Jason HarrisImages from Oz Comic-Con Sydney Website
Oz Comic-Con is the ultimate pop-culture and fan expo, featuring multi-genre content from across the spectrum; from film and television stars to comic book and anime artists, gaming demonstrations and cosplay competitions, to portfolio reviews and creative workshops and master classes.
Oz Comic-Con will be more than just a gathering place for fans of the various arms of pop-culture. It will celebrate and educate; it’s the place to come if you want to share your love of pop-culture, get up close and personal with celebrities, enter contests with fantastic prizes, or learn how to break into the industry. There will be activities and events galore, more than enough to keep you busy for a full weekend, and wanting to come back for more.
HAYLEY ATWELL
Hayley trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After graduation, Hayley’s stage debut came in PROMETHEUS BOUND at Sound in London starring David Oyelowo, followed by WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN (2006) at the Royal Shakespeare Company and two shows at the National Theatre both directed by Nicholas Hytner: first MAN OF MODE(2008) then MAJOR BARBARA (2009), for which she received an Ian Charleson Commendation. Hayley’s West End debut came in the Duke of York’s A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE (2009), in a production directed by Lindsay Posner, and for which she landed the first of her two Olivier nominations. In 2011, Hayley starred in Alexi Kaye Campbell’s THE FAITH MACHINE, directed by Jamie Lloyd at the Royal Court. In 2013, Hayley collaborated with Alexi Kaye Campbell and Jamie Lloyd again in a revival of THE PRIDE at Trafalgar Studios. Hayley was nominated for the Best Actress Award at both the 2014 Olivier Awards and WhatsOnStage Awards for her role. In 2018 Hayley returned to the stage at Hampstead Theatre in DRY POWDER and completed a sold-out run of Josie Rourke’s MEASURE FOR MEASURE at the Donmar Warehouse opposite Jack Lowden. The production was high-concept Shakespeare – the first half was a traditional, 17th-century staging before the second half retold the story in 2018 with the gender power dynamics reversed – within every performance, Hayley and Jack Lowden alternated the roles of powerful Deputy and powerless Novice. The Daily Telegraph said that the production was, “beautifully staged and expertly performed”. MEASURE FOR MEASURE’s run was extended due to popular demand.
Hayley made her name in acclaimed British television series including; BBC Two’s THE LINE OF BEAUTY (2006), Channel 4’s adaptation of William Boyd’s ANY HUMAN HEART (2010) and Ken Follett’s PILLARS OF THE EARTH (2010), she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Mini-Series for this role. She took the lead in RESTLESS, an adaptation of William Boyd’s espionage novel for BBC Two. In 2013, Hayley starred in ‘Be Right Back’ – the stand-out episode of Charlie Booker’s BLACK MIRROR. Last year marked a critical point in Hayley’s career, with her dazzling portrayal of Margaret Schlegel in BBC One’s, HOWARDS END, based on the classic E.M. Forster novel and adapted by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and playwright Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea, Gangs of New York). The four-part limited series was directed by Hettie MacDonald. In 2018 Hayley was seen in BBC One’s THE LONG SONG, a three-part adaptation of Andrea Levy’s award-winning, best-selling novel (shortlisted for the 2010 Man Booker Prize, longlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize and recipient of the 2011 Walter Scott Prize). Hayley starred alongside Tamara Lawrance, Jack Lowden, and Sir Lenny Henry. The series was directed by Mahalia Belo. Set during the final days of slavery in 19th century Jamaica, the story follows the strong-willed, young slave, July (Tamara Lawrance) on a plantation owned by her odious mistress, Caroline Mortimer (Hayley). When a charming new arrival to the island, Robert Goodwin (Jack Lowden), becomes the new overseer, July and Caroline are both intrigued by his seemingly revolutionary determination to improve the plantation for the slaves and mistress alike. During a time of social unrest and turmoil, this powerful story is told from July’s perspective as she looks back over her life. It’s a story about the injustices that humans inflict upon each other and the unexpected ways in which people’s humanity sometimes overrules their prejudices.
