Jack Charles

Jack Charles (born 6 September 1943) is an Australian Aboriginal actor, musician, potter, elder and 'national treasure'.

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.

Charles was involved in establishing indigenous theatre in Australia. 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. In 2010, Ilbijerri Theatre staged his powerful one-man show called Jack Charles v The Crown.

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.

His screen credits include the landmark Australian film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978), Bedevil (1993), Blackfellas (1993) and Tom White (2004), among others.

Jack Charles was the subject of Amiel Courtin-Wilson's 2008 documentary Bastardy 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.