Darren Gilshenan

Darren Gilshenan is an Australian actor and writer. He is best known for his roles in television series The Moodys, Maximum Choppage, Chandon Pictures and Full Frontal.^[1]

Darren Gilshenan
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	National Institute of Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)	Actor and writer
Known for	Full Frontal; The Moodys

Early life

Growing up in Brisbane, Darren was first introduced to acting through performing in a Gang Show while a Boy Scout. He realised then that acting was his passion, "I just knew, I knew that's all I wanted to do. The hardest thing was trying to convince my father that my schooling TER mark didn't matter because I wanted to be an actor."^[1]

Career

Gilshenan graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)^[2] in 1988. He has also taught extensively at Australian Theatre for Young People, Bell Shakespeare and National Institute of Dramatic Art.^[3]

Gilshenan's early acting career includes guest roles in A Country Practice in 1992^[4] and Police Rescue in 1993. He became a series regular (and writer) on the sketch comedy series Full Frontal in 1997.^[5] The show became Totally Full Frontal, where he remained as writer and actor in 1998 and 1999.

In 2002, he had a role in Dossa and Joe.^[6] He then had a major role in both seasons of Chandon Pictures, which aired from 2007 until 2009.^[7] In 2010 he guest directed Accidental Death of an Anarchist.^[8] In 2013, he starred in The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting.^[9] In 2014, he starred in the comedy The Moodys^[10] and drama Rake.^[5] In 2016, he appeared on the sitcom Here Come the Habibs.^[11]

In 2023 Gilshenan was announced as part of the cast for Stan Australia series Thou Shalt Not Steal^[12] he was also starred in Stan series Population 11.^[13] On 22 November, it was announced that Gilshenan was a part of the filming for feature film Pickpockets.^[14] On 4 June 2025, Gilshenan was named as part of the extended cast for Stan series Gnomes.^[15]

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2025	Pickpockets	TBA	Post production
2024	Take My Hand	Peter
	Audrey	Physio
2023	Christmess	Nick	Feature film
2023	A Savage Christmas	Uncle Dick	Feature film
2015	Women He's Undressed	Orry-Kelly	Documentary
2014	Blood Pulls a Gun	Angry Motel Guest	Short film
2013	Bamboozled	Bamboozled Host
	Boarders	Sheppo
2012	Save Your Legs!	Colin
1998	Gristle	Peter	Short film
	Dark City	Fingerprint Cop
1996	Idiot Box	C.E.S. Man
1995	Swinger	John	Short film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2026	Gnomes	TBA	TV series
2024	Thou Shall Not Steal	Mick	TV series
	Nautilus	Punch	TV series: 6 episodes
	Population 11	Hugo Drivas	6 episodes
2023	Plausible Deniability	Archbishop Muntz	2 episodes
2023	The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race	Billy Pope	TV movie
2022-24	Colin from Accounts	Professor Lee	4 episodes
2018-21	Harrow	Lyle Ridgewell Livingston Fairley	30 episodes
2020	Stateless	Brian Ashworth	6 episodes
2016	Here Come the Habibs!	Jack O'Neill	6 episodes
2015–18	No Activity	Det. Stokes	Main cast Writer
2015	Maximum Choppage	Mayor Crawford	6 episodes
2014	Wonderland	Lyle Newell	2 episodes
	Devil's Playground	Father Lenken	Mini-series; 2 episodes
	Old School	John Stoyanov	Episode: "Easy Money"
	The Killing Field	Brian Fleet	TV movie
	Janet King	Alex Moreno	4 episodes
	Rake	Advisor Selwyn	6 episodes
	The Moodys	Terry Moody	TV mini-series; 8 episodes
2013	The Outlaw Michael Howe	Lieutenant Governor Tom Davey	TV movie
	The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting	Various Characters	6 episodes
	Top of the Lake	Bob Platt	2 episodes
2012	A Moody Christmas	Terry Moody	6 episodes
2007-2009	Chandon Pictures	Nick Brenner	16 episodes
2002	Dossa and Joe	Wayne	6 episodes
1998-1999	Totally Full Frontal	Various Characters	28 episodes
1997	Full Frontal	Various Characters	20 episodes
1993	Police Rescue	Nick	Episode: "Wild Goose Chase"
1992	A Country Practice	Malcolm Fairfax	Episode: "Travelling South: Part 1"

