Grant Bowler
Encyclopedia
Grant Bowler is a New Zealand actor who has worked in American, Australian and New Zealand films and television.
He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne Patterson
in Blue Heelers
and also appeared as Wilhelmina Slater
's love interest Connor Owens in Ugly Betty
.
In November 2010, he was announced as the host of The Amazing Race Australia
which currently airs on the Seven Network
.
, New Zealand. He moved to Australia at a young age. His family moved first to Sydney, then to Perth
and eventually settled in Brisbane
when Bowler was five. He graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art
in 1991. He married Australian actress Roxane Wilson
in 2001. The marriage later ended in 2011.
Wayne Patterson
on Blue Heelers
, from 1994 to 1996. After leaving that show, he spent time on Pacific Drive
in 1996 and Medivac
from 1996 to 1998. He had recurring roles on Always Greener
and Stingers
, starred in the television adaptation of On the Beach
, spent a year on the ABC
series Something in the Air and starred in the 2004 miniseries Through My Eyes about the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain
. Bowler had a recurring role on All Saints
from 2004 to 2005.
Bowler is also well known for hosting the Australian version of The Mole
, hosting the show from 2000 to 2003. He was replaced as host on the 2005 series by Tom Williams
because of family commitments and hosting duties with Border Security
. In a July 2006 TV Week
article, Bowler revealed he loved hosting The Mole and would consider returning as host if asked.
Currently, Bowler serves as the narrator of the reality show Border Security: Australia's Front Line
, a duty which he began as host in 2004, though he stopped appearing on camera after the first season. Bowler starred in the New Zealand series Outrageous Fortune
. Bowler's acting career has developed since he first began playing Wolf
, but although the character is not in every episode, he has turned down other roles to continue in Outrageous Fortune.
Starting with the season 4 episode "Ji Yeon
", Bowler plays the guest role of Captain Gault, the captain of a freighter on the popular American television series Lost
. He will also appear in the drama series Canal Road
.
In 2008 he became a recurring regular on Ugly Betty
, in which he played the corrupt CFO of Meade Publications (Connor Owens) who romanced the series' main villain Wilhelmina Slater
. Bowler said of his character, "He's got a lot of evil secrets." In December 2009, he was cast in the role of Cooter, a werewolf, in the HBO urban fantasy
series True Blood
, for that show's third season.
He also acted in Satisfaction.
Bowler is the host of the Australian version of The Amazing Race
.
He portrays Hank Rearden in Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011), the first part of a planned three-part film adaptation of Ayn Rand
's novel of the same name
.
Bowler was also seen in 2011 in The City of Gardens as well as the film Killer Elite.
He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne Patterson
Wayne Patterson
Wayne George Patterson was a fictional character on the long-running Australian police drama Blue Heelers, played by actor Grant Bowler. He starred in the show from its beginning until he was hit by a car and killed in episode 96 in 1996....
in Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
and also appeared as Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress...
's love interest Connor Owens in Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
.
In November 2010, he was announced as the host of The Amazing Race Australia
The Amazing Race Australia
The Amazing Race Australia is an Australian reality television game show based on the American reality television series, The Amazing Race that is broadcast on the Seven Network. The series features eleven teams of two who are in a pre-existing personal relationship, and follow the various...
which currently airs on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
.
Personal life
Bowler was born in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand. He moved to Australia at a young age. His family moved first to Sydney, then to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and eventually settled in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
when Bowler was five. He graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art
National Institute of Dramatic Art
The National Institute of Dramatic Art is an Australian national training institute for students of theatre, film, and television, based in the Sydney suburb of Kensington. It is supported by the federal Office for the Arts, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. NIDA is located adjacent...
in 1991. He married Australian actress Roxane Wilson
Roxane Wilson
Roxane Wilson is an Australian actress best known for her roles in Water Rats, Stingers and The Alice. She was born in Durban, South Africa to an Italian Mother and an English Father. She lives in Los Angeles with her children.- Early life :...
in 2001. The marriage later ended in 2011.
Career
His first television role was as ConstableConstable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
Wayne Patterson
Wayne Patterson
Wayne George Patterson was a fictional character on the long-running Australian police drama Blue Heelers, played by actor Grant Bowler. He starred in the show from its beginning until he was hit by a car and killed in episode 96 in 1996....
on Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
, from 1994 to 1996. After leaving that show, he spent time on Pacific Drive
Pacific Drive
Pacific Drive is an Australian television series made by Village Roadshow in association with New World International for the Nine Network between 1996 and 1997....
in 1996 and Medivac
Medivac (TV series)
Medivac was an Australian television drama series that ran on Network Ten from 1996 to 1998. There were 48 episodes produced. Medivac is an abbreviation of the term medical evacuation...
from 1996 to 1998. He had recurring roles on Always Greener
Always Greener
Always Greener was an Australian television drama/comedy series that aired on the Seven Network which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new direction in life for themselves...
and Stingers
Stingers
Stingers was an Australian police drama television series. It ran for eight seasons on the Nine Network before it was canceled in late 2004 due to declining ratings and the late timeslot Channel Nine gave the program...
