Paul Hogan

This article's introduction section may not adequately summarize its contents. To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. (September 2009)

Paul Hogan, AM (born 8 October 1939) is an Australian actor and comedian most famous for his role as Crocodile Dundee, for which he won a Golden Globe award.

Early life and career

Hogan was born in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales and went on to become a painter working on the Sydney Harbour Bridge before rising to fame in the early 1970s after a comical interview on A Current Affair. Hogan followed this with his own comedy sketch programme, The Paul Hogan Show, which he produced, co-wrote, and in which he played a panoply of characters with John Cornell. The series, which ran for 60 episodes between 1973 and 1984, was popular both in his native country and in the UK, and showcased his trademark lighthearted but laddish "Aussie Ocker" humour. In 1985, Hogan was awarded Australian of the Year and was also appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Paul Hogan advertised Winfield cigarettes successfully in the 1970s: the campaign took the brand from zero market share to market leader within a few years,^[1] and Hogan's catchphrase, "Anyhow, have a Winfield" became closely associated with the product.

During the early 1980s, Hogan filmed a series of television ads promoting the Australian tourism industry, which aired in the United States. In particular the advertisement featuring the phrase Shrimp on the barbie which aired from 1984, was particularly successful.^[2] Throughout the decade, he appeared on British television in a long-running series of advertisements for Foster's Lager, 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.

Film breakthrough

Hogan's first film, Crocodile Dundee (1986), featuring a similarly down-to-earth hunter traveling from the Australian Outback to New York City, was privately funded by Hogan and a group of private investors including much of its cast, entrepreneur Kerry Packer, and cricketers Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh. Hogan also wrote the screenplay.

Crocodile Dundee became the most successful Australian film ever, and launched Hogan's international film career. It won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and two BAFTA Award nominations (one for Best Actor, one for Best Original Screenplay). Following the success of Crocodile Dundee Hogan starred in the sequel, Crocodile Dundee II in 1988, and starred in a handful of other films such as Almost an Angel, Flipper, Lightning Jack and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles.

In the early 2000s Hogan was a spokesman for Subaru, promoting their Outback models.

In an interview with Ray Martin, Hogan spoke of some of the films he has declined in his career, including Ghost and Three Men and a Baby.

In October 2008 Hogan shot a new film in Australia with Dean Murphy directing and Shane Jacobson, the star of Kenny, co-starring. The film, Charlie and Boots, was shot in Echuca in the state of Victoria, and in surrounding areas.

Personal life

Hogan and his first wife Noelene married in 1958. They separated and divorced in 1981 but remarried less than a year later. Their second divorce began in 1986 and was considered one of Australia's "ugliest celebrity divorces." ^[3] Hogan married his Dundee co-star Linda Kozlowski in 1990. He has five children from his first marriage and one from his second marriage. The couple resides in California, United States.

Tax problems

He has been named as one of a group in connection to a AU$300 million Australian tax fraud investigation called Operation Wickenby, investigating 23 companies for allegedly using overseas companies to hide income.^[4] In July 2008, Hogan commented to Network Ten that he had "paid plenty of tax" in Australia and that he had nothing to fear from the Australian Taxation Office investigation.^[5]

In October 2008, Hogan scored a major victory in his tax fight with the Australian Crime Commission, 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.^[6] Hogan has not been charged in connection with the investigation, which began in 2003.^[6]

Filmography

Acting

Writing

Producing

Himself

References

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (August 2008)

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Paul Hogan

• Paul Hogan at the Internet Movie Database
• 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