultivated, rowdy but good hearted person", or "a person who acts with apparent disregard for social or political conventions". In the 19th and early 20th centurie ...
, and series writer John Dixon wrote the part of Cleary with Hogan in mind. The series included a "who's who" of Australian television and film actors of the day, including Jon Blake, Andrew Clarke, Megan Williams,
Tony Bonner Anthony Frederick Bonner (born 23 November 1943) is an Australian television, film and stage actor and singer. Bonner became famous in the 1960s children's television series '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'', later moving on to lead roles in the ...
,
Bill Kerr William Henry Kerr (10 June 1922 – 28 August 2014) was a British and Australian actor, comedian, and vaudevillian. Born in South Africa, he started his career as a child actor in Australia, before emigrating to Britain after the Second Wor ...
,
Ilona Rodgers Ilona Jeannette Rodgers (born 28 April 1942) is an actress of stage, television and film. Born in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire, where she started her career, she later went on to appear in New Zealand and Australian productions. Rodger ...
,
Vivean Gray Jean Vivra Gray (20 July 1924 – 29 July 2016), known professionally as Vivean Gray, also credited as ''Vivian Gray'' and ''Viven Gray'', was an English television and film actress. She starred in the films '' Picnic at Hanging Rock'' a ...
and
Robert Coleby Robert Coleby (born 1947) is a British actor who has spent most of his career in Australia. Active since the 1970s, he has over 70 film and television credits to his name. Coleby has acted on stage in numerous productions for the Queensland Thea ...
. Throughout the decade, Hogan appeared on British television in advertisements for
Foster's Lager Foster's Lager is an internationally-distributed brand of lager. It is owned by the international brewing group Asahi Group Holdings, and is brewed under licence in a number of countries, including its biggest market, the UK, where the Europe ...
, in which he played an earthy Australian abroad in London. The character's most notable line (spoken incredulously at a ballet performance) "Strewth, there's a bloke down there with no strides on!", followed Hogan for years, and the popularity of its "fish out of water" humour was repeated with his next endeavour. In another advertisement from the same Foster's series, Hogan's character is approached in a London Tube station by a Japanese tourist who asks, "Do you know the way to
Cockfosters Cockfosters is a suburb of north London to the east of Chipping Barnet, lying partly in the London Borough of Enfield and partly in the London Borough of Barnet. Before 1965, it was in the counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. Origins and ...
?" (referring to an area in North London), to which Hogan replies (with a puzzled look on his face): "Drink it warm, mate." Hogan's breakout role was that of Mick "Crocodile" Dundee in the 1986 film ''
Crocodile Dundee ''Crocodile Dundee'' (stylized as ''"Crocodile" Dundee'' in the U.S.) is a 1986 action comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee, and American actress Linda Kozlowski as ...
''. Hogan also co-wrote the movie, which was a massive critical and commercial success in many countries. He won the 1987 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and was also nominated for Best Actor at the
BAFTAs The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...
. The screenplay was nominated for an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a BAFTA and a
Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
. Along with
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
and
Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, dancer, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (1968–1970), before going on to receive the Academy Award and Go ...
, Hogan co-hosted the
59th Academy Awards The 59th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 30, 1987, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During ...
, also in 1987. Hogan again portrayed Mick Dundee in the sequel ''
Crocodile Dundee II ''Crocodile Dundee II'' is a 1988 action comedy film and the second of the ''Crocodile Dundee'' film series. It is a sequel to ''Crocodile Dundee'' (1986) and was followed by ''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles'' (2001). Actors Paul Hogan and Lin ...
'', released in 1988. Hogan was also executive producer and co-writer with his son, Brett. Although less popular with critics than the first ''Crocodile Dundee'', it was also a commercial success. The character made him popular in the United States, with phrases like, "That's not a knife... ''that's'' a knife!" entering the
lexicon A lexicon is the vocabulary of a language or branch of knowledge (such as nautical or medical). In linguistics, a lexicon is a language's inventory of lexemes. The word ''lexicon'' derives from Koine Greek language, Greek word (), neuter of () ...
, though Hogan was troubled that the character was perceived as a cross between
Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...
and
John Rambo John James Rambo (born July 6, 1947) is a fictional character in the ''Rambo'' franchise. He first appeared in the 1972 novel '' First Blood'' by David Morrell, but later became more famous as the protagonist of the film series, in which he was ...
, and turned down roles similar to those because of their violent nature, commenting: In the early 1990s, a Paramount executive pitched a concept of a ''Crocodile Dundee'' and ''
Beverly Hills Cop ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop ...
''
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