Hayley’s film credits include; Julian Jarrold’s BRIDESHEAD REVISITED (2008) and THE DUCHESS (2008), for which she was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 2008 British Independent Film Awards. In 2011, Hayley was cast opposite Chris Evans in Marvel universe blockbuster CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER. Her character Peggy Carter was given her own show, AGENT CARTER in 2015, the first ever Marvel spin-off to be fronted by a woman. The first season garnered 8m viewers when it premiered on ABC. Hayley has reprised this role in; CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014), AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and ANT-MAN. Last summer Hayley starred in Disney’s CHRISTOPHER ROBIN opposite Ewan McGregor. Currently, Hayley is seen starring opposite Tom Burke in a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play ROSMERSHOLM at the Duke of York’s Theatre. The play is directed by Ian Rickson. Later this year, she will be seen in BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, directed by Gurinder Chadha.
KJ APA
Originally from New Zealand, KJ Apa’s most recent work includes starring roles in the 20th Century Fox drama THE HATE U GIVE opposite Amandla Stenberg and Netflix’s THE LAST SUMMER opposite Maia Mitchell. He will next be seen starring as Jeremy Camp in the Lionsgate feature film I STILL BELIEVE opposite Britt Robertson and Gary Sinise.
KJ got his start in America starring in the DreamWorks feature film A DOG’S PURPOSE opposite Britt Robertson and Dennis Quaid. He currently stars as the lead role of Archie Andrews on The CW’s hit drama RIVERDALE.
LUKE BAINES
Luke was born in Manchester England, the youngest of four children. At the age of three, he emigrated to Sydney, Australia where he grew up in the beachside suburb of Cronulla.
Classically trained, Luke studied drama and music at The McDonald College of Performing Arts – a selective full-time institution in Sydney. After graduating, he fast-tracked his Bachelor of Business in two years at Bond University, before moving to London where he was discovered by legendary West End casting director, Pippa Ailion, during preproduction of Spring Awakening the Musical – which he auditioned and workshopped with Broadway creatives Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater.
Luke’s talent, passion for acting and unique look lead him to Los Angeles, and subsequently, the big screen, where he appeared in features such as Gold Circle Films’ THE POSSESSION OF MICHAEL KING, AS NIGHT COMES, SAVING MR. BANKS and a role alongside Aussie Pal Teresa Palmer in THE EVER AFTER.
In 2016, Luke starred as the lead and Wes Craven’s last serial killer in the film THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS, which premiered to a sold-out crowd at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival. Released in April 2016, Luke’s turn as the creepy, obsessed killer garnered him critical buzz from fans and critics alike, including The Wrap, The Line Up and Press Pass LA.
In TV, Luke landed the recurring role of Jonathan Morgenstern, the main villain in the remaining episodes of the third and final season of Freeform’s fantasy drama series Shadowhunters. This role gained him rave reviews and landed him a Teen Choice Award for Best TV Villain.
In 2019, Luke stared opposite Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Zosia Mamet and Jimmi Simpson in David Robert Mitchell’s UNDER THE SILVER LAKE. UNDER THE SILVERLAKE premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. A24 released it worldwide April 2019.
This August, Luke leads in the indie thriller A DARK PLACE written, produced and directed by Christopher Piñero. Gravitas Ventures acquired the US rights and will be releasing it on Digital HD, Blu-ray TM, DVD and on Demand on August 13, 2019.
Other recent film credits include Syfy movie, TRUTH OR DARE, directed by Nick Simon, and indie horror, FRIGHT FEST.
Off-camera, Luke has a branded content production company, Go Forth Content, with partners Rachael Taylor and Tahyna Tozzi. A skilled writer, he is currently working on his fourth feature script and has his latest work, In Repair, in pre-production at Culmination Productions.
Philanthropically, Luke is an ardent supporter of Oxfam International. He also works locally in Los Angeles with the VET Hunters Project – connecting homeless veterans with government programs, and BCR Burbank – a center for adults and children with developmental disabilities.
KEIYNAN LONSDALE
Named GQ’s Breakthrough Actor of The Year in 2016 (AUS), Keiynan Lonsdale has quickly made a name for himself in the entertainment industry through the characters he has brought to life in film and television.
