An Australian icon whose acting career paralleled that nation's emergence into mainstream cinema, Jack Thompson first gained prominence as the star of the Aussie TV series "Spyforce". He solidified his reputation during the 1970s with movies like "Petersen" (1974), "Sunday Too Far Away" (1975) and "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith" (1978) before giving an award-winning performance as the defense attorney in Bruce Beresford's "Breaker Morant" (1980), his first film to get wide exposure in the USA. He also appeared in a small role as a horseman in George Miller's "The Man From Snowy River" (1982),