, starred in the television adaptation of On the Beach
On the Beach (2000 film)
On the Beach is an apocalyptic television movie released in 2000, airing originally on Showtime. It is a remake of the 1959 film, and is based on the 1957 novel by Nevil Shute. It starred Armand Assante, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Ward...
, spent a year on the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
series Something in the Air and starred in the 2004 miniseries Through My Eyes about the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain
Azaria Chamberlain disappearance
Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain was a nine-week-old Australian baby girl, who disappeared on the night of 17 August 1980 on a camping trip to Uluru with her family. Her body was never found. Her parents, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain, reported that she had been taken from their tent by a dingo...
. Bowler had a recurring role on All Saints
All Saints (TV series)
All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009...
from 2004 to 2005.
Bowler is also well known for hosting the Australian version of The Mole
The Mole (Australian TV series)
The Mole was an Australian reality television series that aired on the Seven Network. It is based on The Mole franchise of programs that have aired in numerous countries. The sub-title for the Australian version of the show was a simple question: Who is the traitor?...
, hosting the show from 2000 to 2003. He was replaced as host on the 2005 series by Tom Williams
Tom Williams (television)
Tom Williams is an Australian television presenter, personality and radio presenter.-Early life:After graduating from high at the Jesuit St Aloysius' College, Williams worked as a Construction worker, and competed in surf lifesaving championships...
because of family commitments and hosting duties with Border Security
Border Security: Australia's Front Line
Border Security: Australia's Front Line is an Australian television programme that airs on the Seven Network. The show follows the work of officers of Australian Customs and Border Protection, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship as...
. In a July 2006 TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
article, Bowler revealed he loved hosting The Mole and would consider returning as host if asked.
Currently, Bowler serves as the narrator of the reality show Border Security: Australia's Front Line
Border Security: Australia's Front Line
Border Security: Australia's Front Line is an Australian television programme that airs on the Seven Network. The show follows the work of officers of Australian Customs and Border Protection, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship as...
, a duty which he began as host in 2004, though he stopped appearing on camera after the first season. Bowler starred in the New Zealand series Outrageous Fortune
Outrageous Fortune (TV series)
Outrageous Fortune was a New Zealand comedy/drama television series, which was created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and was produced by South Pacific Pictures...
. Bowler's acting career has developed since he first began playing Wolf
Wolfgang West
Wolfgang 'Wolf' West is a character on the New Zealand TV show Outrageous Fortune who is portrayed by Grant Bowler. Wolf has appeared in all seasons thus far in uncontinuative roles. Wolf was lead cast in season 1, 2, 4 a guest role in season 3 and a guest appearance in season 5. He did not appear...
, but although the character is not in every episode, he has turned down other roles to continue in Outrageous Fortune.
Starting with the season 4 episode "Ji Yeon
Ji Yeon
"Ji Yeon" is the seventh episode of the American Broadcasting Company's fourth season of Lost and 79th episode overall. The episode was written by co-executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and directed by regular Lost editor Stephen Semel. It was first aired in the United States and...
", Bowler plays the guest role of Captain Gault, the captain of a freighter on the popular American television series Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. He will also appear in the drama series Canal Road
Canal Road (TV series)
Canal Road is an Australian television drama series on the Nine Network. The series was produced in-house, under producer Susan Bower, in collaboration with writers Sarah Smith, John Ridley and Dave Warner, and directed by Kevin Carlin. It was filmed at Channel Nine’s GTV Studio 11 and on location...
.
In 2008 he became a recurring regular on Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
, in which he played the corrupt CFO of Meade Publications (Connor Owens) who romanced the series' main villain Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress...
. Bowler said of his character, "He's got a lot of evil secrets." In December 2009, he was cast in the role of Cooter, a werewolf, in the HBO urban fantasy
Urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods...
series True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
, for that show's third season.
He also acted in Satisfaction.
Bowler is the host of the Australian version of The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race Australia
The Amazing Race Australia is an Australian reality television game show based on the American reality television series, The Amazing Race that is broadcast on the Seven Network. The series features eleven teams of two who are in a pre-existing personal relationship, and follow the various...
.
He portrays Hank Rearden in Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011), the first part of a planned three-part film adaptation of Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
's novel of the same name
Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. Rand's fourth and last novel, it was also her longest, and the one she considered to be her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing...
.
Bowler was also seen in 2011 in The City of Gardens as well as the film Killer Elite.
