Jason Clarke

He may be known for playing pitch-perfect Americans in films like "Public Enemies" (2009), "Lawless" (2012) and "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012). However, to those that have watched him on screen in the United States, the fact that Jason Clarke was born and raised on a sheep farm in Queensland, Australia may come as somewhat of a shock.

Known for being that rare form of actor who completely absorbs the characters he's playing, Clarke spends hours on end listening to real people talking in an effort to mask his Australian accent, and fully encapsulate his various on-screen personas. And it would appear that the hard work has paid off.

Since 2012 Clarke has appeared in several of Hollywood's highest-profile movies, including the Academy Award-winning "Zero Dark Thirty," and director Baz Luhrmann's star-studded period drama, "The Great Gatsby" (2013), quickly establishing himself as one of Hollywood's most in-demand character actors.

On the insistence of a friend, Clarke decided to take up acting in his teens. He enrolled in a class where a soon-to-be-famous Hugh Jackman was one of his fellow classmates. After high school, Clarke enrolled in drama school in Melbourne. He graduated in 1994, and began appearing in Australian television shows and films, including a recurring role on the crime series, "Wildside" (ABC, 1997-99).

By the late '90s, however, Clarke's once flourishing acting career started to stall. His frustration quickly turned to despair, and for several months Clarke contemplated a life without acting. His luck began to change in 2002 when he was cast as a police officer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, "Rabbit-Proof Fence." The film was a critical and commercial success, both in Australia and America, thus reigniting Jason Clarke's passion seemingly overnight.

Before long, Jason Clarke also began landing roles in American films and television shows. His breakout performance came in 2006 when he was cast as corrupt politician Tom Caffee on the Showtime crime drama, "Brotherhood" (2006-08). Despite earning unanimous critical praise, however, the show was cancelled after its second season.

Over the next few years, Clarke appeared in smaller roles in studio films like Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" as well as Oliver Stone's "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" (2010). His next big break came in 2011 when he landed the role of detective Jarek Wysocki in "The Chicago Code" (FOX, 2011). The show was once again revered by critics, but also cancelled after its initial 13 episodes.

Undeterred, Clarke went on to earn further critical praise for his stark performances in the crime dramas "Texas Killing Fields" (2011) and "Lawless." He appeared in his most visible film to date in the summer of 2013, as mechanic George Wilson in the period drama, "The Great Gatsby." The film was the sixth big-screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's celebrated novel, and was also shown in 3-D, a first for Clarke.