Lonsdale can be seen starring as Bram Greenfeld opposite Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford and Jennifer Garner in Twentieth Century Fox’s film “Love, Simon,” directed by Greg Berlanti. Based off the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the film follows 17-year-old Simon Spier (Robinson), a high schooler who hasn’t told his family or friends he is gay and doesn’t know the identity of the anonymous classmate he has fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. “Love Simon” garnered 66 million at the worldwide box office making it one of the top 10 highest-grossing teen romance movies of all time.
On the television front, Lonsdale most recently starred in the international hit CW series “The Flash” as the iconic Wally West/superhero Kid Flash, who has superhuman speed. He joined the cast during season two, and last year it was announced that his character would transition to the network’s “Legends of Tomorrow” as a series regular, staying within the DC Comics universe.
Born and raised near Sydney, Australia, Lonsdale always had a love for performing and the arts. At 13 years old, he received a scholarship to attend a local performing arts school, where he could focus on his academics while taking acting, dancing, singing, and writing. Upon graduation, he was cast as ensemble and the understudy for Tyrone in FAME The Musical, a role he played for 10 months. Once wrapped on the musical Lonsdale went on to book a handful of projects in Australia, including the starring role as Ollie Lloyd on the hit drama series “Dance Academy.” He also dabbled in the hosting world, becoming the face of MTV Australia and New Zealand.
Working in scripted television and with MTV was the perfect boot camp for Lonsdale, who was about to land one of his biggest projects to date, the second film in the “Divergent” film trilogy “Insurgent” (Lionsgate). He made his U.S. feature debut in 2015, starring as Uriah, a fellow “divergent” opposite Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, and Ansel Elgort and reprised his role in “Allegiant” the following year. In 2016, Lonsdale appeared in “The Finest Hours” (Walt Disney Pictures) with a supporting role as Eldon Hanan alongside Casey Affleck, Chris Pine and Ben Foster. In 2017, he reprised his role as Ollie in “Dance Academy: The Movie” (StudioCanal), and also secured a lead role in the indie horror film “Like. Share. Follow” for Blumhouse Productions.
Aside from his work in film and television, Lonsdale is extremely passionate about creating music, and is constantly writing and recording new records. In August 2017, he released the colorful anthem “Good Life” (available on Spotify and iTunes) off his upcoming album, release date TBA. He has also collaborated with international artists, and was featured on Kasbo’s single “Lay It On Me” which reached #32 on Spotify’s US viral charts, and Louis Futon’s “Royal Blood.”
AISHA TYLER
Aisha Tyler is an award-winning director, actor, comedian, bestselling author, podcaster and activist. She voices superspy Lana Kane on F/X’s Emmy-winning hit animated comedy Archer, the winner of four back-to-back Television Critics’ Choice Awards. She is a series regular on the hit CBS show “Criminal Minds,” for which she also directed two episodes. She continues to host the CW’s hit improv show, Whose Line Is It Anyway. In addition, Aisha is an entrepreneur, launching a line of premium, bottled cocktails she personally created and developed, called Courage+Stone, in Summer 2019.
Aisha was a co-host for seven seasons of CBS’s Emmy-winning daytime show The Talk, which she departed in September 2017 to focus more on acting and directing. She hosted her own nighttime talk show, “Unapologetic” on AMC, which focused on female-centric issues, particularly informed by the current social and political climates.
Aisha is well-remembered for her character arc on Friends, where she was the first African-American to have a long-standing role on the show. Her feature film directing debut, the thriller AXIS, premiered 2017, and the won the Outstanding Achievement in Feature Filmmaking award at the 2017 Newport Beach Film Festival, then had a theatrical run at Arclight Hollywood, Landmark NYC and Drafthouse, Austin, Texas. Currently, she is attached to direct the new Irwin Winkler written and produced action thriller, Vigilante.
A San Francisco native, Ms. Tyler graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Government and Environmental Policy. An avid gamer and passionate advocate (and occasional adversary) of the gaming community, Aisha’s voice can be heard in the video games Halo: Reach; Gears of War 3, and Watch Dogs. She is a board member of Planned Parenthood and is an advocate for causes including the International Rescue Committee, Family Violence Prevention Fund, Doctors Without Borders and more.
Aisha is a bourbon and hard rock fan, a snowboarder and sci-fi obsessive.