movie. Hogan refused the starring role in the hit film ''
Ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
'', choosing instead to make ''
Almost an Angel ''Almost an Angel'' is a 1990 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by John Cornell and starring Paul Hogan. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre. The film was a critical and commercial failure. Plot Terry Dean (Paul Hog ...
'' (1990). In 1994, Hogan co-produced, wrote and starred in the
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
comedy film ''
Lightning Jack ''Lightning Jack'' is a 1994 Western comedy film written by and starring Paul Hogan, as well as Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beverly D'Angelo. Plot Lightning Jack Kane, a long-sighted Australian outlaw in the American west, lives with his horse, Mate. ...
''. In 1996, he starred in a
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
of the 1963 film '' Flipper'', a family-friendly movie about a dolphin. In 1998, he co-starred in the made-for-TV drama ''Floating Away'', an adaptation of the Tim Sandlin book ''Sorrow Floats'', and in which he played 'Shane', a recovering alcoholic. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hogan was featured in advertisements for the
Subaru Outback The Subaru Outback is an automotive nameplate used by the Japanese automaker Subaru for two different vehicles: a crossover station wagon, the Outback (1994–present, also sold as in some markets), and an Impreza-derived hatchback, the Outback ...
. In 2001, Hogan returned to the role that made him famous with ''
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles ''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles'' (also known as ''Crocodile Dundee III'') is a 2001 action comedy film directed by Simon Wincer and starring Paul Hogan. It is the sequel to ''Crocodile Dundee II'' (1988) and the third and final film of the ...
''. In 2004, Hogan starred in the Australian-produced comedy film ''Strange Bedfellows'', about two firemen pretending to be in a homosexual relationship for financial benefit. ''Strange Bedfellows'' was written and directed by Hogan's friend Dean Murphy and was the highest-grossing Australian-made film of 2004. 2005 saw the release of ''Paul Hogan – Stand Up Hoges'', a DVD compilation of Hogan's favourite live performances throughout his career. In 2009, Hogan starred in another of Murphy's films, ''
Charlie & Boots ''Charlie & Boots'' is a 2009 Australian film starring Paul Hogan and Shane Jacobson. It had the best opening weekend for any Australian film in 2009 when it was released on Father's Day (1 September 2009). The film features many small towns in ...
'', a road-movie concerning the relationship between a father (Hogan) and son (
Shane Jacobson Shane Jacobson (born 18 March 1970) is an Australian actor, director, writer, and comedian, best known as the "Dunny Man" for his performances as the eponymous character Kenny Smyth, a plumber working for a portable toilet rental company, in the ...
). It was the second-highest-grossing Australian-made film of 2009, after '' Mao's Last Dancer''. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, Hogan embarked on live
stand-up Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...
performances throughout Australia. The 2013 tour entitled ''An Evening with Hoges'' featured capital cities only, but the 2014 tour ''Hoges: One Night Only'' featured 25 locations including regional Australia. 2015's ''Hoges: Live'' saw performances in Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney only. Some of this material was shown in the 2014 documentary ''
Hanging with Hoges ''Hanging with Hoges'' is a 2014 one-hour documentary about Paul Hogan hosted by Shane Jacobson. He talks about his success with ''Crocodile Dundee'', his family life, and his battles with the Australian Tax Office. It also shows excerpts from t ...
'', in which Hogan was interviewed about his life and career by Jacobson. In 2016, Hogan received the
Longford Lyell Award The Longford Lyell Award is a lifetime achievement award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is "to identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements ...
for an outstanding contribution to the Australian screen. Hogan joked he had only ever been a "
one-hit wonder A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...
". Australia's
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
commissioned a two-part miniseries based upon Hogan's life, entitled '' Hoges: The Paul Hogan Story'' which aired in February 2017. Australian actor
Josh Lawson Joshua Lawson (born 22 July 1981) is an Australian actor and filmmaker best known for his role as Doug Gugghenheim in ''House of Lies'', Tate in '' Superstore'' and as Kano in the 2021 film ''Mortal Kombat''. Early life Lawson was born and rais ...
portrayed Hogan. In 2019, to celebrate Hogan's upcoming 80th birthday, Australia's
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
produced a two-part episode of ''
Australian Story ''Australian Story'' is a national weekly current affairs and documentary style television series which is broadcast on ABC Television. It is produced specifically by the ABC News and Current Affairs Department. The program first aired on 29 ...
'', entitled "A Fortunate Life – Paul Hogan", in which Hogan and his family reflect on his life and career. Following on from a 2018 Tourism Australia campaign, in 2020 Hogan starred in '' The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee'', with Hogan portraying himself as an aging, out-of-touch movie actor with his legendary character Mick Dundee now monetised and manipulated by others.


