Kelton Pell

Kelton Pell is an Indigenous Australian stage, TV and film actor, perhaps best known for his role as the court liaison officer, Sam Wallan in the SBS legal drama The Circuit set in north-western Australia. Pell is from Western Australia

Career

Pell has been a stage presence in the theatre since 1985, performing for the Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre, the Black Swan Theatre Company and the Sydney Theatre Company. Many of these performances were of plays which grew from indigenous themes.[1]

In 2000 Pell along with Ningali Lawford and Phil Thomson wrote a show for the Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre called Solid, whose premiere performance was at the Perth International Arts Festival. Because of its sensitive indigenous subject matter, before the premiere the play was performed for, and to the approval of, 2000 Indigenous Australians.[2]

Recently Pell performed in several productions of the Stephen Page directed Bloodland, a play with a Romeo and Juliette type story. The play features traditional languages and Pidgin English, as well as song and dance.[3] As to versatility, he has even been in performances of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Kelton Pell is a familiar face on Australian television, having been seen in the young TV show Bush Patrol and the SBS series, The Circuit, a legal drama set in the Kimberley. In 2012 he starred in an episode of the highly regarded TV series, Redfern Now, as a well-to-do Indigenous Australian living in Redfern, whose life seems to be exemplary, though he has been receiving government benefit money fraudulently.[4]

Screen career

Year Program Role Notes
1993 Blackfellas Willice film
1996 The Adventures of the Bush Patrol    Wazza TV series cast member
2001 One Night the Moon Albert Yang, the tracker musical non-feature film   
2002 Confessions Of A Headhunter Vinnie, the artist short film
2002 Australian Rules Tommy Red film
2007 September Michael Parker, Paddy's father film
2007-2010   The Circuit Sam Wallan, a court liaison officer    TV series cast member
2009 Last Ride Lyle, a park ranger film
2011 Mad Bastards Mad Dog film
2011 Cloudstreet Bob Crab TV mini-series
2012 Redfern Now Raymond TV series (1 episode)
2013 The Gods of Wheat Street Odin Freeburn Mini-series

Awards

Pell has won the following awards:

Private life

Pell is married to Susan Pell and together they have two children, Stephen and Marissa.

Another child, Tahlia, tragically took her own life in 2008 at the age of 20, an event which led to the production of a community service announcement for Kids Help Line, which features a song dedicated to Tahlia.[6]

References

  1. "Kelton Pell". Sue Barnett & Associates. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  2. Andrea Mitchell (October 26, 2000). "Interview with Phil Thomson, SOLID's director". Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  3. "Bloodland". QPAC. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  4. "Redfern Now - Raymond". the ABC. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  5. "Meet the Cast: Kelton Pell". SBS. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  6. "too many ... too soon". The CorriLee Foundation. Retrieved November 24, 2012. See the video

External links