Theatre

As actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	Insomnia		SGIO Theatre, Brisbane
1987	The Man Who Came to Dinner		NIDA Theatre
1988	Veneer 1		NIDA Theatre
1989-1990	Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn	Tom Sawyer	Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Festival Theatre, Adelaide
1990	Moby Dick	Captain Peleg	Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre Company, Marian Street Theatre
1990	Beach Blanket Tempest	Frankie / Ian Harpy	Q Theatre, Penrith
	Wild Garden Tales (seif-devised)	Performer	Stables Theatre, Sydney - Young at Art
1991	Hansel and Gretel		Belvoir Street Theatre
1992	Wet and Dry		Stables Theatre, Sydney
1992	11 PM Sharp		Stables Theatre, Sydney
1992	The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie		Stables Theatre, Sydney
1992	Wild Garden Tales		Stables Theatre, Sydney
	Ginger Meggs	Ginger Meggs	Victorian Arts Centre
1993	Daylight Saving	Jason Strutt	Q Theatre, Penrith
1993	Three Stories High / 1000 Nights (self-devised)		Stables Theatre, Sydney - Young at Art
1994	The Taming of The Shrew	Grumio	Newcastle Civic Theatre, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, University of Sydney, Canberra Theatre, Regal Theatre, Perth, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Princess Theatre, Launceston with Bell Shakespeare
1994	Macbeth	A Weird Sister / Seyton / Third Assassin	Newcastle Civic Theatre, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, University of Sydney, Canberra Theatre, Regal Theatre, Perth, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Princess Theatre, Launceston with Bell Shakespeare
1995	Twelfth Night	Feste	University of Sydney, Monash University, Melbourne Athenaeum, Canberra Theatre, Playhouse Adelaide with Bell Shakespeare
1995	Pericles	Fisherman / Knight	University of Sydney, Monash University, Melbourne Athenaeum, Canberra Theatre, Playhouse Adelaide with Bell Shakespeare
1995	Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead	Player	Belvoir Street Theatre
1996	Much Ado About Nothing	Dogberry	Melbourne Athenaeum, Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre with Bell Shakespeare
1996	The Players	Ensemble	Stables Theatre with Pork Chop Productions
1996	Coriolanus	Ensemble	Melbourne Athenaeum, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
	The Popular Mechanicals	Snug	Riverina Theatre Company
1997	Titanic		Cambridge Park Inn, Sydney
1998	Henry IV	Hotspur / Pistol - Soldier 1	Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre, Malthouse Theatre, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Monash University, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with Bell Shakespeare
1999	Alive at Williamstown Pier		Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga, Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company
	The Venetian Twins	The Twins	Tilbury Productions for Olympic Arts Festival
1999	Henry V	Pistol	Melbourne Athenaeum, Playhouse Canberra, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
2001	The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)	Various characters	Sydney Opera House
2001	Julius Caesar	Lepidus / Trebonius	Sydney Opera House, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Orange Civic Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse Canberra, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Geelong Performing Arts Centre, Newcastle Civic Theatre, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with Bell Shakespeare
2001	Antony and Cleopatra	Clown / Eros / Lepidus	Sydney Opera House, IMB Theatre, Wollongong, Playhouse Melbourne, Playhouse Canberra, Riverside Theatres Parramatta with Bell Shakespeare
2002	Richard III	Rivers / Stanley	Sydney Opera House, Playhouse Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne, New South Wales with Bell Shakespeare / Queensland Theatre Company
2002	The Comedy of Errors	Dromio of Syracuse	Playhouse Canberra, Ford Theatre, Geelong, Playhouse Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Orange Civic Theatre, IMB Theatre, Wollongong with Bell Shakespeare
	Last Cab to Darwin	Various characters	Pork Chop Productions
2003	The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)		Sydney Opera House
2003-04	The Servant of Two Masters	Truffaldino	Australian national tour with Bell Shakespeare
2004	The Comedy of Errors	Dromio of Syracuse	Theatre Royal, Hobart with Bell Shakespeare
2005	Harry the Sixth		Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
2005	Edward IV		Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
