Paul Mercurio

Mercurio was born in Swan Hill, Victoria in March 1963, his father was American character actor and boxer Gus Mercurio. Paul began ballet at nine. When his parents separated in 1969, he moved to Perth, Western Australia with his mother, where he grew up in housing commissions and attended John Curtin Senior High School, now known as John Curtin College of the Arts{{Cite web|url=https://www.jc.wa.edu.au/about-us/alumni/|title = Alumni | website= jc.wa.edu.au | publisher= John Curtin College of the Arts |date = 17 January 2017}} where there is a theatre named after him.{{cite web | url=https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Gallop/2001/09/Government-high-school-awarded-heritage-listing.aspx | title=Media Statements – Government high school awarded heritage listing | website=mediastatements.wa.gov.au | publisher= | date= | access-date= | archive-date=20 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120143408/https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Gallop/2001/09/Government-high-school-awarded-heritage-listing.aspx | url-status=dead }} He credits his theatre arts teacher for inspiring him to follow his dream.{{cite news| work= The Scary Guy Podcast| title= Episode 9, Season 1 |date= 31 August 2020}} Mercurio focused on acting during his high school years but after he graduated, he caught the Indian Pacific train from Perth back to Melbournesee above{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} where he studied at the Australian Ballet School.{{Cite web| title= Paul Mercurio | website= tasdancearchive.com.au| publisher= Vault, the Tasdance Archive| url= https://www.tasdancearchive.com.au/mercurio-paul/ | date= | access-date= }}

By the age of 19 in 1982, he was Principal Dancer with the Sydney Dance Company—a position he held for ten years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sydneydancecompany.com/discover/11-cafe-paul-mercurio-1989/|title = #11: Cafe, Paul Mercurio (1989) |date = 18 April 2019 | website= sydneydancecompany.com| publisher= Sydney Dance Company| access-date= }} During this time, he was commissioned to choreograph six works performed by the company.

Mercurio made his film debut in Baz Luhrmann's breakout film Strictly Ballroom, receiving an Australian Film Institute Award nomination in 1993.{{Cite web| url= https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/strictly-ballroom-wins-1992-afi-awards|title=Strictly Ballroom wins at the 1992 AFI Awards|date=7 February 2022 | website= nfsa.gov.au| publisher= National Film and Sound Archive of Australia| access-date= }} Mercurio was a choreographer on the film. Flamenco dancer Antonio Vargas, the actor who played Fran's father, also choreographed scenes in the film.End credits, Strictly Ballroom

Mercurio's other film credits include: Exit to Eden, Back of Beyond, Così, Red Ribbon Blues, Welcome to Woop Woop, The Dark Planet, The First 9½ Weeks, Kick and Sydney – A Story of a City. He starred, wrote, choreographed, produced and directed the short film Spilt Milk. Most recently, Mercurio has taken roles in independent films, such as Hunting for Shadows and A Silent Agreement with director Davo Hardy.

In 2019, Mercurio appeared in a supporting role as Sal in Promised (2019), a film directed and co-produced by Nick Conidi, and starring Tina Arena, Antoniette Iesue and Daniel Berini.{{Cite web |url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/promised-2019/36568|title = Promised (2019) – the Screen Guide | website= screenaustralia.gov.au| publisher= Screen Australia| date= | access-date= }} The film was released in Australia on 24 October 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8286090|title=Promised|website=IMDb|date=24 October 2019}}

Baz Luhrmann expressed some interest in using Mercurio in Moulin Rouge to Mercurio's agent, but after a series of failed attempts to speak to Luhrmann personally, Mercurio found out that there was no role for him in the movie via the production company.{{cite news| title= Strictly Ball Room – Paul Mercurio Reflects on a Brilliant Work| work= Time to Talk Podcast| date= 6 March 2021| url= | access-date= }} He has not appeared in any other Luhrmann films and only appears briefly in Disc 4 of Red Curtain Trilogy as a pixelated image.

