by Ronnie Tate
Australia has a rich history of producing talented actors and actresses. From Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe to Chris Hemsworth, Australia’s film industry has produced some of the best movie celebrities in Hollywood. While some Aussie actors have become cinema celebrities for their roles on the big screen, others have even made their mark by starring in casinos around the world – and some of them are even often seen visiting casino halls when they are not filming.
Russell Crowe
Crowe is a New Zealand-born Australian actor, film producer, and musician. He became famous after playing a historical character in the movie Gladiator (2000), which granted him numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor. And Crowe blew away all the casino enthusiasts with his outstanding performance in the movie Poker Face.
To act in this thrilling casino film from 2022, he spent a lot of time in real casinos studying how to play poker from professionals. And if you ever got to choose the best online casino in 2023 then you know that some sites offer pretty good live casino dealers – making online casino playing one of the best gambling experiences. This is why he also spent a lot of time preparing for this role by practising at online casinos as well. Russell Crowe stars in this movie together with Liam Hemsworth, one of the many Australian celebrities who play poker.
Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth is an Australian actor who began his career in the Australian television series Home and Away. You might know him from other films such as:
- Star Trek
- Blackhat
- Snow White and the Huntsman
- Red Dawn
- Men in Black: International
- Bad Times at the El Royale
- Thor: Ragnarok
If you thought you saw him almost naked online in front of a casino, you weren’t dreaming – the scene was for an interesting casino film. In Bad Times at the El Royale, the action takes place on the California-Nevada border, which used to host wealthy gamblers before losing its gambling license. The plot revolves around six strangers and an employee exchanging dark secrets on a fateful night. Fun fact: the El Royale casino was based on the Cal Neva Lodge & Casino, a favourite of the Kennedy family.
Liam Hemsworth
Liam is an Australian actor best known for his role as Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games series. He is the brother of Chris Hemsworth, who has gained mainstream recognition for playing one of Marvel’s Avengers – Thor. Just like his brother, Liam spends a lot of time in casinos, especially practising for his roles. In 2022, he spent much of his time gambling with his Australian colleague Russell Crowe when they were shooting for the Poker Face movie.
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia was an Australian-British actress and singer who passed away in 2022. She became famous for playing Sandy in the 1978 musical Grease. In the ’80s, it was the highest-grossing musical film and its soundtrack remains one of the world’s best-selling records with two major hits, “Summer Nights” and “ You’re the One That I Want”.
She was a four-time Grammy Award winner and one of the world’s best-selling musicians. In addition to acting and singing, she has been involved in charity work for multiple healthcare organisations.
The Australian movie star had many performances during her tour “A Summer Night with Olivia Newton-John”, including one performance at Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. During her performances, gamblers could try their luck at roulette tables or blackjack tables.
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett is an Australian actress who has been in many movies, including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Carol and Blue Jasmine. She won two Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards, demonstrating her talent.
Cate also won four British Academy Film Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance in Mrs America as Phyllis Schlafly. She played Lucinda Leplastrier in Oscar and Lucinda. In this role, she plays a wealthy heiress who is introduced to gambling by her accountant after the death of her parents. Blanchett researched the gambling industry a lot in preparing for this role (which might be one of her top performances). It is evident from the way she portrays Lucinda’s gambling addiction that she studied books about gambling addiction and played games at online casinos to learn more about it.
Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie is an Australian actress and producer. She is best known for her roles in The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad movie and I, Tonya. Even though she is not an avid gambler, she has been seen visiting some of the world’s famous casino venues. In 2012, she spent New Year’s Eve at a party at Tao nightclub at the Venetian Hotel & Casino, where there are plenty of famous gamblers.
Moreover, together with Will Smith, she starred in a movie from 2015, Focus where the two are con artists who enjoy gambling. For the movie, the actors were required to spend tons of time in real casinos learning how to imitate a typical gambler’s behaviour in order to portray the gambling scenes accurately.
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman is an American and Australian actress and producer. Her career in Hollywood has spanned more than three decades, during which she has won numerous awards, including a British Academy Film Award, an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmys and six Golden Globes.
Nicole Kidman also has another secret talent apart from acting – gambling! Surprisingly enough, the actress visits Las Vegas frequently, and her husband says she wins more than she loses! As Nicole claims she is a responsible gambler and only bets “a little amount” and then quits once she is ahead – she doesn’t want to be one of those celebrities with gambling problems.
Rebel Wilson
Rebel Wilson is an Australian actress, comedian, writer, singer and producer. At the beginning of her career, she starred in the sketch comedy show The Wedge (2006–2007), where she played Leanne, one of two working-class women who are frequent poker machine players and whose kids often sit in the car while she gambles (played by Kate Jenkinson).
Preparing for the role, she spent a lot of time in casinos learning how casino games work so that when it came time for filming, she could do her own gambling scene without looking like an amateur. Also, Rebel Wilson bet $93,000 of her own money on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which means she is willing to take a risk.
Conclusion
There are many Australian actors and actresses who have been seen in casinos acting or simply having fun. Some celebrity gamblers include Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and the Hemsworth brothers. Some people do not know that these celebrities are also gamblers, but they do not mind because they know how to enjoy themselves whenever they want to relax from their busy schedules.
