Veteran Australian actor Bryan Brown may be 78 years old, but retirement remains firmly off the table for the prolific performer and writer. In a revealing interview conducted during a walk through Sydney's Balmain district, Brown shared insights into his latest creative chapter as a published crime novelist and his enduring passion for storytelling.
From Screen to Page: A New Writing Discipline
Brown has established a remarkably disciplined writing routine despite his busy acting schedule. He dedicates two hours daily between 11am and 1pm to his literary pursuits, producing workmanlike, staccato sentences that emphasise Australian vernacular. His second novel, The Hidden, recently released, explores dark underworld themes including drug running by bikie gangs in regional Australia, hidden cameras and cockfighting.
"For the past 50 years, I've been telling stories and working in film and television," Brown explained, suggesting his extensive experience in the industry naturally lends itself to novel writing. "I work with writers, I do produce as well. So, maybe, that lends itself to how I see stories."
A Life in Motion: No Plans to Slow Down
At 78, Brown maintains a lean and agile physique through morning stretching, bending and weight resistance exercises, having taken up pilates a decade ago. His acting career continues unabated, with recent projects including The Travellers, which reunited him with director Bruce Beresford more than 40 years after they made Breaker Morant together.
"I don't like the idea of sitting in, stopping or anything," Brown reflected when questioned about potential retirement. "I don't even think about not working, you know?" This busyness extends to potential future projects, including plans for a third series of comedy-mystery Darby and Joan, in which he co-stars with Greta Scacchi.
Early Influences and Working-Class Roots
Brown's upbringing in the south-western Sydney suburb of Panania profoundly influences his perspective on storytelling. Raised primarily by his mother Molly after his salesman father left when Brown was a toddler, he sometimes accompanied his mother when she cleaned houses. He recalls her attitude with admiration: "She never envied them or anything, she always was admiring that people had done things, but it never made her feel less, you know?"
This working-class background fuels Brown's belief that everyone has a story worth telling. "Some of the stories just make you stand there with your mouth agape at the struggle that someone's gone through," he observed. "They don't see their own life has a value and a respect, you know?"
Brown's journey to acting began unexpectedly at age 20 while working at an insurance company, when he was invited to audition for an end-of-year review. After four years in amateur theatre, he took his mother's advice to "do it properly" and travelled to England in 1972 to pursue acting professionally.
Now balancing dual careers as both actor and author, Brown remains content to let others adapt his novels for screen, despite his producing experience. "I'm not gonna be the pain in the arse to someone else," he stated, demonstrating the practical wisdom that has sustained his remarkable five-decade career in the arts.