Concerned about being typecast early on in his film career, Mercurio turned down the role of Adam Whitely (which instead went to Guy Pearce), in the 1994 film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.{{Cite web |last=Hirst |first=Jordan |date=2024-08-31 |title=Priscilla Queen of the Desert almost had very different cast |url=https://qnews.com.au/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-almost-had-a-very-different-cast/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=QNews |language=en-us}}

Mercurio made his TV debut in a documentary on his life called Life's Burning Desire in 1992. He starred in the lead role of Joseph in the Emmy Award-winning US TV mini-series The Bible: Joseph in 1995. Later, he joined the ensemble cast for the 1998 mini-series drama The Day of the Roses, depicting the 1977 Granville railway disaster, for which he received a Logie nomination. Throughout the 1990s, Mercurio guest-starred in Australian TV shows including Blue Heelers, All Saints, Murder Call, Medivac, Heartbreak High and Water Rats.

Mercurio was a judge on the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars until August 2008, when he was dropped from the judging panel because he was deemed "too nice" for television.{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,24166721-5016681,00.html|title=Paul Mercurio out of Dancing and Ian Dickson's Idol fears|date=12 August 2008| work= The Daily Telegraph|url-status=dead|access-date=12 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080813122524/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,24166721-5016681,00.html|archive-date=13 August 2008}} He was also a judge on the New Zealand version.{{cite web|title=New faces for Dancing with the Stars |url= http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488124/2419826|publisher=TVNZ | website= tvnz.co.nz |access-date=1 March 2009}} From 2008 to 2010 he hosted a series called Mercurio's Menu where he travelled Australia, cooking in different locations.

From 1982 until 1992 Mercurio toured with Sydney Dance Company both nationally and internationally, performing as a principal dancer and choreographing. After leaving the Sydney Dance Company, Mercurio founded the Australian Choreographic Ensemble in 1992, where he was the Director, Principal Dancer and Principal Choreographer until 1998.{{Cite web |title=Paul Mercurio |url=https://www.platinumspeakers.com.au/speaker/paul-mercurio/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.platinumspeakers.com.au |language=en-US}}

Mercurio continues to dance and choreograph professionally. He has worked as a choreographer on five films, including Strictly Ballroom and the Will Smith movie I, Robot. He has choreographed an American TV campaign for Coca-Cola, the Harry M. Miller production of Jesus Christ Superstar and Annie Get Your Gun as well as numerous other stage productions. In January 2004, he appeared on stage in The Full Monty.

He received a Mo Award for Dance Performer of the Year 1992, and was nominated in 2004 for a Helpmann Award for his choreography for the musical Annie Get Your Gun.

Mercurio began brewing his own beer in 1988. He then hosted three cooking television series – Tasmania's Food Trail (from 2006, for two seasons), Mercurio's Menu (from 2008 to 2010. for three seasons) and New Zealand on a Plate (2011). Following this, he appeared on the cooking segments of numerous live daytime TV shows, including a featured chef spot on Channel Nine's The Morning Show in 2013.{{Cite web |title=Paul Mercurio |url=https://www.saxton.com.au/speakers/paul-mercurio |access-date=2025-01-15}}

In 2009 Mercurio released a cook book called Mercurio's Menu, based on his TV series, as well as “Cooking with Beer”, which were both best-sellers. In 2015, he released a third cook book “Kitchen Mojo”.

In 2005 Mercurio released his own beer in Victoria, and since then has held beer dinners and beer cooking demos and been a judge for international beer competitions. In 2016 he brewed Australia's first Aphrodisiac Beer "Ye Ole Horney Ale", together with BentSpoke Brewery. He then opened his own beer café in 2014, produced a range of meat rubs and condiments and formed his own company "Beerlicious". He has since cooked in restaurants and at markets and festivals.

Mercurio was elected as a councillor for Mornington Peninsula Shire in November 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/paul-mercurio-2021-66863|title = Strictly Ballroom star Paul Mercurio is back – but he's switching the big screen for something completely unexpected| website= nowtolove.com.au| date= February 22, 2021| first= | last= | publisher= | access-date= September 16, 2022}}

In November 2022, Mercurio was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly, winning the ultra-marginal seat of Hastings for the Australian Labor Party.

