David Dhalatnghu Gulpilil (1 July 1953 – 29 November 2021) was an Australian actor and dancer.
Gulpilil was probably born in 1953, although he stated in the 2021 documentary about his life, My Name is Gulpilil, that he did not know how old he was.
Local missionaries recorded his birth on 1 July 1953, based on "guesswork".
He was a man of the Mandjalpingu (Djilba) clan of the Yolngu people, who are an Aboriginal people of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia.
As a young boy, Gulpilil was an accomplished hunter, tracker, and ceremonial dancer.
Gulpilil spent his childhood in the bush, outside the range of non-Aboriginal influences and did not set eyes on a white man until he was 8 years old.
He received a traditional upbringing in the care of his family, until the death of his parents, after which he attended the school at Maningrida in North East Arnhem Land, where he was assigned the name "David".
When he came of age, Gulpilil was initiated into the Mandhalpuyngu tribal group.
His skin group totemic animal was the kingfisher (the meaning of the name Gulpilil) and his homeland was Marwuyu.
1969
In 1969, Gulpilil's skill as a tribal dancer caught the attention of British filmmaker Nicolas Roeg, who had come to Maningrida scouting locations for a forthcoming film.
1971
He was known for his roles in the films Walkabout (1971), Storm Boy (1976), The Last Wave (1977), Crocodile Dundee (1986), Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Tracker (both 2002) and Australia (2008).
An Indigenous Australian and Yolŋu person, he was raised in a traditional lifestyle in Arnhem Land.
A skilled dancer, his talent was noticed by British filmmaker Nicolas Roeg, who cast him in his first feature film role in Walkabout.
He also made several appearances on stage.
After appearing in his first film, Walkabout (1971), Gulipilil became fluent in English, adding to his linguistic ability in several Aboriginal languages.
Roeg promptly cast the 16-year-old unknown to play a principal role in his internationally acclaimed motion picture Walkabout, released in 1971.
This was also groundbreaking, as it was the first time that an Aboriginal character had been portrayed as sexually attractive.
Gulpilil's on-screen charisma, combined with his acting and dancing skills, was such that he became an instant national and international celebrity.
He travelled internationally, mingled with prominent people, and was presented to heads of state.
During these travels to promote the film, he met and was impressed with John Lennon, Bob Marley, Bruce Lee, Marlon Brando, and Jimi Hendrix.
He taught Bob Marley how to play the didgeridoo, while Marley introduced him to "ganja".
Gulpilil appeared in many more films and television productions.
1976
He played a lead role in the commercially successful and critically acclaimed Storm Boy (1976).
1977
He "dominated" the film The Last Wave (1977) with his charismatic performance as the conflicted urban tribal Aboriginal man Chris Lee.
2002
De Heer had directed Gulpilil in another film, The Tracker (2002).
2003
A documentary about his life, Gulpilil: One Red Blood, was aired on ABC Television in 2003.
The title comes from a quote by Gulpilil: "We are all one blood. No matter where we are from, we are all one blood, the same".
Gulpilil was a major creative influence throughout his life in both dance and film.
2006
He initiated and narrated the film Ten Canoes which won a Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Cannes Festival.
The prize-winning, low-budget film, based on a 1,000-year-old traditional story of misplaced love and revenge, features non-professional Aboriginal actors speaking their local language.
Gulpilil collaborated with the director, Rolf de Heer, urging him to make the film, and although he ultimately withdrew from a central role in the project for "complex reasons," Gulpilil also provided the voice of the storyteller for the film.
2007
In 2007, he starred in Richard Friar's hour-long independent documentary, Think About It! which was focussed on Indigenous rights and the anti-war movement and included commentary from former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, former Greens leader Bob Brown, and David Hicks, then a detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
2014
In 2014, he again collaborated with De Heer, this time sharing on screenwriting credits for Charlie's Country.
The film won several awards, including Best Actor in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.
2015
In 2015, Gulpilil appeared in the documentary Another Country directed by Molly Reynolds.
In this film, Gulpilil narrates the story of his life, from when he was a child living on country, the arrival of the first white men ("ghosts"), in the form of missionaries, through The Intervention and the introduction of the BasicsCard, often making serious criticisms hidden beneath his trademark humour.
Gulpilil again worked with Reynolds when she directed a documentary about his life, My Name Is Gulpilil, which premiered at the 2021 Adelaide Festival.
Gulpilil was renowned for portraying Aboriginal culture before it became threatened by the white civilisations, though the irony is that he became divorced from his own culture by doing so.
2019
Recognised as one of Australia's greatest actors and a trailblazer for Indigenous Australians in film, he was honoured with numerous awards and honours, including a lifetime achievement award at the 2019 NAIDOC Awards.
After his death in November 2021, he would be posthumously referred to as David Dalaithngu for a short period upon his family's request to avoid naming the dead in accordance with Indigenous practices.