Film and television credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994– 1996 |
Blue Heelers Blue Heelers Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :... |
Constable Wayne Patterson Wayne Patterson Wayne George Patterson was a fictional character on the long-running Australian police drama Blue Heelers, played by actor Grant Bowler. He starred in the show from its beginning until he was hit by a car and killed in episode 96 in 1996.... |
| 1996 | Pacific Drive Pacific Drive Pacific Drive is an Australian television series made by Village Roadshow in association with New World International for the Nine Network between 1996 and 1997.... |
Garth Stephens |
| 1996– 1998 |
Medivac Medivac (TV series) Medivac was an Australian television drama series that ran on Network Ten from 1996 to 1998. There were 48 episodes produced. Medivac is an abbreviation of the term medical evacuation... |
Dr. Arch Craven |
| 1998 | Wildside | Peter Simms |
| 1999 | Farscape Farscape Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment... |
Shaman Liko |
| 1999 | All Saints All Saints (TV series) All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009... |
Darren Rigg |
| 1999– 2001 |
Stingers Stingers Stingers was an Australian police drama television series. It ran for eight seasons on the Nine Network before it was canceled in late 2004 due to declining ratings and the late timeslot Channel Nine gave the program... |
Sean Peck |
| 2000 | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World | Montague Fitzsimmonds |
| 2000– 2003 |
Host | |
| 2001– 2002 |
Something in the Air | Mark Waters |
| 2002 | White Collar Blue White Collar Blue White Collar Blue was an Australian television series made by Knapman Wyld Television for Network Ten from 2002 to 2003.Starring Peter O'Brien as Joe Hill and Freya Stafford as Harriet Walker, the series dealt with a division of the police force working in the city of Sydney and the personal and... |
Steve Petrovic |
| 2002 | Always Greener Always Greener Always Greener was an Australian television drama/comedy series that aired on the Seven Network which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new direction in life for themselves... |
Greg Steele |
| 2004 | McLeod's Daughters McLeod's Daughters McLeod's Daughters is a Logie award-winning Australian drama series that aired on the Nine Network from 2001 to 2009. It tells the story of two sisters, Claire and Tess McLeod, who are reunited after they inherit the family farm... |
Jarred Wuchowski |
| 2004– 2005 |
All Saints | Nigel "Mac" MacPherson |
| 2004– present |
Border Security: Australia's Front Line Border Security: Australia's Front Line Border Security: Australia's Front Line is an Australian television programme that airs on the Seven Network. The show follows the work of officers of Australian Customs and Border Protection, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship as... |
Narrator |
| 2005–2009 | Outrageous Fortune Outrageous Fortune (TV series) Outrageous Fortune was a New Zealand comedy/drama television series, which was created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and was produced by South Pacific Pictures... |
Wolfgang West Wolfgang West Wolfgang 'Wolf' West is a character on the New Zealand TV show Outrageous Fortune who is portrayed by Grant Bowler. Wolf has appeared in all seasons thus far in uncontinuative roles. Wolf was lead cast in season 1, 2, 4 a guest role in season 3 and a guest appearance in season 5. He did not appear... |
| 2008 | Lost Lost (TV series) Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island... |
Captain Gault |
| 2008 | Canal Road Canal Road (TV series) Canal Road is an Australian television drama series on the Nine Network. The series was produced in-house, under producer Susan Bower, in collaboration with writers Sarah Smith, John Ridley and Dave Warner, and directed by Kevin Carlin. It was filmed at Channel Nine’s GTV Studio 11 and on location... |
Detective Ray Driscoll |
| 2008– 2010 |
Ugly Betty Ugly Betty Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea... |
Connor Owens |
| 2010 | True Blood True Blood True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana... |
Cooter |
| 2011 | Panic at Rock Island | Jim |
| 2011 | The Amazing Race Australia The Amazing Race Australia The Amazing Race Australia is an Australian reality television game show based on the American reality television series, The Amazing Race that is broadcast on the Seven Network. The series features eleven teams of two who are in a pre-existing personal relationship, and follow the various... |
Host |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Halifax f.p: Someone You Know | Bob Palance | |
| 1999 | Close Contact | Mike Heyns | |
| 2000 | On the Beach On the Beach (2000 film) On the Beach is an apocalyptic television movie released in 2000, airing originally on Showtime. It is a remake of the 1959 film, and is based on the 1957 novel by Nevil Shute. It starred Armand Assante, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Ward... |
Lt. Peter Holmes | |
| 2001 | Finding Hope | Jack | |
| 2003 | Ned Ned (film) Ned is an Australian film, directed by Abe Forsythe. It is satire of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, and his iconographical status as a "hero."The film was released in the same year as Ned Kelly, starring Heath Ledger.... |
Town priest | |
| 2003 | Calling Gerry Molloy | Oliver Laird | |
| 2004 | One of the Oldest Con Games | Sam | |
| 2004 | Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story | Black Rat | |
| 2007 | Harry | ||
| 2011 | Killer Elite | Capt. James Cregg | |
| 2011 | City of Gardens | Jesus Christ | in post-production |
| 2011 | Atlas Shrugged Atlas Shrugged (film) Atlas Shrugged: Part I is a 2011 American film adaptation of part of Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged, intended as the first film of a trilogy encompassing the entire book. After various treatments and proposals floundered for nearly 40 years, investor John Aglialoro initiated production in... |
Hank Rearden | |