---
name: "Bruce Spence"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/bruce-spence"
fi1m_id: "bruce-spence"
imdb_id: "nm0817748"
tmdb_id: 27752
wikidata_id: "Q704314"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "17 September 1945"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 62
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-05T11:45:03.874755+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Bruce Spence

## Identity

Bruce Spence

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/bruce-spence
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** bruce-spence
- **IMDb ID:** nm0817748
- **TMDB ID:** 27752
- **Wikidata ID:** Q704314
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Spence, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q704314, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817748/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/27752

Actor. Born 17 September 1945 in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 17 September 1945, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand
- **Active:** 1981–2017
- **Frequently works with:** [George Miller](https://film.one/person/george-miller.md), [Mel Gibson](https://film.one/person/mel-gibson.md), [Terry Hayes](https://film.one/person/terry-hayes.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 62, as actor, over 11 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 76 (2), 1990s 65 (2), 2000s 64 (4), 2010s 47 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 62 to 59 across 11 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 6 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Adventure 9, Action 6, Science Fiction 5, Fantasy 3, Family 2, Thriller 2
- **Screen time:** 22 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $4,090m across 11 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Spence, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q704314, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817748/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/27752

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*Dark City*](https://film.one/film/dark-city.md) (76)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Matrix Revolutions*](https://film.one/film/the-matrix-revolutions.md) (46)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Bruce Spence

> Bruce Spence's height and distinctive voice have made him a regular choice for eccentric supporting parts. We value the comic relief he brings to *Mad Max 2*, but the repeated small roles leave us wishing he had been given more to do.

Bruce Spence often enters a film already marked out as the eccentric: his height and distinctive voice have seen to that. In *Mad Max 2* (1981), his Gyro Captain supplies comic relief while George Miller concentrates on precisely staged vehicle combat. We laughed at the Gyro Captain, and were grateful for a break from the brutality. The film pays less attention to its people than to its action, but Spence helps make that imbalance easier to forgive.

His earlier career offered more room than that familiar supporting position suggests. *Stork* (1971) gave him the lead as Graham 'Stork' Wallace; Werner Herzog's *Where the Green Ants Dream* (1984) cast him as Lance Hackett, another leading role. Then *Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome* (1985) returned him to the series as Jedediah the Pilot, a different character from the Gyro Captain. The leading roles are worth remembering whenever a later film seems content simply to cast him as someone unusual.

*Dark City* (1998) puts him in Alex Proyas's invented city as Mr. Wall, and again the surroundings receive more care than the people. We recommend the film for its unease and its sustained mystery, with a reservation about characters the writing never quite fills out. It is a worthwhile film, but not the first one we would choose to make the case for him.

His later work continued in Australian film and theatre alongside supporting roles in international franchises from the 2000s onwards. We would not dismiss those jobs as wasted effort: a harsh film can need a comic supporting player, as Miller's does. What we would welcome is another substantial part, rather than another invitation to be briefly peculiar. Start with *Mad Max 2*, provided Miller's violence is your sort of evening.

## Biography

Bruce Spence is a New Zealand-born Australian actor. Born on 17 September 1945 in Auckland, he moved to Australia at the age of 20 and trained at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School before beginning his acting career at the La Mama theatre in Melbourne.

He joined the Australian Performing Group and later performed with companies including the Melbourne Theatre Company and the Sydney Theatre Company. Spence gained prominence for his role as the Gyro Captain in *Mad Max 2* (1981) and reprised a similar character as Jedediah the Pilot in *Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome* (1985). He has appeared in over 100 film and television credits, including *Dark City* (1998) as Mr Wall, voice work as Chum in *Finding Nemo* (2003), the Trainman in *The Matrix Revolutions* (2003), Tion Medon in *Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith* (2005), and Lord Rhoop in *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* (2010).

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (11)

- *Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales* (2017), Fi1m 45, as Mayor Dix — [page](https://film.one/film/pirates-of-the-caribbean-dead-men-tell-no-tales.md)
- *Gods of Egypt* (2016), Fi1m 40, as Head Judge — [page](https://film.one/film/gods-of-egypt.md)
- *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* (2010), Fi1m 56, as Lord Rhoop — [page](https://film.one/film/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.md)
- *Australia* (2008), Fi1m 58, as Dr. Barker — [page](https://film.one/film/australia.md)
- *Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith* (2005), Fi1m 67, as Tion Medon — [page](https://film.one/film/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith.md)
- *Finding Nemo* (2003), Fi1m 85, as Chum (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo.md)
- *The Matrix Revolutions* (2003), Fi1m 46, as Trainman — [page](https://film.one/film/the-matrix-revolutions.md)
- *Dark City* (1998), Fi1m 76, as Mr. Wall — [page](https://film.one/film/dark-city.md)
- *Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls* (1995), Fi1m 54, as Gahjii — [page](https://film.one/film/ace-ventura-when-nature-calls.md)
- *Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome* (1985), Fi1m 65, as Jedediah the Pilot — [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome.md)
- *Mad Max 2* (1981), Fi1m 88, as The Gyro Captain — [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-2.md)

