David Gulpilil, Indigenous actor known for ‘Crocodile Dundee’, passes away
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David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu, Australia’s most acclaimed Indigenous actor, famously known for his role in Crocodile Dundee, has died at the age of 68 after a battle with lung cancer.
Gulpilil, who won global fame for his performance in Crocodile Dundee, died at his home in Murray Bridge in South Australia on Monday. Photo credit: Fairfax Media via Getty Images.
According to his friend and caregiver, Mary Hood, David Gulpilil was born on tribal land in the Northern Australian frontier in the early 1950s. His date of birth was guessed to be July 1, 1953, and it was believed he was 68 years old at the time of his death.
Mr Gulpilil’s career spanned five decades, and he found his widest audiences through his roles in the 1986 hit film Crocodile Dundee and in director Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 epic Australia.
Other notable films Gulpilil appeared in include Charlie's Country, Rabbit-Proof Fence and The Proposition.
His legacy was honoured in a statement by the Premier of South Australia Hon Steven Marshall on Monday.
"It is with great sadness that I share with the people of South Australia the passing of an iconic, once-in-a-generation artist who shaped the history of Australian film and Aboriginal representation on screen," wrote Marshall.
"An actor, dancer, singer, and painter, he was also one of the greatest artists Australia has ever seen.”
Behind the actor’s universal success in his career and various other endeavours, Marshall described Gulpili’s life as one not without hardship.
“He encountered racism and discrimination and lived with the pressures of the divide between his traditional lifestyle and public profile,” his statement read.
Gulpilil was recognised in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours List and awarded the Member of the Order of Australia. Photo credit: Everett Collection via Variety.
Gulpilil began working on his first film as a producer in 2017 for the documentary My Name is Gulpilil which was directed by Molly Reynolds. The film premiered earlier this year, with the producer and subject in attendance.
“This final film, 50 years after his breakthrough on-screen, saw David Dalaithngu credited for the first time in his career as a producer — alongside Reynolds, filmmaker Rolf de Heer and Yolŋu filmmaker Peter Djigirr,” said Marshall.
“He was a man who loved his land and his culture, and he was a man who took it to the world.”
“He was never expected to survive until the end of shooting, let alone the premiere, and yet it was no surprise to anyone that he was front and centre on opening night, where he would receive his final standing ovation.”
Gulpilil was considered ‘gravely ill’ in 2019 when he was awarded the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Never forget me. While I am here, I will never forget you,” the late actor said in his acceptance speech.
He is survived by his sisters Mary and Evonne, daughters Makia and Phoebe, and sons Jamie and Jida.
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