Mercurio has been married to his wife Andrea (who was a ballerina with The Australian Ballet and Sydney Dance Company) since 1987, and together they have three children: Emily, Elise and Erin. The oldest is a stage manager, the middle is a musical theatre actor and writer, and the youngest is a vet nurse and performs as a pop singer.{{Cite web |date=2015-12-20 |title=Actor Focus: Paul Mercurio |url=https://cinemaaustralia.com.au/2015/12/20/actor-focus-paul-mercurio/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Cinema Australia |language=en}}

He appeared on the Australian version of the television show Who Do You Think You Are? in 2012 in which he discovered that his grandfather was a member of the Milwaukee division of Cosa Nostra (the Sicilian mafia) in the 1950s.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/programs/who-do-you-think-you-are/article/2016/08/30/darkest-dirtiest-celeb-family-secrets-unearthed-who-do-you-think-you-are| website= sbs.com.au| publisher= | first= | last= |title = The darkest, dirtiest celeb family secrets unearthed by Who Do You Think You Are?|date = 30 August 2016 | access-date= 16 September 2022}} Mercurio has reflected on this legacy in subsequent interviews and spoken about the effect it has had on his father, and his relationship with his father.{{Cite web |url= https://cinemaaustralia.com.au/2015/12/20/actor-focus-paul-mercurio/|title = Actor Focus: Paul Mercurio|date = 20 December 2015| website= cinemaaustralia.com.au| first= Joanne| last= Kmaid| publisher= | access-date= 16 September 2022}}

In 2000, Mercurio's brother Michael took his own life in his early 30s.{{Cite web |last=Law |first=Benjamin |date=2023-06-30 |title=‘Be old, happy and have joy’: Strictly Ballroom’s Paul Mercurio |url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/be-old-happy-and-have-joy-strictly-ballroom-s-paul-mercurio-20230529-p5dc46.html |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}

In December 2022, Mercurio was hospitalised with complications from atrial fibrillation following his election win.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-14 |title=Beloved Aussie actor opens up about concerning health condition |url=https://7news.com.au/news/melbourne/strictly-ballroom-star-and-victorian-labor-mp-paul-mercurio-reveals-irregular-heart-rhythm-diagnosis-c-9155558 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=7NEWS |language=en}}

{{Cite web |title=AusStage |url=https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/2554 |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=ausstage.edu.au}}

{|class=wikitable

! Year

! Work

! Award

! Category

! Result

|-

| 1992

| Paul Mercurio

| Mo Awards

| Dance Performance of the Year

| {{won}}{{cite web|url=https://www.moawards.com.au/awardwinners|title=MO Award Winners |website= moawards.com.au| publisher= Mo Awards|access-date=16 March 2022}}

|-

| 1992

| Strictly Ballroom

| AFI Awards

| Best Actor in a Lead Role

| {{nom}}

|-

| 1999

| The Day of the Roses

| 41st Annual Logie Awards

| Most Outstanding Actor

| {{nom}}http://www.australiantelevision.net/awards/logie1999.html

|-

| 2005 || Annie Get Your Gun || Helpmann Awards || Best Choreography in a Musical || {{nom}}https://www.platinumspeakers.com.au/speaker/paul-mercurio/

|-

| 2017

| A Silent Agreement

| Dreamanila International Film Festival

| Jury Award – Best Lead Actor

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2018

| A Silent Agreement

| Sydney Indie Film Festival

| Best Male Lead Actor

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2020

| Paul Mercurio

| 2020 Australia Day Honours

| Member of the Order of Australia

| {{honoured}}{{Cite web |title=Mr Paul Joseph MERCURIO |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2005289 |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Australian Honours Search Facility}}

{{end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0580527|Paul Mercurio}}
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20041211193812/http://www.australiadancing.org/subjects/43.html Paul Mercurio biography]}} at AustraliaDancing (archived)

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Category:1963 births

Category:21st-century Australian politicians

Category:Australian people of American descent

Category:Australian people of Italian descent

Category:Australian male dancers

Category:Australian male film actors

Category:Australian male television actors

Category:Australian television chefs

Category:People educated at John Curtin College of the Arts

Category:People from Swan Hill

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the Order of Australia

Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Category:Musical theatre choreographers

Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria

Category:Labor Left politicians