Host of the 2019 Awards – Les Asmussen

A longtime jobbing actor, Les has covered most aspects of live performance: theatre including much Shakespeare (Shakespeare Globe), musicals, cabaret, pantomime, puppetry and directing.

He has also worked extensively in radio, television and film. He is a well-known voice artist, twice nominated for the prestigious Talking Book of the Year Award (yep, twice nominated, never won!).

Among the many plays in which he has appeared: The original Sydney production of Dimboola, Waiting For Godot, Travesties, Galileo (Nimrod), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Shadowlands (as C.S. Lewis), Flexitime, The Caretaker, Twelfth Night (Marian St.), as the Emcee in Cabaret (Actors’ Company), Pinter’s The Collection, Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, 84 Charing Cross Road and as Proclo (“Kill Proclo!”) in the Australian premiere of The Ritz.

In 2014, he toured for S.P.T. in a one-man show which had been created especially for him.

In 2015, appearing in Michael Gurr’s Crazy Brave (Sydney Fringe Festival), one critic said: “Asmussen… is utterly sublime…” (Great critic!)

In 2016, he was invited to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to appear in what became one of the critical hits of that Festival, the VERY adult The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show.

Success in Edinburgh led to performances in Brighton and London.

His most recent stage appearances include Jonathan Biggins’ Australia Day and Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound. Later this year, he will be appearing in a revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross.

Many television appearances include Sons and Daughters (back when he was very young), Possession (1985: does anyone remember it?) two episodes of Water Rats, All Saints, Rake (ABC), Hyde & Seek (9 Network).

His feature films include Damaged Goods and its sequel Older’n Last Time.

He will soon be seen as Rex Wild QC in Dead Heart (Channel 4 London), yet another film about the Joanne Lees-Peter Falconio case.

He is the co-author of And the Oscar Didn’t Go To… His second book, What Were They Thinking? 100 (More or Less) of the Worst Movies Ever Made (and How They Got That Way) is being published … er, soon!