JASON DOHRING
Jason Dohring can currently be seen reprising his starring role as Logan Echolls opposite Kristen Bell in HULU’S series revival of “Veronica Mars.” The show originally debuted in 2004 and instantly became an international sensation-airing for three seasons on UPN and even turning into a feature film in 2014. Now, the original cast is back alongside Patton Oswalt and J.K. Simmons as Veronica (Bell) investigates a new murder mystery in the town of Neptune. Eight brand new episodes will debut on July 26, 2019, on HULU. On the film front Dohring can next be seen in the indie feature “Cleveland” (Wild Invention) opposite Lucy Fry, Liam Aiken, Jackie Cruz, and Ambre Tamblyn.
Additional television credits for Dohring include: The CW’S “iZombie,” “The Originals,” “Supernatural,” “The Messengers,” “The Tomorrow People,” “The Ringer,” ABC’s “Motive,” CBS’ “Rules of Engagement,” “Moonlight,” FOX’s “Lie to Me,” and the STARZ series “Party Down.” In film, Dohring has been seen in Paramount Pictures “Deep Impact” opposite Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, and Elijah Wood, First Look International’s “Black Cadillac” opposite Randy Quaid, Red Entertainment’s “Searching for Sonny,” opposite Minka Kelly, JAM Film’s “The Squeeze,” Confluential Film’s “Destined,” and Extended Family Entertainment’s “The Deep Below.”
Born in Toledo, Ohio and raised in Los Angeles, Dohring got his start in entertainment at a young age. His family made the move to LA when he was four years old- his siblings, identical twin brothers, and identical twin sisters all worked steadily, and he wanted to follow in their footsteps. By eight years old he was booking print and television jobs and launched his theatrical career at 11 years old. He has been working ever since.
When he isn’t on set, Dohring lives a healthy lifestyle, even having his own organic garden at his home with over 40 fruit trees. He loves to ride motorcycles and golf. He is also a supporter of CalPAL, the California Police Activities League, where he helped raise over twenty thousand dollars for at-risk children. Dohring currently resides in the Los Angeles area, with his wife and four children.
DOMINIQUE PROVOST-CHALKLEY
Born in Bristol, South West England, Dominique began dancing at the age of 4 and after quickly discovering her passion for all performing arts trained in acting, singing and all genres of dance to become as versatile a performer as possible.
At 16 years old Dominique went on to train for 3 years at Laine Theatre Arts and prior to graduating managed to secure a part in the West End’s hit Musical Dirty Dancing where she played the Alternate Baby Houseman at only 19 years old.
Whilst starring in Dirty Dancing Dominique discovered her real passion for straight acting. She then went on to feature in E4’s comedy series The Midnight Beast.
Paul Hyett’s ‘The Seasoning House’ (2013) was Dominique’s first feature film which was a huge success premiering as FrightFest’s opening night movie and making cinema release. Dominique then starred in the West End’s hit musical Viva Forever based on the songs of the Spice Girls.
In 2015, Dominique filmed Marvel’s ‘The Avengers – Age of Ultron’ where she gained invaluable experience. Other TV and film credits include 12 Monkeys, Murdoch Mysteries, and Buckout Road.
Most recently Dominique has been filming Wynonna Earp in Calgary, Canada – where she plays Wynonna’s younger sister Waverly.
MICHAEL EKLUND
Michael Eklund is known for disappearing into every role and radically transforming his look for each new character.
Recent pivotal and leading roles in film for Michael include Into the Forest, Zoom, Mr. Right, The Call, Errors of the Human Body and Eadweard to name just a few.
Past notable performances in film include The Divide, The Day, The Making of Plus One and Walk All Over Me.
Michaels work in these films has garnered him a host of accolades and awards for his riveting performances.
Television appearances include guest starring or recurring roles on Altered Carbon, Wynona Earp, Gotham, Bates Motel Season 2, Continuum, Almost Human, Alcatraz, Fringe, Intelligence, Battlestar Galactica.
Awaiting theatrical release are Stegman is Dead, The Sound with Rose McGowan and Chokeslam with Chris Marquette and Amanda Crew.
Michael can currently be seen on Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency with Elijah Wood.
Michael appears courtesy of Gifts For the Geek.
When: Saturday, 28 September – Sunday, 29 September 2019
Where: Sydney Showground
Tickets: Get Tickets
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Jason Harris
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