Hugo Weaving

Hugo Weaving, born on April 4, 1960, in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, is a distinguished British-Australian actor known for his versatile roles across film, television, and stage. After moving to Australia in 1976, he attended Knox Grammar School in Sydney and graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1981.
Weaving began his acting career with a notable role in the Australian TV series Bodyline (1984), portraying cricket captain Douglas Jardine. He gained prominence with his performances in the Australian films Proof (1991) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), earning his first Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award (AACTA) for the former.
​
His international breakthrough came with major roles in American productions, including as Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy (1999–2003), Elrond in The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit trilogies (2012–2014), and the title character in V for Vendetta (2005). He also portrayed Johann Schmidt/Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Weaving's extensive career includes significant voice roles, such as Megatron in the Transformers series (2007–2011) and appearances in Babe (1995), Happy Feet (2006), and its sequel. He has also reprised his roles in video game adaptations of The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings. He has won six AACTA Awards and was honored as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia.