Jack Charles (born 6 September 1943) is an Australian Aboriginal actor, musician, potter, elder and 'national treasure'.[1]
Born at Cummeragunja Mission on the Murray River, Jack Charles was taken from his mother, a Yorta Yorta woman named Blanche, at 10 months of age. He was raised at the Salvation Army's Box Hill Boys' Home in Melbourne, where he was the only indigenous child.[2]
Charles was involved in establishing indigenous theatre in Australia.[3] In 1971 he co-founded Nindethana ('place for a corroboree') at the Pram Factory in Melbourne, Australia's first indigenous theatre group. Their first hit play was called Jack Charles is Up and Fighting.[4] In 2010, Ilbijerri Theatre staged his powerful one-man show called Jack Charles v The Crown.[5]
In 1972 Charles auditioned for the role of an Australian indigenous character in a television show but was knocked back because they were "looking for an actor with blue eyes." The job infamously went to an actor of Sri Lankan descent.[6]
His screen credits include the landmark Australian film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith[7] (1978), Bedevil (1993), Blackfellas (1993) and Tom White (2004), among others.[8]
Jack Charles was the subject of Amiel Courtin-Wilson's 2008 documentary Bastardy[9] which followed him for 7 years. The film's tagline describes him as: "Addict. Homosexual. Cat burglar. Actor. Aboriginal." The film was in the official selection for Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney and Sheffield Doc/Fest film festivals.