- Australian-born actor Ian Bliss began his career in 1991. He completed his acting training in Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 1993 with a degree in Performing Arts (Acting). The early portion of his career consisted of steady appearances on numerous television series including Heartbreak High (1994), Water Rats (1996), All Saints (1998) and Underbelly (2008). 2003 marked a significant highlight in Ian's career with his portrayal of the villain Bane in the Wachowski Brothers' Matrix sequels: The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003). Once life after The Matrix movies ended, Ian found work in other action-adventure fantasy projects, including the high-flying combat film Stealth (2005), followed by the DC comic book movie Superman Returns (2006), the continued story of the Man of Steel remembered from the 1970s and '80s films. During the later 2000s, Ian continued his acting throughout several different television series, including City Homicide (2006), Killing Time (2010), Twentysomething (2011) and Crownies (2011).- IMDb Mini Biography By: The 7th Scribe
- Ian Bliss is an Australian TV actor, who's career has encompassed film, voice over roles and theatre, Bliss is a NIDA graduate when he completed his performing degree in 1993. Bliss is best known for his career defining role as the villainous Bane in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and the films sequel The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Bliss would also appear in Superman Returns (2006) and high thrills action movie Stealth (2005), Bliss has been no stranger to appearing in movies and his presence on screen is normally felt.
Bliss has had a successful career in Australian Theatre, appearing regularly in both the Queensland and Melbourne Theatre companies with runs of shows including the 2019 production of Dream Lover, Jasper Jones, North-by-Northwest, Warhorse and many more.
Ian is also a highly respected voice artist and has lent his voice to many commercials and TV voice over roles including Sherazade: The Untold Stories (2017), Get Ace (2014) and Kuu Kuu Harajuku (2015). Bliss' TV roles include City Homicide (2006), Underbelly (2008), All Saints (1998) and appearing in season 6 of Australian Award winning drama series Wentworth (2013) as Detective Collins and in 2020 Bliss appeared in Underbelly adaptation Informer 3838 (2020) where he played the role of real life police commissioner Simon Overland.
Bliss is married to Jacquie Brennan,the two met in 1999 on the set of theatre play Silhouette and married in 2001.- IMDb Mini Biography By: PhaseItIn
- SpouseJacquie Brennan(2001 - present) (2 children)
- Foreboding presence, intense stare.
- He was cast specifically for the role of Bane in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003) for his superbly-accurate impersonation of actor Hugo Weaving, cast mate who was the villainous Agent Smith. Along with his impersonation, he was cast for his slight resemblance to Weaving.
- He graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) with a degree in Performing Arts (Acting) in 1993.
- Occasionally, acting can be a tough profession and as much as it can hurt to not get certain roles there are always other roles, other opportunities if you persist. A willingness to embrace the variety offered by this profession is also a great motivation to continue in this career.
- On stuntwork: I'm keen to a certain point, then I refer to the professionals.
- On working on the Matrix sequels: Coming from a background of doing smaller Australian films, I really had to relearn to pace myself and work within a scene on The Matrix sequels. Because, if you have a week to shoot something, you might start the scene on a Monday and finish the scene on a Friday but you have to maintain the continuity of emotion. The flow of the story line may be broken in a dozen parts and I have to pick up where we left off. I have to gear myself up to get back to a head space I left behind a week ago.
- I went when I was twenty-three. It wasn't tough for me because I had maturity and sensibility. I had my head on my shoulders and my feet on the ground. If you aren't ready for the huge demands made of you, you won't survive it. You really have to put your life on hold for three years. If you invest yourself in that experience you will get so much out of it. So many techniques, so many experiences which, once you've learned, you subconsciously take with you into your career from then on.
- It's been a rehearsal process that has only really coalesced once we arrived in the theatre. To fully realize the show once lights, set, score and effects have all been added.
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