2005	Wars of the Roses	Dauphin / Saunder Simcox / Richard, Duke of Gloucester	Sydney Opera House, Playhouse Canberra, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Playhouse, Melbourne with Bell Shakespeare
2005	Measure for Measure	Pompey, a pimp	Playhouse Melbourne, Playhouse, Brisbane, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra, Orange Civic Theatre with Bell Shakespeare
2005	The Servant of Two Masters	Truffaldino	Sydney Theatre
2006	The Comedy of Errors	Dromio of Syracuse	Grand Theatre, Blackpool, Theatre Royal, Bath with Bell Shakespeare
2006	Urinetown	Mr McQueen	Sydney Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company / Sydney Theatre Company
2007	The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom	Cuddlepie	Theatre Royal, Sydney, Regal Theatre, Perth, Dunstan Playhouse Adelaide with Company B Belvoir
2007	The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)		Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane
2007	Not Like Beckett	Beckett	Star Court Theatre, Lismore
2007	The Government Inspector	Various roles (including Klestakov)	Playhouse Canberra. Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse, Brisbane, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
2009	Elling	Elling	Wharf 1 Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2008	Strange Attractor	Colin	Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company
2009	Tot Mom	Various characters	Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2010	The Beauty Queen of Leenane	Pato Dooley	Wharf 2 Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2010	Tragedy Workshop	Willy Loman	Sydney Theatre Company
2010	Our Town	Stage Manager	Sydney Opera House
2011	Don Parties On	Richard	Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
2011	The White Guard	Alexei	Sydney Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2011	Loot	Inspector Truscott	Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
2011	Fool's Island	Fool (Gooden / Badden)	Bondi Pavilion with Tamarama Rock Surfers / Sydney Theatre Company
2012	Elling	Elling	Southbank Theatre
	The Beast (workshop)	Various characters	Melbourne Theatre Company
	The Waiting Room (workshop)	Raf	Sydney Theatre Company
	The Mayor's Nest (workshop)	Various characters	Riverside Theatre
	Helicopter (script reading)	HE	Griffin Theatre Company
2014	Absent Friends	Colin	Ensemble Theatre
2014–15	Mother and Son	Arthur	Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Brisbane
	The Man's Bitch (reading)	Frederick Wilson / Edward White / Radio Host	Sydney Theatre Company
2015	Strictly Ballroom the Musical	Doug Hastings / Merv	Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane
2014–2015	Monkey: Journey to the West	Piggsy / Heavenly Staffer / Monk	Brisbane Powerhouse, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre Centre, Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Geelong Arts Centre
2016	Machu Picchu	Paul	Wharf Theatre Sydney, Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with Sydney Theatre Company
2016	Tartuffe	Tartuffe	Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth, Playhouse, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre Company / Black Swan Theatre Company
2017	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	George	Ensemble Theatre
	Once in a Blue Moon (workshop)	Various characters	CDP Productions
2018	The Hypochondriac	Argan	Darlinghurst Theatre Company
2022	The Caretaker	Davies	Ensemble Theatre

As writer / director

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	The Players	Writer	Stables Theatre with Pork Chop Productions
	Recital for Japan	Director	Bell Shakespeare
2003	Hamlet	Movement Director	Bell Shakespeare
	Last Cab to Darwin	Assistant Director	Pork Chop Productions
	The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)	Director	Spirit Entertainment
2004	The Comedy of Errors	Movement Director	Theatre Royal, Hobart with Bell Shakespeare
	A Midsummer Nights Dream	Co-Director	NIDA Theatre
	The Servant of Two Masters	Director	NIDA Third Year Actors
	The Popular Mechanicals	Director	NIDA Third Year Actors
2010	Accidental Death of an Anarchist	Director	NIDA Summer School
	The Jinglist	Director	The Edinburgh Festival
	Loot	Director	NIDA Third Year Actors
	The Chaos Fairy	Director	Monkey Baa
	The Birthday Boys	Director	NIDA Independent
2016	Poetry at Play	Director	Poetry in Action
2016	The Paper Tiger	Director	Poetry in Action
2016	The Poet's Quest	Director	Poetry in Action
	Parting the Red Curtain	Director	Neil Gooding Productions
2020	The Government Inspector	Director	NIDA Parade 2 Studio

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