Leon Ford is an Australian actor who has appeared in many television and theatre productions. He is best known for his roles in the television series The Cooks, Changi and the telemovie Stepfather of the Bride.
Early life
Ford attended Telopea Park School and Narrabundah College in Canberra, Australia.
Career
Film & television
Ford portrayed 1st Lieutenant Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones in the Emmy award-winning HBO miniseries The Pacific, which follows the story of World War II Marines through different battles of the Pacific theater of war.
He has also appeared in many other television series and films including All Saints, East West 101 and McLeod's Daughters, the 2005 movie The Great Raid and voiced a character in the 2008 stop motion animated movie $9.99. He recently appeared in the joint BBC and Stan production Ten Pound Poms and Baz Luhrmann's feature film Elvis. On 9 September 2025, Ford was announced as creator and actor in ABC series Dog Park.
Stage
Stage roles include playing pious charlatan Tartuffe in the 2014 Bell Shakespeare version of Tartuffe, based on the French play originally written by Molière.
Directing/writing
In addition to acting, Ford is both a director and screenwriter. In 2010, Ford notably wrote and directed the movie Griff the Invisible, starring Ryan Kwanten as a man who is bullied by his coworkers during the day, but a superhero by night. The film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it was well received by audiences and critics. Ford attended Binger Filmlab in 2008, where he developed short film The Mechanicals.
Author
Ford is also an accomplished author. In 2009, penned "What Doesn't Kill You", the story of a man waking up to find that, instead of the ideal life he'd been living, everything has gone horribly wrong overnight. He wakes up in the wrong house, his wife doesn't love him anymore, he no longer has a job, one of his friends betrayed him in the worst possible way and his car exploded.
Personal life
Ford first met his wife Alice Bell at the Old Fitzroy Hotel in 2006 while appearing in Josh Lawson's play Shakespearealism. Alice wrote a part for him in Puberty Blues.
Ford moved from Sydney to Los Angeles in 2018 with his wife and their three children, in order for Alice to work on The Expats, a U.S. series she was the writer and creator of (produced by Nicole Kidman's Blossom Films).
Filmography Short film Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor 1999 The Big Date 2005 The Mechanicals 2006 Glitch 2007 Katoomba 2016 Young Labor
Acting roles Year Title Role 2006 The Last Chip Croupier Craig Glitch Norton 2012 Julian Mr Braybon 2013 Things We Do For Love Evan
Feature film Year Title Director Writer 2010 Griff the Invisible 2023 The Portable Door
Acting roles Year Title Role 2004 Lost Things Gary 2005 The Great Raid American POW at Palawan 2008 $9.99 Stanton (voice) 2010 Beneath Hill 60 Lieutenant Robert Clayton 2015 Ruben Guthrie Dimitri 2016 The Light Between Oceans Franz Johannes Roennfeldt 2020 Rams De Vries 2022 Elvis Tom Diskin
Television Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 2003 Life Support 4 episodes 2010–11 Rush 3 episodes 2012 Monday Bites House Husbands Season 1, episode 8 2012–17 Offspring 10 episodes 2015 No Activity 1 episode 2018 Squinters 6 episodes Wanted 1 episode 2019–20 Upright Also creator 8 episodes 2021–23 Love Me 4 episodes
Acting roles Year Title Role Notes 1996 Water Rats First Probationer 1 episode 2001/08 All Saints Ian Neal / Patrick Foster 2 episodes 2002 Young Lions Josef Pozinak 1 episode McLeod's Daughters Mick Woodland 1 episode BackBerner Blair Fife 1 episode 2004-05 The Cooks Dishpig 13 episodes 2005 Hex Max Risen 2 episodes 2007 East West 101 John Duff 1 episode 2009 My Place Vernon 1 episode 2012 Monday Bites 2013 Offspring Dean 1 episode 2012-14 Puberty Blues Mr Candy 8 episodes 2014 ANZAC Girls Major John Prior 3 episodes 2015 House of Hancock Alan Camp 1 episode 2017-19 The Letdown Ruben 11 episodes 2022 God's Favourite Idiot Reverend Milton Throp 6 episodes 2023-25 Ten Pound Poms Bill Anderson 9 episodes2026Dog Park Roland6 episodes
Miniseries Year Title Role Notes 2001 Changi as Young Bill Dwyer 2006 Tsunami: The Aftermath Joe Meddler 2 episodes 2010 The Pacific 1st Lt. Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones 3 episodes 2014 The Moodys Gavin 1 episode Devil's Playground Brother Warren 2015 Gallipoli Charles Bean
TV movies Year Title Role 2004 Go Big Lars Foster 2006 Stepfather of the Bride Lachlan 2008 Emerald Falls Callum Peterson 2012 The Great Raid American POW at Palawan Mabo Henry Reynolds 2016 Comedy Showroom: The Letdown Ruben
Stage Year Title Role Type 1998–99 Henry IV, Parts I & II Gloucester / Mouldy Boy / Messenger / Servant Athenaeum Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra with Bell Shakespeare 1999 Interactive World Theatre Ensemble Theatre 2000 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander National tour with Bell Shakespeare 2001 The Coming of Stork Tony Stables Theatre with Naked Theatre Company 2002 The Soldier's Tale Soldier Bell Shakespeare Hippolytus Hippolytus Government House Ballroom, Sydney with Bell Shakespeare The Credeaux Canvas Winston Stables Theatre, Sydney Progress Oliver Old Fitzroy Theatre Presence Jake Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 2003 Hamlet Hamlet Australian tour with Bell Shakespeare 2004 Noir Darlinghurst Theatre 2005 Top Shorts Old Fitzroy Theatre 2006 Shakespearealism (as part of Plays: By Himself - Three Short Plays by Josh Lawson) Ralph Old Fitzroy Theatre with Tamarama Rock Surfers Theatre Company / Naked Theatre Company 2007 Dead Caesar Cicero Wharf 2 Theatre with Push Productions 2008 The Credeaux Canvas Winston Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company 2012 Old Man Daniel Belvoir Theatre Company 2013 Constellations Roland Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company2014 Tartuffe Tartuffe Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare Private Lives Elyot Chase Southbank Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company2016 A Flea in Her Ear Etienne / Olympe Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company Double Indemnity Walter Huff Playhouse Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company 2017 The Rover Colonel Belville Belvoir Street Theatre 2018 An Enemy of the People Mayor Peter Stockmann Belvoir Theatre Company 2022 Snugglepot & Cuddlepie Mr Lizard Adelaide Festival Centre with Canute Productions / New England Theatre Company 2023 A Little Night Music Frederick Egerman Hayes Theatre Corowspan=2 Rope Philip Marama Cabin Crew Macbeth Macduff / Lennox Melbourne Theatre Company
Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Category Result 2003 Hamlet Green Room Awards Best Male Actor in a Leading Role 2006 The Mechanicals St. Kilda Film Festival Best Short Film (Comedy) 2007 Katoomba Sydney Film Festival Best Australian Short Film (Dendy Award) AFI Awards Best Screenplay in a Short Film 2008St. Kilda Film Festival Best Film Best Director IF Awards Best Rising Talent 2011Griff the Invisible Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival Best Feature Film 2012 AACTA Awards Best Original Screenplay 2015 Offspring (episode 5.10)AWGIE Awards Best Television Series 2019 Day Six Comedy Award — Situation or Narrative 2020Upright Best Situation or Narrative Comedy Screenplay AACTA Awards Best Television Comedy Series 2022Love Me Best Television Drama Series Logie Awards Most Outstanding Drama Series Most Popular Drama Program 2023 Elvis CinEuphoria Awards Best Ensemble - International Competition
References
External links