Heath Franklin
Heath Franklin is a Logie nominated Australian actor, comedic performer, improviser and writer. Franklin made his television debut on sketch show The Ronnie Johns Half Hour, where his character, ‘Chopper’, a comedic impersonation of real-life criminal Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, has become an international cult hit.
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Biography
Heath Franklin is a Logie nominated Australian actor, comedic performer, improviser and writer. Franklin made his television debut on sketch show The Ronnie Johns Half Hour, where his character, ‘Chopper’, a comedic impersonation of real-life criminal Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, has become an international cult hit. In 2007, Franklin performed his debut Australian national live tour, Chopper’s Harden the F*ck Up Australia Tour, going on to perform an international version of the show in a sell-out season in London, then Edinburgh Fringe. Since 2007, Franklin, as ‘Chopper’, has sold over 130,000 tickets across Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
Franklin’s second Australian national ‘Chopper’ tour in 2008 was the critically acclaimed Make Deadsh*ts History. The enormous positive response to the show lead to its DVD recording in D-Division at Pentridge Prison in Melbourne for release in 2009. This DVD was nominated for the 2010 ARIA for Best Comedy Release. In 2010, Heath Franklin made his feature film debut in the lead role of ‘Mervyn Toebuck’, alongside Jemaine Clement of NZ’s Flight of the Conchords in the black comedy feature film, Predicament. Chopper’s Republic of Anzakistan, the all-new TV show aired in NZ in 2015.
The hilarious stand up/ sketch show sees ‘Chopper’ uniting Australia and New Zealand as one country, with a cast of comedians reflecting on the unique aspects of our different cultures. Franklin went on to tour this show to sold out crowds across Australia and New Zealand in 2016. In the same year ‘Chopper’ was featured on the Triple M Network’s Merrick and Australia in Chopper’s Weekly Review. In 2017, Franklin appeared in Jane Campion’s mystery drama series Top of the Lake on ABC, and on New Zealand comedy gameshow 7 Days. In 2018, Heath was awarded The Piece of Wood Award at the 2018 Melbourne Comedy Festival for his brand new stand up show ‘Bogan Jesus’. In 2019. Heath tours Chopper’s ‘Bogan Jesus’ across Australia and New Zealand.
Awards & Nominations
- WINNER The Piece of Wood Award – Melbourne Comedy Festival 2018
- NOMINEE Best International Guest – New Zealand Comedy Guild 2010
- NOMINEE Best Comedy Release – ARIA Awards 2010
- NOMINEE Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent TV Logie Awards 2006
