Vince Colosimo
A versatile and intense Australian actor who has embodied everything from gangsters to comedians with raw, magnetic energy.
Born 1966 (age 60)·Australian actor·Birthday: November 11·Generation X
Biography
Vince Colosimo carved his place in Australian cinema not as a leading man in the traditional sense, but as a character actor of formidable and sometimes frightening presence. Breaking through in the 1990s, he demonstrated a rare range, shifting from the heartbreaking vulnerability of a young immigrant in 'The Heartbreak Kid' to the explosive, career-defining role of gangland figure Alphonse Gangitano in 'Underbelly.' Colosimo possesses a physicality that fills the screen, whether he's portraying menace, melancholy, or manic comedy, as seen in films like 'The Wog Boy.' His work, often exploring themes of identity, family, and violence within the Australian-Italian experience, has made him a familiar and compelling face across stage, television, and film for decades. While his personal life has sometimes drawn headlines, his professional legacy rests on a body of work marked by unwavering commitment and electric intensity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Vince was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Vince Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Vince's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for 'The Heartbreak Kid' in 1993.
- Delivered a landmark television performance as real-life gangster Alphonse Gangitano in the hit series 'Underbelly.'
- Appeared in major Australian films such as 'Lantana,' 'The Wog Boy,' and 'Chopper.'
Did You Know?
He is a trained ballet dancer.
Colosimo provided the voice for the character of Nino in the Australian animated film 'Happy Feet.'
He was once considered for the role of Snake in the film 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.'
“You find the truth of a character in the silence.”
