# Famous Aussies that an American would know **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 11, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444 "2005-05-11T19:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/21 "2005-05-11T21:58:27Z")
Jodi Phillis ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/22 "2005-05-11T22:03:59Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > John Clarke John Clarke’s a Kiwi too. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/23 "2005-05-11T22:16:50Z")
Is he? My mistake. He makes a damn convincing Australian. I mean, did you see the pajamas he was wearing? And a bit of googling shows that he’s good friends with Sam Neill (who was born in Northern Ireland), who I was rather surprised to see on an episode of _The Games_, playing an American. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/24 "2005-05-11T22:29:40Z")
Barry Humphries (but the average American would only recognise him in his horn-rimmed glasases and sequinned dress in his character [Dame Edna Everage](http://www.dame-edna.com/). [Peter Allen](http://www.bluedesert.dk/peterallen.html), singer/songwriter/ entertainer. Probably best known in the US for his cheesy 70s song “I go to Rio” and for his marriage to Liza Minnelli. [Ian Thorpe](http://ianthorpe.aol7.com.au/), Olympic swimmer and heart throb to gay guys and Japanese schoolgirls. [Cathy Freeman](http://www.cathyfreeman.com.au/), Aboriginal athlete, Olympic runner, lit the torch at the Sydney 2000 games. - Other famous Australians possibly more deserving have come through the sciences and the arts, but would not be known in the street in the USA. Another notable is Sir Donald Bradman, who is a contender for the greatest sportsman ever (move over Babe Ruth, Pelé etc), but he did it in cricket, so again would not be noticed on the street in the US (actually he would be noticed on the sidewalk but that’s because he’s dead, so I guess that’s cheating). - The brothers Gibb emigrated to Australia with their family in 1958. - Nicole Kidman was actually born in Hawaii, and lived briefly in Washington DC as a small child (I’m not a fan, Kidman bores me to tears, but I googled this). - Stealing famous Kiwis is something Australia does. There are several instances of it in this thread. Whether it’s cheating or in fact a compliment to NZ is open to debate. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/25 "2005-05-11T22:43:22Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Musicians: Nick Cave, Kylie Minogue, INXS. > > Isn’t one of the two lead actors from Nip/Tuck an Australian? Maybe the guy who is playing Dr. Doom? Yeah, his name is Julian McMahon. He’s also the son of former Australian Prime Minister, William McMahon. Other Aussies that Americans might know: Barry Humphries/Dame Edna Everage Simon Baker (from TV show “The Guardian”) Ian Thorpe (if you’re an Olympic swimming fan) Germaine Greer (famous feminist) Robert Hughes (perhaps a bit too esoteric; art critic and author) Rupert Murdoch (although i believe he’s no longer officially an Australian citizen) On preview, **TLD** beat me to Barry Humphries and Ian Thorpe. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/26 "2005-05-11T22:44:23Z")
Wofgang Mozart. He was from the capitol of Australia - Vienna! Oh…damn. I keep confusing those two. Does **Phar Lap** count? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/27 "2005-05-11T22:50:24Z")
I think it says something about Australia’s political visibility in America that Prime Minister John Howard has not yet been mentioned. I mean, i don’t like Howard at all, but he _is_ the leader of the country that has been one of America’s staunchest allies in an otherwise rather hostile world over the last few years. ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/28 "2005-05-11T23:09:28Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > All these Aussies, and not one named “Bruce”? 😉 I’m Aussie and I only know one Bruce… Have I been whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/29 "2005-05-11T23:19:47Z")
> [@Burnt Sugar](#): > > I’m Aussie and I only know one Bruce… Have I been whooshed? It’s a Monty Python reference: [The Bruces Sketch](http://www.library.adelaide.edu.au/guide/hum/philosophy/philos_bruce.html) ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/30 "2005-05-11T23:21:22Z")
Bryan Brown, star of _F/X_ and co-star of _Cocktail_ and _Gorillas in the Mist_. Also, Jack Thompson, who played Cliegg Lars in _Atttack of the Clones_. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/31 "2005-05-11T23:27:22Z")
Every American under the age of 6 knows the Wiggles by sight. Every American stoner recognizes AC/DC by sound. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/32 "2005-05-11T23:28:59Z")
I don’t think anyone has mentioned Anthony La Paglia. Also, there’s tennis player Pat Rafter who won 2 consecutive US Opens - '96 and '97, from memory. Well, I guess he could probably walk down most streets in the US without getting mobbed. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/33 "2005-05-11T23:39:10Z")
> [@buns3000](#): > > I don’t think anyone has mentioned Anthony La Paglia. > > Also, there’s tennis player Pat Rafter who won 2 consecutive US Opens - '96 and '97, from memory. Well, I guess he could probably walk down most streets in the US without getting mobbed. True, although most US tennis fans, and even the casual sports fan, probably know Lleyton Hewitt. ---
**Author:** ![CapnPitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/34 "2005-05-11T23:52:05Z")
How could I forget Greg Norman??? I think for my purposes, someone who emigrated to Australia would be fine. So the Bee Gees are good, and I’ll throw in Olivia Newton-John. Thankfully, I had no idea the Wiggles were Australian. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/35 "2005-05-12T00:14:41Z")
One who should be but probably isn’t - [Howard Florey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Walter_Florey) , who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1945 (jointly with Alexander Fleming and Ernst Chain) for his work in investigating the large scale extraction and production of penicillin. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/36 "2005-05-12T00:48:19Z")
Olivia Newton John ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/37 "2005-05-12T01:06:19Z")
Peter Singer, professor of Philosophy at Princeton Uni. Mary Donaldson. You know, the Tasmanian chick who will one day be Queen of Denmark. ---
**Author:** ![empty\_filing\_cabinet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@empty\_filing\_cabinet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/empty_filing_cabinet)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/38 "2005-05-12T01:21:26Z")
> [@CapnPitt](#): > > (preferably by sight)? The lovely Lauren Jackson. Very easy to pick out in a crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/39 "2005-05-12T02:24:56Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Does **Phar Lap** count? Oi! Also a Kiwi, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/40 "2005-05-12T02:35:40Z")
Anthony La Paglia has played so many street-wise Noo Yawk types, most Americans probably have no idea he’s Australian! Among the musicians (not yet mentioned) who’ve been quite popular here at one time or another: Helen Reddy (huge in the Seventies) Men at Work (huge in the early 80’s) Rick Springfield (huge in early 80’s) Air Supply (huge in early 80’s) The Little River Band [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444.md?page=3)