Hal Cumpston
Birth dateMay 29, 1999 (age 27)
Birth placeSydney, Australia
OccupationActor, writer, producer
AgentCatherine Poulton Management
Height188 cm
Alma materWaverley College
Other namesBig Heavy
FatherJeremy Cumpston
Relatives
Years active2019–present

Hal Cumpston is an Australian actor, producer and writer.

Early life

Cumpston grew up in Sydney and attended Waverley College where he was heavily involved in drama.[1][2] Both of his parents work in the film Industry.[3] His father Jeremy Cumpston, is a doctor and a Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts graduate who founded the Old Fitzroy Theatre and has appeared in shows such as All Saints.[4][1][3] His mother Rachel Lane, is a nonfiction producer-director.[1][3] Cumpston is of indigenous Australian Barkandji heritage through his father's maternal line.[5][6]

In Cumpston's final year of school, he was shortlisted for "OnStage", which recognises excellence for high school drama performances.[7] Cumpston was also chosen as a state finalist in the highly competitive Australian Class Clowns stand-up comedy competition.[2]

Career

After returning from Schoolies week, Cumpston wrote the screenplay for a teen comedy called "Bilched" that his father helped fund and direct.[8][3][1] His high school friends Ewen and James helped co-produce, and he called in his younger brothers and friends as part of the cast alongside bigger names like comedian Alex Williamson and Rhys Muldoon.[9][10][8] Cumpston wanted to make an Australian comedy teen movie because he felt there weren't any good ones.[10][11] In three days he had written 34 pages and in less than a fortnight he had a first draft.[3] In 2018, the film was shot in 21 days in Sydney's eastern suburbs.[8][12] In the following year Cumpston completed the post-production.[1] The plot follows protagonist Hal, who auditions for a drama school but is told his performance is not honest.[4] "Bilched" was Cumpston's first project and received a national release in Australia and at the 2019 Chelsea Film Festival, it won the award for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Fred Du Rietz) and the Grand Prix Best Feature Film.[4][13][3]

Three weeks after production on "Bilched" wrapped, Cumpston received his first American audition via an email that came from an American Talent Agency Industry Entertainment.[10][3] He wasn't sure that it was real, but it turned out that actress Jenni Baird, had seen an article in a magazine featuring the Cumpston's and her partner, writer-director Michael Petroni, knew someone in an American casting office and put in a call.[3] Cumpston embodied the brief needed for Silas in The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and recorded a video audition that propelled him forward in the casting process.[1][3] Eventually Cumpston won the role and portrays a teen making his way through an eerily familiar world changed forever by the outcome of a global pandemic.[1][13][3] Filming took place in Richmond, Virginia.[3]

In 2021, Cumpston played Zachary, the dead son of the Marconi family in the series Nine Perfect Strangers alongside Nicole Kidman, Asher Keddie and Melissa McCarthy.[14] The series is based on a Liane Moriarty book and centres around a group of people at a health retreat trying to find a path to a better life but are met with dilemmas.[14]

Cumpston is currently working on writing more comedy movies.[11] He is inspired by Seth Rogen, Quentin Tarantino and Evan Goldberg.[10]

In 2022, Cumpston was announced as part of the cast for SBS legal drama Safe Home in the role of Max Kerr.[15]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019BilchedHal
2022The Greatest Beer Run EverLeary
2022Maddie's Red HotHalShort
2024The DebMitch
2024Spin the BottleWestlin
2026Balls UpEco Warrior PJ

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020–21The Walking Dead: World BeyondSilas PlaskettTV Series; 20 episodes
2021Nine Perfect StrangersZach MarconiTV Series; 5 episodes
2023Safe HomeMax KerrTV Series; 4 episodes
2023–24Granny Flat ComedyHalTV Series; 3 episodes
2023The Artful DodgerOliver TwistTV Series; 2 episodes
2023Fairbairn in the CityTobyMini Series; 2 episodes
2025–26Going DutchCorporal Elias PapadakisTV Series

References

  1. ^ Quinn, Karl (2020-10-03). "How a Sydney teen walked into a role on Amazon's Walking Dead spin-off". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  2. ^ "Silas Character Bio | Played by | The Walking Dead: World Beyond | TWDU". universe-ap.cds.amcn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  3. ^ Cockrell, Eddie (2021). "Unknown Aussie TV star tames The Walking Dead"
  4. ^ "Hal Cumpston jumps from his first Aussie feature to 'The Walking Dead'". IF Magazine. 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  5. ^ Steed, Words Suzie Keen | Main photo Saul (2020-07-10). ""You can see something and it can look really beautiful, but what's the underlying story?"". SALIFE. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  6. ^ "SBS Australia - Indigenous teen makes coming-of-age film | Facebook", retrieved 2021-09-27
  7. ^ "Hal Cumpston". CPMGT. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  8. ^ "Bilched review – coming-of-age teen dramedy with authentic attitude". the Guardian. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  9. ^ "Bilched". FilmInk. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  10. ^ "Here to Party". Issuu. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  11. ^ "Hal Cumpston on joining the Walking Dead universe in 'World Beyond' - Exclusive Interview". Courageous Nerd. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  12. ^ "Bilched". www.shanekavanagh.net. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  13. ^ Valentine, Claire (9 October 2020). "Hal Cumpston On Playing Silas In The Eerily Timed 'Walking Dead: World Beyond'". Nylon. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (2020-10-22). "Elizabeth Mitchell Joins 'Outer Banks'; 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Casts Hal Cumpston". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  15. ^ Knox, David (2022-07-19). "Filming underway on Safe Home for SBS | TV Tonight". TV Tonight. Retrieved 2024-02-03.