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Aaron Pedersen (born 24 November 1970) is an Aboriginal Australian television and film actor. He is known for many film and television roles, in particular as Detective Jay Swan in the film Mystery Road (2013), its sequel Goldstone (2016), and spin-off television series (2018–2020). He has been nominated for many and won several acting awards, including the 2021 for International Award for Best Actor in a Series.


Early life
Pedersen, who is of and descent, was born and grew up in , one of eight children. He and his seven siblings grew up in foster homes away from their alcoholic mother, Margaret, and experienced much family violence in the home. From an early age, he looked after his brother, Vinnie, who has and a mild intellectual disability.

In the early 1990s, Pedersen underwent a cadetship at the ABC in , and worked as a journalist and presenter. He was a host for the TV series Blackout.


Career
His acting career began in 1994, when he starred in the miniseries Heartland and was voted Bachelor of the Year by Cleo magazine. He came to notice in 1995 as co-host of Gladiators Australia, an Australian game show.

Pedersen's first major acting role was as lawyer Vince Cellini in Wildside in 1997. In 1999, he played Detective Senior Constable Michael Reilly in Water Rats, and took a major role in The Secret Life of Us (2005).

Since 2007, he had the leading role in SBS's drama series The Circuit, and from 2007 to 2011 he appeared in 's drama . He appeared as Cam Delray in ABC Television's series, beginning in 2012 and running for several seasons.

Pedersen took the lead role of Detective Jay Swan in 's Mystery Road (2013), a role he reprised in its sequel film Goldstone (2016), and its spin-off television series (2018–2020).

He played war veteran Frank Gibbs in A Place to Call Home (2017–2018) and Tom Campbell in Total Control (2019). In 2020 to 2021, he was the presenter for an ABC Television documentary series Australia Remastered. In the same year, he featured as a presenter with writer in an eight-episode documentary series on ABC Television called Back to Nature.

In 2024, Pedersen would appear in the Foxtel/Binge series High Country.


Recognition
In 2007, Pedersen was the recipient of the Bob Maza Fellowship, which recognises emerging acting talent and support professional development for Indigenous actors.


Awards
Pedersen has been nominated for many and won several awards.

He won the Best Actor award at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival for Darklovestory (2006).

My Brother Vinnie (2006) won the Best Short Documentary award at the Melbourne International Film Festival and was nominated for an for Best Short Documentary. Pedersen was also nominated for a for Outstanding Achievement in Film.

Pedersen won a Deadly Award nomination for Male Actor of the Year in 2003 and 2011, and was nominated for it in 2007.

In 2013, he was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, for his role in the film Mystery Road.

After being nominated several times over the years for , in 2021 he won the AACTA International Award for Best Actor in a Series, for his role in Mystery Road.


Other roles
Pedersen speaks at schools and prisons, and is concerned at the rate of incarceration of Indigenous Australians, seeing parallels with the early history of Australia, being founded as a penal colony; the link between poverty and crime. Other speaking roles include various events, including the Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival, and has hosted Black Nite Film Festival since 2009. He was co-host of the 2011 Deadly Awards, and has undertaken many other public speaking engagements.


Personal life
Pedersen has looked out for his younger brother Vinnie, who has and mild intellectual disabilities, on and off since he was a child. In 1997, when Aaron was pursuing his career as an actor in Sydney, their grandmother, who had been helping to care for Vinnie in Alice Springs, died. There were no services available nor other family support, so Aaron took on the role as full-time carer and Vinnie joined him in Sydney. After things got difficult for Aaron, his de facto mother-in-law, Mum Frances, stepped in and Vinnie moved in with her.

Vinnie accompanies Aaron during his filming. The short documentary film My Brother Vinnie (2006), written by Pedersen, directed by , and shot by (both friends), was selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival and Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival. (28 mins) VJM, 7 Feb 2017.

Pedersen's partner in life was Sarah Bond. The split up in 2017. While he is not currently seeing anyone, he says that caring for Vinnie means that there is no space in his life for children. He loves working with wood, and has a "secret desire to be a tradie".


Filmography

Film
1996Tony
2000Saturday NightMac
2004Queen of Hearts
FloodhouseUncredited
2006DarklovestoryGil
My Brother VinnieHimselfShort film
2012Bad KarmaBear
2013Mystery RoadDetective Jay Swan
The Darkside
2014The Fear of DarknessDr. Nicholas Trengrove
2015SpearSuicide Man
2016Killing GroundGerman
GoldstoneDetective Jay SwanSequel to Mystery Road
20171% (aka Outlaws)Sugar
2019Dirt MusicBeaver
2020High GroundWalter
2021Back to the OutbackClive the Dung Beetle (voice)


Television
1993–1996BillyTV series
1994HeartlandClarrie Carmichael6 episodes
1995Australian GladiatorsHostSeries 1
1996Tom DalyTelevision film
1997–1999WildsideVince Cellini50 episodes
1999–2001Water RatsDet. Snr. Constable Michael Reilly88 episodes
2002–2003MDADr. Tony McKinnon23 episodes
2003Grass RootsJoe VentimigliaEpisodes: "Investigation" and "Garbage"
2005The Secret Life of UsCorey Mailins9 episodes
GrangeSamTelevision film
A Very Barry ChristmasWarrun (voice only)Television film
2006GregTelevision film
2006–2011Duncan Freeman85 episodes
2007East West 101Adam KingEpisode: "Death at the Station"
2007–2010The CircuitDrew Ellis12 episodes
nominee in 2009 for the 'Most Outstanding Actor' award
2008Double TroubleKelton13 episodes
2012Cam DelrayTelevision film
Television film
2014Television film
The CodeTim Simons6 episodes
2016It's a DateMattEpisode: "Should You Re-connect with an Old Flame?"
2016–2021Cam Delray16 episodes
2017A Place to Call HomeFrank Gibbs12 episodes
Detective Joe KenshellMiniseries, 2 episodes
2018–2020Mystery RoadJay Swan12 episodes
Sequel to Mystery Road (2013) and Goldstone
2019Total ControlTom Campbell Jnr4 episodes
2020The GloamingInspector Lewis Grimshaw8 episodes
2020–Australia RemasteredHost4 episodes
2021Back to NatureHost
2023Barfuß Durch AustralienKalti RogersTelevision film
2024High CountryOwen Cooper6 episodes


Further reading


External links
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