Hugo Wallace Weaving (born April 4, 1960) is a Nigerian-born English-Australian film and stage actor.

Hugo Weaving was born in British Nigeria to parents Wallace and Anne. He spent his childhood in South Africa and then moved to the United Kingdom in his teens. While in England he attended the prestigious, academically selective boarding school, Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, commonly known as QEH school in Bristol. He arrived in Australia in 1976 and attended Sydney's Knox Grammar School. Weaving then graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art, or NIDA, in 1981.

Career

Weaving's first major role was in the television series Bodyline in 1984, as the English captain, Douglas Jardine. Weaving appeared in the Australian film The Dirtwater Dynasty in 1988 and later starred opposite Nicole Kidman in the 1989 film Bangkok Hilton. In 1991 Weaving received the Australian Film Institute's award for "Best Actor" for his performance in the low-budget Proof. He also appeared as Sir John in the 1993 Yahoo Serious comedy, Reckless Kelly, a lampoon of the famous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. However, Weaving first received attention overseas with the international hit Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994. In 1998, Weaving received the award for "Best Actor" from the Montreal Film Festival for his performance in The Interview. Also he played Poseidon in the mini-series adaptation of the Odyssey. Weaving was also a voice actor in the cartoon film 'The Magic Pudding'.

It was his role as the enigmatic Agent Smith in the 1999 blockbuster The Matrix which made Weaving a globally recognized face. Weaving reprised the role of Smith in the 2003 sequels to The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Weaving has continued his success in the role of the elf Elrond in the three-film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings released between 2001 and 2003.

Weaving was the main actor in Andrew Kotatko's Everything Goes (2004) and plays the title role in the 2006 film V for Vendetta, in which he was reunited with the Wachowski brothers, creators of The Matrix trilogy, as a last minute replacement for actor James Purefoy, who pulled out four weeks into filming.

Weaving also provides the main voice over for The Lord of the Rings PC game, The Battle for Middle-earth II.

In addition to his career in film, Weaving has continued working as a stage actor, regularly appearing in productions by the Sydney Theatre Company. In 2006 he is working with Cate Blanchett on a reprise of the STC production of Hedda Gabler to be restaged in New York City.

Filmography (partial)

• V for Vendetta (2006), as V
• Little Fish (2005), as Lionel Dawson
• Peaches (2004), as Alan
• Everything Goes (2004), as Ray
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) as Elrond
• The Matrix Revolutions (2003), as Agent Smith
• After the Deluge (2003), as Martin Kirby
• The Matrix Reloaded (2003), as Agent Smith
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), as Elrond
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), as Elrond
• Russian Doll (2001), as Harvey
• The Old Man Who Read Love Stories (2001), as Rubicondo (Dentist)
• Strange Planet (1999), as Steven
• Little Echo Lost (1999), as Echo Man
• The Matrix (1999), as Agent Smith
• Babe: Pig in the City (1998), as the voice of Rex the Male Sheepdog
• Bedrooms and Hallways (1998) as Jeremy
• The Interview (1998), as Eddie Rodney Fleming
• The Kiss (1998), as Barry
• True Love and Chaos (1997) as Morris
• Halifax f.p: Isn't It Romantic (1997), as Det. Sgt. Tom Hurkos
• "Frontier" (1997), as Governor Arthur
• "Naked: Stories of Men" - Episode "Coral Island" (1996) as Martin Furlong
• "The Bite" (1996), as Jack Shannon
• "Bordertown" (1995), as Kenneth Pearson
• Babe (1995) as the voice of Rex the Male Sheepdog
• Exile (1994), as Innes
• The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), as Anthony 'Tick' Belrose/Mitzi Del Bra
• What's Going On, Frank? (1994), as Strange Packer in Supermarket
• Frauds (1993), as Jonathan Wheats
• Reckless Kelly (1993), as Sir John
• The Custodian (1993), as Det. Church
• "Seven Deadly Sins" (1993), as Lust
• Road to Alice (1992), as Morris
• Proof (1991), as Martin
• ...Almost (1990), as Jake
• "Bangkok Hilton" (1989), as Richard Carlisle
• Dadah Is Death (1988), as Geoffrey Chambers
• "The Dirtwater Dynasty" (1988), as Richard Eastwick
• The Right Hand Man (1987), as Ned Devine
• "Melba" (1987), as Charles Armstrong
• For Love Alone (1986), as Johnathan Crow
• "Bodyline" (1984), as Douglas Jardine
• The City's Edge (1983), as Andy White
• ...Maybe This Time (1980), as Student 2

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