Bryan Brown
"I’m a Sydney suburban boy shaped entirely by the western suburbs."
Bryan Brown is one of the most recognisable faces the screen, as he is an Australian actor with more than 80 film and television projects to his name. He is most well-known for projects such as Gorillas in the Mist, Along Came Polly, Australia, and Gods of Egypt. He was also in The Thorn Birds, for which he received an Emmy Award, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
In more recent years, Bryan has turned his hand to writing. He published Sweet Jimmy in 2021, a crime novel that offers a collection of short stories that will keep you guessing. Brown followed up with The Drowning, which still sits within the crime genre but this time offers a full-blown novel that starts with the discovery of a teenage boy’s body on a New South Wales beach.
Meet Bryan Brown
Bryan Brown was born in the south-western suburbs of Sydney in 1947. Despite starting his career in finance, he soon made the shift to acting after performing in amateur theatre shows.
In his 20s, Bryan moved to Britain for a time to act in minor theatre roles, before returning to Australia to join the Genesian Theatre in Sydney and the Queensland Theatre Company. Soon after, he made his cinema debut in Scobie Malone with just two lines of dialogue.
He spent the next several years picking up minor roles, and eventually started to land leading roles, such as The Odd Angry Shot and Palm Beach. It wasn’t until the 80s when he truly broke through with bigger roles, eventually landing the lead in the television miniseries A Town Like Alice.
Brown has been part of the Logie Hall of Fame since 1989, and twice received the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2005, he became a member of the Order of Australia, and the Bryan Brown Theatre & Function Centre in Sydney is named after him.
What genre does Bryan Brown write in?
He writes crime fiction, including a collection of short crime stories and a full-length crime novel with suspense and mystery elements.
Which books has Bryan Brown published?
Published titles include Sweet Jimmy (2021), a collection of crime short stories, and The Drowning, a crime novel that begins with the discovery of a teenage boy’s body on a New South Wales beach.
Where should I start reading Bryan Brown’s work?
If you prefer short fiction, start with Sweet Jimmy. If you want a single extended mystery, begin with The Drowning.
Are Bryan Brown’s books part of a series or are they standalones?
His published fiction to date are standalones; there is no indication they form a continuing series.
What settings and themes appear in his books?
Themes center on crime, suspense, and mystery. The Drowning is set on a New South Wales beach; Sweet Jimmy is a set of crime stories whose specific settings vary by story.