Bryan Brown's Journey from Reluctant Reader to Crime Writer
Literature held no appeal for Bryan Brown during his childhood in Sydney. However, a long airplane journey later unlocked his passion for storytelling.
Bryan Brown’s Public Image
In person, Bryan Brown is exactly as expected—ruggedly handsome, charismatic, and swearing like a champion. Although he is 78 years old, he remains instantly recognizable, having starred in numerous classics from the "event TV era," including The Thorn Birds, films like Breaker Morant, and alongside Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise in Cocktail and Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas In The Mist.
His Writing Career
Today, Bryan Brown is also a bestselling author, but not in the typical Hollywood memoir vein. He is an established crime writer, having published his first book, Sweet Jimmy, a collection of short stories, in 2021. His debut novel, The Drowning, followed in 2023. This month sees the release of his third book, The Hidden.
Childhood Attitudes Toward Reading
“I hated English at school,”
Brown admits, explaining,
“Because we got things like Great Expectations to read …”
He now acknowledges the Dickens classic as a great novel but notes,
“not when you’re bloody 12 and 14 and 16, and you want to play sport...”
Current Life
We met for lunch in Fitzroy. Brown lives in Sydney with his wife, fellow actor and director Rachel Ward. He was in Melbourne for a podcast appearance, despite confessing,
“I’ve never listened to a podcast, ever.”
His transition from disliking reading to becoming a crime writer shows unexpected growth and passion.
Author’s summary: Bryan Brown transformed from a boy who detested reading into a celebrated crime novelist, proving passion can emerge unexpectedly even later in life.