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Paul Mercurio

 
Actor: Paul Mercurio
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  • Born: Mar 31, 1963 in Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '90s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Strictly Ballroom, Joseph, Sydney: A Story of a City
  • First Major Screen Credit: Strictly Ballroom (1992)

Biography

A lifelong dancer whose inspiration sprang from watching the legendary moves of Elvis as a child, handsome actor/choreographer Paul Mercurio is the man responsible for the memorable moves in such films as Baz Luhrmann's 1992 breakthrough Strictly Ballroom and the 1999 dance drama Kick. A native of Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia, Mercurio's early viewing of Jailhouse Rock prompted an enrollment in ballet school, and his supporting mother would offer just the sort of encouragement needed to provide him with confidence in his abilities. An avid surfer as well, Mercurio subsequently attended the John Curtain College of the Arts before winning a scholarship to the West Australian Ballet Company. Although Mercurio would view himself as something of an outsider at the Australian Ballet School of Melbourne, an offer from the Sydney Dance Company served as a bit of consolation, and the burgeoning dancer made friends with the city's social outcasts at a Darlinghurst cafe -- relationships that eventually resulted in his acclaimed Cafe dance. His association with the SDC found him gaining increased recognition in the Australian dance scene, and following his work on Strictly Ballroom, Mercurio was in high demand for numerous stage productions. Honing his acting skills in such efforts as Exit to Eden (1994) and Back of Beyond (1995), Mercurio took the lead in the 1995 film Joseph before appearing on the Australian television series Medivac in 1996. Though subsequent roles in Kick (1999) and The Finder (2001) would find Mercurio in relatively low-key roles, he maintained a high profile in the Australian dance scene and opened a brewpub just outside of Sydney around the millennial turnover. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Paul Mercurio
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For the comedian, see Paul Mecurio.
Paul Joseph Mercurio
Born March 31, 1963 (1963-03-31) (age 46)
Swan Hill, Victoria
Spouse(s) Andrea Mercurio
Official website

Paul Joseph Mercurio (born 31 March 1963) is an Australian actor and dancer who was the star of Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom (1992). His father is character actor Gus Mercurio.

Mercurio was one of four judges on the Australian version of the popular television show Dancing with the Stars which was broadcast in Australia on Channel Seven from 2004 to 2007. He was dropped as a judge from the 2008 version. He has been a judge in the New Zealand version since 2006.

As an actor, Mercurio is best remembered internationally for his lead role as rebel "Scott Hastings" in Baz Luhrmann's movie Strictly Ballroom. He is also an accomplished dramatic actor, appearing in popular Australian shows: Blue Heelers, All Saints, Murder Call, Medivac, Heartbreak High, Water Rats and The Day of the Roses.

Biography

Born in Swan Hill, Victoria in 1963, Mercurio began ballet at nine. By the age of 19, in 1982, he was Principal Dancer with the Sydney Dance Company — a position he held for ten years. During this time, he was commissioned to choreograph six works performed by the company.

Mercurio left the Sydney Dance Company to found the Australian Choreographic Ensemble which danced from 1992-1998, where he was the Director, Principal Dancer and Principal Choreographer.

Mercurio made his film debut in Strictly Ballroom, receiving an Australian Film Institute Award nomination in 1993. His film credits have since included: Exit to Eden, Back of Beyond, Cosi, Red Ribbon Blues, Welcome to Woop Woop, The Dark Planet, The First 9 1/2 Weeks, Kick and Sydney: A Story of a City. He also starred, wrote, choreographed, produced and directed the short film Spilt Milk. Mercurio made his TV debut in a documentary on his life called Life's Burning Desire in 1992. He starred in the lead role of Joseph in the Emmy award–winning US TV mini-series The Bible: Joseph, in 1995.

Today, Mercurio continues to dance and choreograph professionally. He was a movement consultant on the Will Smith movie I, Robot, and has choreographed a USA TV campaign for Coca Cola, the Harry M Miller production of Jesus Christ Superstar and Annie Get Your Gun.

In January 2004, he appeared on stage in The Full Monty. Mercurio was also a judge on both the Australian and New Zealand versions of Dancing with the Stars until it was announced on the 12th August 2008 that he had been dropped from the judging panel of the Australian version. He has been named a judge in the 2009 New Zealand series [1].

In 2008, Paul began hosting a series called Mercurio's Menu where he travels Australia cooking in different locations.

Mercurio also teaches full time students at Dance World Studios in Melbourne, Australia

References

  1. ^ "New faces for Dancing with the Stars". TVNZ. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488124/2419826. Retrieved on 01 March 2009. 

External links

News.com.au- Paul Mercurio out of Dancing and Ian Dickinson's Idol fears- http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,24166721-5016681,00.html


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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