News & Stories

A real role model

If you think you recognise this graduate, you've probably seen him on TV.

If recent roles are anything to go by, chances are we’ll be seeing a lot more of University of Tasmania alumnus Toby Leonard Moore.

The humble actor’s star is certainly on the rise having secured parts in major hit series including Netflix’s Daredevil and most recently, Showtime’s Billions.

The talent and versatility of the 36-year-old Tasmanian actor, moving between voiceover work, TV, stage and screen, has translated into an ever-growing body of work.

Initially starting out on Australian stage and television, working with the Sydney Theatre Company and in the television film Murder in the Outback, Toby then set his sights on the US market.

“I started in LA, but didn’t like it very much,” he said. “I had a friend in New York who suggested I come out there and I’ve stayed ever since. In a lot of ways, the city chooses you.”

And choose Toby it did.

Since arriving in the US his career has gone from strength to strength.

Among his acting credits he is best known for his roles as Victor in cult-hit movie John Wick; James Wesley, criminal underworld figure Wilson Fisk’s right-hand man in Daredevil; and law-abiding Bryan Connerty in Billions.

“I have played quite a lot of villains, which is great fun,” he said. “Playing Brian on Billions was completely different as he has such a strong moral fortitude.”

Toby’s desire to pursue acting started at a very young age.

I knew from when I was nine years old that I wanted to do acting and NIDA [the National Institute of Dramatic Arts] was where I wanted to go.

Born in Sydney, the son of acclaimed voiceover artist Robyn Moore (best known as the voice of Blinky Bill), he moved with his family to Hobart when he was 11 years old.

The ensuing years saw him pursue theatre work around Hobart, landing roles in productions by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, among others, before he enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Japanese) at the University of Tasmania.

I have always loved Japan. It’s been a big part of my life ever since I was an exchange student in 1997, so it really was a degree of love.

“I actually started with law as well, because I like the performance aspect of it, but gave it away and just focused on Japanese.

I had such a good time at uni. I loved the academic aspect. I made such great friends while I was there, many of whom I still keep in contact with now.

He graduated in 2002, and set to work honing his love of acting at NIDA.

It was at NIDA that he met his wife, Australian actress Michelle Vergara Moore, with both actors now based in New York.

“I did a lot of theatre early on in my career, but I have tended to gravitate to film and TV in recent years,” he said.

“Although there is something about theatre. It has the adrenaline and you get an immediate reaction. It’s something that I’d really like to get into again.”

Interested in studying Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences? Find out more here.

Interested in studying Art, Music and Theatre? Find out more here.