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Travis Fimmel (born 15 July 1979) is an Australian actor and former model. He is known for his role as
Ragnar Lothbrok according to legends, was a Viking hero and a Danish and Swedish king.Gutenberg Projec ...
in the
History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
television series ''
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
'' (2013–2017),Prudom, Laur
Vikings On History: Travis Fimmel Previews The Journey Of Ragnar Lothbrok
The Huffington Post, 4 March 2013

The Huffington Post, Retrieved 5 April 2013
and as Anduin Lothar in the live-action adaptation of ''Warcraft'' (2016). He also starred in the
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
science fiction series '' Raised by Wolves'' (2020–2022).


Early life and modelling

Fimmel was born near
Echuca Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative centre and larges ...
,
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
, Australia. He was raised on a 5,500-acre dairy farm in Lockington. The youngest of three brothers, he is the son of Jennie, a recreation officer for the disabled, and Chris, a cattle farmer. Aspiring to be a professional
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
er, Fimmel moved to
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
to play for the
St Kilda Football Club The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed the Saints, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier league. The club's name originates ...
in the
AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
, but a broken leg sidelined him before the season began.SPE Networks-Asia, Sony Entertainment official website, , Retrieved 25 March 2011 He was accepted into
RMIT RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public university, public research university in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1887 by Francis Ormond, RMIT began as a night school offering cla ...
to study commercial architecture and engineering but later deferred to travel abroad.Lee, Luain
'The Beast's' Travis Fimmel is Happy Down on the Farm
The Denver Post, 28 January 2009
Fimmel's modelling career began when he was spotted working out at a gym in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn by the flatmate of Matthew Anderson, a talent scout for the Chadwick Models agency. Fimmel headed to the United States and was signed on the spot with agency LA Models in 2002 after walking into their office broke and barefoot. Cast by Jennifer Starr, he became the first male in the world to secure a six-figure deal to model exclusively for
Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, an ...
for a year, and the last to be personally contracted by the brand's eponymous designer. He fronted CK's Crave men's fragrance campaign and modelled the brand's famous underwear. It was reported that one of his London billboards had to be pulled down after complaints from an auto club of traffic congestion and accidents by 'rubbernecking' female drivers, but Fimmel insisted the story started with a rumour spread on the internet.Tai, Elizabet
Partners in Crime Drama
10 May 2009
He was named one of the world's sexiest bachelors by America's ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'' magazine in 2002 and at the time was regarded as "the most in-demand male model in the world".People Magazine, 24 June 2002 It has been suggested by some journalists that Fimmel was the inspiration for ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...
'' heartthrob 'Jerry' Smith Jerrod.The Daily Telegrap
Travis Fimmel Shows Off His Body at Hollywood Ashes
11 May 2009
Fimmel appeared on various magazine covers, including France's ''Numero Homme'' and America's ''TV Guide'', turning down an offer from 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 ...
to be a guest judge on the TV series '' Make Me A Supermodel''.


