“Directing a film is a kind of a - I just found it a ridiculously painful process. You’re married to compromise. You are betrothed to compromise from the word go and it’s about the way that you deal with compromises that’s going to determine what the film is like. ... it did make acting seem like it was a bit of a walk in the park”

Born in Albury, the youngest of six siblings Richard Roxburgh did not become interested in acting until he became disillusioned with studying economics at ANU.  He enrolled in the National Institute of Dramatic Art, but with the intention of working in theatre, not film or TV.  Nevertheless after a successful start in theatre he moved to tv and thence to film.  His first feature lead was in Doing Time for Patsy Cline but it was supporting roles  in Mission Impossible 2 and Moulin Rouge which brought him to international attention.  Romulus My Father marks his debut as a director.