Steve Bisley

Steve Bisley (born 26 December 1951) is an Australian film and television actor, best known for his roles in the films Mad Max and The Great Gatsby, and as Detective Sergeant Jack Christey in the television series Water Rats.

Bisley was born at Lake Munmorah, New South Wales. He attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating with a degree in Acting in 1977.

Bisley's major television roles have included A Town Like Alice as well as the Australian police dramas Water Rats, Police Rescue, and Halifax f.p.. He had a role in the Australian television medical drama series The Flying Doctors. He also had a regular appearance in the third and final season of the critically acclaimed Australian satirical television series Frontline. He Played Joe Byrne in The Last Outlaw TV mini series. Bisley also played Dr Henry King in the ABC-TV series G.P.

In his youth and continuing to present day he has been close friends with actor Mel Gibson, with whom he attended NIDA and starred in the movies Summer City (1977) and Mad Max (1979). The latter role is his best-known performance, in which he played "Jim Goose", the best friend and partner to Gibson's character. The Mad Max trilogy has since became a cult classic, and was the film that launched Gibson to mainstream stardom. Bisley and Gibson also starred together in The Chain Reaction (1980), in which Gibson only appeared in a brief cameo role. His other film credits include roles in The Highest Honor (1983), The Winds of Jarrah (1983), Fast Talking (1984), Silver City (1984), The Big Steal (1990), Over the Hill (1992), and "Red Hill" (2010), the gritty Australian drama in which Bisley played the Police Inspector "Old Bill".

Bisley is also a well-known stage actor, appearing in Drama productions. His stage roles include that of Banjo Paterson in the musical theatre production of The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular – from August 2002 through to October 2002.

In July 2003, he presented a season of television documentaries on the National Geographic Channel. In 2004 he guest starred in the Australian TV drama Stingers.

Bisley appeared in the first three seasons of the Australian TV drama Sea Patrol as Commander Steve Marshall.

In 2013, he appeared as Dan Cody in Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby. He released his autobiography, Stillways: A Memoir in the same year, and was subsequently shortlisted for the 2014 Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, the Queensland Literary Awards, and the 2014 National Biography Awards.

In 2016, Bisley appeared as Harry Firth in the two-part Australian miniseries Brock which premiered on Network Ten on 9 October. The miniseries was based on the life of Australian motor racing legend Peter Brock.

Personal life

Steve Bisley has been married and divorced twice. His first wife was Shauna Forrest and the couple have four children. During the 1980s Forrest was a costume designer for models and actresses.

His second wife was Sally Burleigh, a media publicist, they married in 2000 and had two children before divorcing in 2006. In September 2009 Bisley was charged with assaulting Burleigh and, on 15 September 2010, he was found guilty and sentenced to "300 hours community service". Bisley lodged an appeal against the conviction. In July 2013 while promoting his autobiography, Stillways: A Memoir, he described the assault as "a push and shove incident with high emotion displayed on both sides".

Bisley's plaque at the Australian Film Walk of Fame, The Ritz Cinema, Randwick, Sydney

• Winner AFI award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1984 film Silver City.
• Winner AFI award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1990 film The Big Steal.
• Member of the Australian Film Walk of Fame in recognition of his film and television career.