Bryan Brown hated English as a kid. One book changed everything
Literature held no value for Bryan Brown when he was growing up in Sydney. Yet a single long flight sparked the storyteller within him. Today, he is both a celebrated actor and an acclaimed author.
From reluctant reader to global star
In person, Brown is just as people picture him — rugged, charming, and bluntly honest. At 78, he remains easily recognizable from his roles in major productions like The Thorn Birds, Breaker Morant, and Hollywood hits beside Tom Cruise in Cocktail and Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas In The Mist.
A late-blooming author
Beyond acting, Brown has built a second career in writing. He published his first collection of short stories, Sweet Jimmy, in 2021, followed by his debut novel The Drowning in 2023. His third book, The Hidden, hits shelves this month — remarkable progress for someone who once avoided reading altogether.
Changing attitudes toward literature
“I hated English at school,” he says. “Because we got things like Great Expectations to read …”
Brown now admits that Dickens’ classic is a great novel — just not when you’re twelve, fourteen, or sixteen, more interested in sports than in literature.
A candid lunch in Fitzroy
We meet for lunch in Fitzroy. Though based in Sydney with his wife, actor and director Rachel Ward, Brown is in Melbourne for a podcast appearance.
“I’ve never listened to a podcast, ever,” he says.
Author’s Summary
Bryan Brown, once indifferent to reading, transformed into a successful author and actor, proving that passion for storytelling can emerge at any stage of life.