Acting career

Fimmel began his career by appearing in
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's "Someone to Call My Lover" music video as well as " I'm Real" (original version) of
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...
(both 2001). He studied under Hollywood acting coach
Ivana Chubbuck Ivana Chubbuck is an American acting coach who heads a drama school in Los Angeles and also hosts acting workshops worldwide. She is the author of the best-selling book ''The Power of the Actor'', published by a division of Penguin Books Pen ...
, taking two years to pluck up the courage to audition for his first role, saying "half of acting is overcoming your fears ndletting yourself be vulnerable in front of people". He landed the title lead in
The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
series ''
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (2003), described by CNN as one of the "five hottest things happening in entertainment right now”, in which he did most of his own stunts. In addition, he appeared in two television pilots: The WB's drama ''Rocky Point'' with Lauren Holly in 2005, and the Fox crime thriller ''Southern Comfort'' with Madeleine Stowe in 2006. Fimmel has played a diverse spectrum of characters on the small and big screens. In 2008, he portrayed a murderer in ''Restraint'' and a party boy in ''Surfer, Dude'' with
Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...
and
Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
. In 2010, he portrayed a compassionate cowboy in '' Pure Country 2: The Gift'' and a forensic photographer in Australian horror film '' Needle'', co-starring
Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his breakout role in ''The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987) and since then he has had roles in films such as '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010) ...
. He depicted a talented classical pianist in ''Ivory'', a "creative, edgy, out-of-the box" independent film that was an Official Selection in the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival and the Strasbourg International Film Festival. Produced by
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 ...
-winner Gray Frederickson and co-starring
Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...
and
Peter Stormare Rolf Peter Ingvar Storm (born August 27, 1953), better known as Peter Stormare (), is a Swedish actor who holds both Swedish and American citizenship. He played Gaear Grimsrud in the film '' Fargo'' (1996) and John Abruzzi in the television ser ...
, ''Ivory'' "details the troubled lives of classical pianists at a major American conservatory as they confront personal and professional rivalry during the rigors of training". Fimmel played Helweg, a prison guard in the 2010 film '' The Experiment''. It was reported that the role originally went to Elijah Wood, who pulled out of shooting for reasons unknown, so Fimmel instead took the job. The film is based on a real-life experiment on volunteers by
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
that was cut short after spinning out of control, with 'guards' exhibiting sadistic behaviour and 'prisoners' suffering depression. Fimmel starred opposite
Patrick Swayze Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...
in A&E's 2009 series '' The Beast''. He played rookie undercover FBI agent Ellis Dove partnered with a hardened veteran cop, Swayze's Charles Barker. Production ceased after 13 episodes due to Swayze's death from pancreatic cancer.Sydney Morning Heral
Patrick Swayze Dead
15 September 2009
He played fugitive Mason Boyle in two episodes of
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
's 2010 action-adventure ''
Chase Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national bank based in New York City, New York * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturing company * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in England * Chase C ...
'' (season 1, episodes 1 and 8), produced by
Jerry Bruckheimer Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1943) is an American film and television producer. He has been active in the genres of action, drama, fantasy, and science fiction. His films include '' Flashdance'', ''Top Gun'', '' The Rock'', '' ...
. Fimmel appeared in FX's TV pilot ''Outlaw Country'' in 2011 with
Luke Grimes Luke Timothy Grimes (born January 21, 1984) is an American actor. He is known for his role as real life Navy SEAL Marc Alan Lee in the acclaimed film ''American Sniper''. He played Christian Grey's brother, Elliot, in the film ''Fifty Shades of ...
, described as a "modern drama set against the back drop of a southern organized crime family".Kroll, Justi
Travis Fimmel to Star in FX's 'Outlaw Country'
, 9 September 2010
According to ''Variety'' magazine, he plays a rugged, "hard-drinking gang member and the main character's best friend". He co-starred with
Billy Bob Thornton Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. He had his first break when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller ''One False Move'', and received international attention after writing, directing, a ...
and Eva Longoria in the 2013 redneck Southern comedy flick '' The Baytown Outlaws'', playing one of the three hapless Oodie brothers who bites off more than he can chew when he agrees to help a woman get her godson back from her deadbeat ex-husband. Fimmel plays the lead in 2012's ''Harodim'', originally titled ''The Lazarus Protocol'', with
Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...
as a former intelligence officer trained in black ops tracking down the world's most wanted terrorist who is compromised by his own
chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...
. Fimmel was signed as the lead character for four seasons in the drama television series ''
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
'', co-starring
Alexander Ludwig Alexander Ludwig (born May 7, 1992) is a Canadian actor and country musician. He first began his career as a child, and then received recognition as a teenager for starring in the films '' The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising'' (2007) and '' Race to W ...
,
Katheryn Winnick Katheryn Winnick (born December 17, 1977) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her starring roles in the television series ''Vikings'' (2013–2020), ''Wu Assassins'' (2019), and '' Big Sky'' (2020–present), and her recurring role on the tele ...
,
Gabriel Byrne Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, audiobook narrator, and author. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined London's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's s ...
and
Linus Roache Linus William Roache (born 1 February 1964) is a British actor. He is known for playing Executive ADA Michael Cutter in the NBC dramas ''Law & Order'' (2008–2010) and '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2011–2012). More recently, Roach ...
. Premiering in 2013, the show was filmed in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
and chronicles "the extraordinary and ferocious world of the mighty
Norsemen The Norsemen (or Norse people) were a North Germanic ethnolinguistic group of the Early Middle Ages, during which they spoke the Old Norse language. The language belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages and is the ...
who raided, traded and explored during
The Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
." He played a character loosely based on Ragnar Loðbrók, the legendary
Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
leader who is frustrated by the unadventurous tendencies of his local chieftain and strikes out to pillage new lands. ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' described Fimmel's performance as "engaging", while ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' called it his "breakout role". Fimmel starred as military commander Anduin Lothar in ''
Warcraft ''Warcraft'' is a franchise of video games, novels, and other media created by Blizzard Entertainment. The series is made up of five core games: '' Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'', '' Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness'', '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chao ...
'' (2016), a live-action film adaptation of the ''
Warcraft ''Warcraft'' is a franchise of video games, novels, and other media created by Blizzard Entertainment. The series is made up of five core games: '' Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'', '' Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness'', '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chao ...
'' video game franchise. It was reported that a horse spooked by a wind fan collapsed on Fimmel while performing one of his own stunts but he emerged unscathed. He was cast as a quirky hipster in romantic comedy '' Maggie's Plan'' with
Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...
and
Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, ...
, and a loving but irresponsible father in ''
Lean on Pete ''Lean on Pete'' is a 2017 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Andrew Haigh, based on the novel of the same name by Willy Vlautin. It stars Charlie Plummer, Chloë Sevigny, Travis Fimmel and Steve Buscemi, and follows a 1 ...
'' with
Charlie Plummer Charlie Faulkner Plummer is an American actor. Plummer began his career as a child actor in short films before appearing on the television dramas ''Boardwalk Empire'' and ''Granite Flats.'' In 2019, he starred in the Hulu miniseries '' Looking fo ...
and
Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...
. Named as the ''2017 Actor of the Year'' in ''GQ Australia's Men of the Year Awards'', Fimmel told the audience in his characteristic self-deprecating style, "I'm not sure how I got this, but I demand a recount". In February 2018, Fimmel was announced as the lead actor in the upcoming film '' Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan'', playing the role of Major Harry Smith who led soldiers under his command against the
Viet Cong , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...
during the
Battle of Long Tan The Battle of Long Tan (18 August 1966) took place in a rubber plantation near Long Tân, in Phước Tuy Province, South Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. The action was fought between Viet Cong (VC) and People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) units ...
in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. It is based on the historic account of 105 Australian soldiers and 3 New Zealand soldiers who defeated an estimated 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers in a rubber plantation near
Nui Dat Nui Dat (Núi Đất) is a former 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) base now part of Ba Ria city in Ba Ria–Vung Tau province, Vietnam. It is not the name of an official ward, it just means "dirt hill" ( núi đất). History 1966–1972 In ...
on 17 August 1966. He co-stars opposite fellow Australian
Margot Robbie Margot Elise Robbie (; born 2 July 1990) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbuster and independent films, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Glob ...
in the indie film '' Dreamland''. Set in the 1930s
Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) a ...
, the story follows a teenage boy on his quest to beat out the FBI to capture a fugitive bank robber in order to claim a bounty and save the family farm. His next film is ''
El Tonto ''Fool's Paradise'' is a 2023 American satirical comedy film written and directed by Charlie Day in his directorial debut. The film stars Day, Ken Jeong, Kate Beckinsale, Adrien Brody, Jason Sudeikis, Edie Falco, Jason Bateman, Common, Ray ...
'', a comedy written, directed by and starring
Charlie Day Charles Peckham Day (born February 9, 1976) is an American actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is best known for playing Charlie Kelly on the FX comedy ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present), which he co-created with Rob ...
. In 2020, he appears in
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
's science fiction drama '' Raised by Wolves'' from director
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...
and
Scott Free Productions Scott Free Productions is an independent film and television production company founded in 1970 by filmmakers and brothers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. They formed the feature film development company Percy Main Productions in 1980, naming th ...
.