Honours

*In 1985, Hogan was named
Australian of the Year The Australian of the Year is a national award conferred on an Australian citizen by the National Australia Day Council, a not-for-profit Australian Governmentowned social enterprise. Similar awards are also conferred at the State and Territo ...
. *In 1986, he was appointed a Member of the
Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AM) "for service to tourism and entertainment". *In 1987, Hogan won a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for ''Crocodile Dundee''. *In 2016, Hogan received the
Longford Lyell Award The Longford Lyell Award is a lifetime achievement award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is "to identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements ...
, the highest honour of the
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) is a professional organisation of film and television practitioners in Australia. The Academy's aim is "to identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements i ...
(AACTA), for outstanding services to the Australian screen.


Logie Awards

The
Logie Awards The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by magazine TV Week, with the first ceremony in 1959, known then as the TV Week Awards, the awards are presented in 20 categories representing both public and industry voted awards. , - ,
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
, himself ,
George Wallace Memorial Logie for Best New Talent The George Wallace Memorial Logie for Best New Talent was an award presented annually at the Australian TV Week Logie Awards The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to ...
, , -


Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the
Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...
), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. (wins only) , - , 1988 , Paul Hogan , Australian Showbusiness Ambassador , , -


Personal life

Hogan and his first wife, Noelene Edwards, married in 1958. They separated and divorced in 1981 and remarried less than one year later. A second divorce, initiated in 1986, was considered one of Australia's ugliest celebrity divorces. Hogan married his ''
Crocodile Dundee ''Crocodile Dundee'' (stylized as ''"Crocodile" Dundee'' in the U.S.) is a 1986 action comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee, and American actress Linda Kozlowski as ...
'' co-star
Linda Kozlowski Linda Kozlowski (born January 7, 1958) is an American former actress. She is best known for her role as Sue Charlton in the ''Crocodile Dundee'' film series (1986–2001), with the first installment earning her a Golden Globe Award nomination. ...
in 1990. He has five children with his first wife and one with his second wife. In October 2013, Kozlowski filed for divorce from Hogan, citing irreconcilable differences, with the divorce finalised in 2014.