## Complete filmography (82)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge* (2024), as Mr Drysdale
- *Nautilus* (2024), series, as Chairman of EIMC
- *Solid Ground* (2024), as Captain Jackson Jackman
- *Cold Water* (2023), as Murray
- *The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson* (2022), as Father McGuiness
- *The Dry* (2021), as Gerry Hadler
- *Children of the Corn* (2020), as Pastor Penny
- *Love and Monsters* (2020), as Old Pete
- *Occupation* (2018), as Alien Leader
- *Winchester* (2018), as Augustine
- *Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales* (2017), as Mayor Dix — Fi1m 45, [page](https://film.one/film/pirates-of-the-caribbean-dead-men-tell-no-tales.md)
- *Blue World Order* (2017), as Whippett
- *Gods of Egypt* (2016), as Head Judge — Fi1m 40, [page](https://film.one/film/gods-of-egypt.md)
- *The Wizards of Aus* (2016), series, as Regimand
- *Backtrack* (2015), as Felix
- *I, Frankenstein* (2014), as Molokai
- *Mystery Road* (2013), as Jim
- *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* (2010), as Lord Rhoop — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.md)
- *Subdivision* (2009), as Singlet
- *The Art of Darts & Dying* (2009), as Dave De Crease
- *Australia* (2008), as Dr. Barker — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/australia.md)
- *Legend of the Seeker* (2008), series, as Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander
- *City Homicide* (2007), series, as Maurice Biederman
- *Solo* (2006), as Kennedy
- *Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King* (2006), series, as Hans Morris
- *Aquamarine* (2006), as Leonard
- *Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith* (2005), as Tion Medon — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/film/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith.md)
- *The Brush-Off* (2004), as Philip Veale
- *Peter Pan* (2003), as Cookson
- *The Matrix Revolutions* (2003), as Trainman — Fi1m 46, [page](https://film.one/film/the-matrix-revolutions.md)
- *Finding Nemo* (2003), as Chum (voice) — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo.md)
- *Inspector Gadget 2* (2003), as Baxter
- *Short Cuts* (2002), series, as Mr. Coxon
- *Queen of the Damned* (2002), as Khayman
- *Something in the Air* (2000), series, as Russell Redlich
- *BeastMaster* (1999), series, as Annubis
- *Farscape* (1999), series, as Prefect Falaak — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/farscape.md)
- *Moby Dick* (1998), series, as Elijah
- *Dark City* (1998), as Mr. Wall — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/dark-city.md)
- *Bullpitt!* (1997), series, as Darcy Kelso
- *Return to Jupiter* (1997), series, as Ed Unit
- *Twisted Tales* (1996), series, as Colin Condon
- *Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls* (1995), as Gahjii — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/ace-ventura-when-nature-calls.md)
- *Halifax f.p.* (1994), series, as Eric Washburn
- *Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left* (1994), series, Actor
- *Hercules Returns* (1993), as Sprocket
- *Sweet Talker* (1991), as Norman Foster
- *The Shrimp on the Barbie* (1990), as Wayne
- *Wendy Cracked a Walnut* (1990), as Ronnie
- *Sugar* (1989), as Robert Flemming
- *Rikky and Pete* (1988), as Ben
- *The Dirtwater Dynasty* (1988), series, as Lonely Logan
- *Bachelor Girl* (1987), Actor
- *The Year My Voice Broke* (1987), as Jonah
- *Bullseye* (1987), as Purdy
- *Rafferty's Rules* (1987), series, as Emmanuel Triggs
- *Great Expectations: The Untold Story* (1987), as Joe Gargery
- *Rob Roy* (1987), Actor
- *Pallet on the Floor* (1986), as Basil Beaumont-Foster
- *Zoo Family* (1985), series, as George
- *Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome* (1985), as Jedediah the Pilot — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome.md)
- *Where the Green Ants Dream* (1984), as Lance Hackett
- *Double Deal* (1983), as Doug Mitchell
- *Buddies* (1983), as Ted
- *Midnite Spares* (1983), as Wimpy
- *The Return of Captain Invincible* (1983), as Midnight's Doctor
- *Deadline* (1982), as Towie
- *Mad Max 2* (1981), as The Gyro Captain — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/mad-max-2.md)
- *Dimboola* (1979), as Morrie McAdam
- *Newsfront* (1978), as Redex Trial Driver
- *Barnaby and Me* (1977), as Tall Baddie
- *The Adventures of Eliza Fraser* (1976), as Bruce McIver
- *Let the Balloon Go* (1976), as Chief Gifford
- *20th Century Oz* (1976), as Bass Player / Surfie
- *Mad Dog Morgan* (1976), as Heriot
- *The Great MacArthy* (1975), as Bill Dean
- *The Firm Man* (1975), as Messenger
- *The Cars That Ate Paris* (1974), as Charlie
- *Three Old Friends* (1974), Actor
- *Dimboola: The Stage Play* (1973), as The Groom
- *Stork* (1971), as Graham 'Stork' Wallace
- *Dead Easy* (1970), Actor

## Gallery

- ![Bruce Spence](https://film.one/media/person/88181/gallery-40ee4ad2aeed.jpg) Bruce Spence — BruceRSpence, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Bruce_Spence_Photograph.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Bruce Spence taking a break during an ADR session (2008)](https://film.one/media/person/88181/gallery-c8368ae79775.jpg) Bruce Spence taking a break during an ADR session (2008) — Cooltv, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Bruce_Spence.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/bruce-spence