Personal life

Fimmel's favourite recreational activities include
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
, fishing, camping, horse riding, surfing, riding motorbikes and going to the beach. Fimmel also played a celebrity
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
match in the 2009 Australia vs England Hollywood Ashes with fellow Australian actors
Jesse Spencer Jesse Gordon Spencer (born 12 February 1979) is an Australian actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Billy Kennedy on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' (1994–2000, 2005, 2022), Robert Chase on the American medical drama ...
from ''
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...
'',
Cameron Daddo Cameron Peter Daddo (born 7 March 1965) is an Australian actor, musician and presenter. From 1987 to 1988, he hosted dating game show '' Perfect Match Australia''. He won two Logie Awards for his performances in '' Golden Fiddles'' and ''Track ...
, celebrity chef Curtis Stone,
INXS INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band's founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss ...
bass guitarist
Garry Gary Beers Garry William Beers (born 22 June 1957), known as Garry Gary Beers, is an Australian musician and was the bass guitarist for the new wave rock group INXS. Career Garry William Beers was born to Lola (died 2011) and William Beers. William Beer ...
and cricket fast bowler
Michael Kasprowicz Michael Scott Kasprowicz (born 10 February 1972) is a former Australian international cricketer, who played all formats of the game. He is a right arm fast bowler. He represented Queensland and played in the English county scene at first cla ...
.Aussies Defeat England in Hollywood Ashes 2009
14 May 2009
Fimmel is an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations


See also

*
List of male underwear models The following is a list of male underwear models. This is not a complete list and includes men who have modeled underwear as well as fashion apparel from all over the world. This list excludes models dedicated to pornographic and erotic photogra ...


References


External links

*
Travis Fimmel's pics and bio in hola.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fimmel, Travis 1979 births Living people Australian expatriates in the United States Australian expatriates in England Australian male film actors Australian male models Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia) Australian male television actors People from Victoria (Australia) People from Echuca 21st-century Australian male actors Australian atheists