Tax problems

From February 2003 until all charges were dropped in November 2010, Hogan faced a series of legal issues while under investigation by the
Australian Taxation Office The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is an Australian statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system, superannuati ...
(ATO) for
tax evasion Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the taxp ...
. His legal troubles were made public in 2007 when Hogan was named as one of a group in connection to an AU$300 million Australian tax fraud investigation called Operation Wickenby, investigating 23 companies for allegedly using overseas companies to hide income. In July 2008, Hogan commented to
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
that he had "paid plenty of tax" in Australia and that he had nothing to fear from the ATO investigation. In October 2008, Hogan scored a major victory in his tax fight with the
Australian Crime Commission The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is a law enforcement agency established by the Australian federal government on 1 July 2016, following the merger of the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and CrimTrac. It has specialist ...
, who were forced to pay up to an estimated AU$5 million for legal bills dating back to 2006 and were required to return seized personal financial documents that they had admitted were irrelevant. Hogan had not been charged in connection with the investigation, which began in 2003. On 18 June 2010, in the Australian High Court, Hogan lost a long-running legal battle to keep the contents of his tax documents secret, paving the way for details of his offshore accounts to be published. Earlier the same year, Australian media reported that the
Australian Crime Commission The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is a law enforcement agency established by the Australian federal government on 1 July 2016, following the merger of the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and CrimTrac. It has specialist ...
was in the final stages of preparing to lay criminal charges of tax evasion against Hogan, film producer
John Cornell John Cornell (2 March 1941 – 23 July 2021) was an Australian actor, director, producer, writer, and businessman. He was best known for his role as "Strop" on ''The Paul Hogan Show'', and he was instrumental in the introduction of World Serie ...
and their accountant Anthony Stewart, who it suspected channelled millions of dollars from the proceeds of the film ''
Crocodile Dundee ''Crocodile Dundee'' (stylized as ''"Crocodile" Dundee'' in the U.S.) is a 1986 action comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee, and American actress Linda Kozlowski as ...
'' and other films into offshore
tax haven A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...
s. The release of the documents was expected to help finalise the Tax Office's case. On 20 August 2010, Hogan returned to Australia to attend his mother's funeral. Upon arrival, he was issued a Departure Prohibition Order by the ATO, which prevented him from leaving the country until his alleged tax debt was paid or settled. The nation's tax office said he owed taxes on AU$37.5 million of undeclared income. On 3 September, Hogan was granted permission to return to the U.S. through an agreement between his lawyers and Australian tax officials. Hogan continued to deny any wrongdoing in the case. In November 2010, the Australian Tax Office dropped its criminal investigation of Hogan and his business manager for tax evasion. In January 2011, Hogan's lawyer announced that Hogan was suing the Australian government, stating that Hogan's "earning potential and reputation has been decimated". Hogan likened the Australian Tax Office to the
Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
and referred to staff as "a-holes". In May 2012, it was announced that, following mediation before an ex–High Court judge, the entities settled with the Commissioner of Taxation in an agreement "without admission". The parties agreed that the terms of the settlement would remain confidential, but as part of the settlement, the Departure Prohibition Order was revoked by the Commissioner. As of April 2013, Hogan's financial advisor Stewart remained in a dispute with the Australian Tax Office. Hogan then reappeared in the media in April 2013, because of a AU$32.3 million issue with a Swiss bank run by the Geneva firm Strachans. Following the placement of the monetary sum in an offshore account for the purpose of tax avoidance, Hogan was unable to access the funds as of April 2013, and a United States court action that sought AU$80 million in damages proved unsuccessful for Hogan. Hogan publicly stated that he believes that Philip Egglishaw, the principal of Strachans and a former tax advisor to Hogan, had absconded with the money, and Hogan's American legal representative Schuyler "Sky" Moore filed corresponding documents in a Californian Court based on this statement. On 18 April 2013, it was reported that Egglishaw denied the allegations of his former client. In May 2017, Chris Jordan, Commissioner of Taxation, implied that in spite of Hogan's claim of victory over the ATO in 2012, Hogan paid "tens of millions of dollars" to settle the matter. In response, Hogan denied paying the ATO, and criticised Jordan for breaking the confidentiality clause of the 2012 agreement.


Filmography


Acting


Writing


Producing


Himself


References


External links

* *
Biography of Paul Hogan's film career

Laughterlog.com
article with complete list of Paul Hogan Shows
Paul Hogan at the National Film and Sound Archive

Paul Hogan on Picture Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hogan, Paul 1939 births Living people 20th-century Australian male actors 21st-century Australian male actors Australian autobiographers Australian comedians Australian expatriate male actors in the United States Australian male comedians Australian male film actors Australian male television actors Australian of the Year Award winners Australian people of Irish descent Australian republicans Comedians from Sydney Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Logie Award winners Male actors from Sydney Members of the Order of Australia People from the Orana (New South Wales)