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Grant Bowler
Bowler at 2012 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1968-07-18) 18 July 1968 (age 56) Auckland, New Zealand
Education	National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
Occupation(s)	Actor, television presenter
Years active	1993–present
Spouse	Roxane Wilson ​ ​(m. 2001; div. 2011)​
Children	2

Grant Bowler (born 18 July 1968) is a New Zealand-Australian actor and television presenter who has worked in American, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian film, television, and theatre.

He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne Patterson in Blue Heelers and Wolfgang West in Outrageous Fortune. He also appeared as Wilhelmina Slater's love interest Connor Owens in Ugly Betty. He starred as Joshua Nolan on the Syfy television series Defiance.

As a presenter, he was best known for hosting reality game shows – including The Mole Australia and The Amazing Race Australia, both of which aired on the Seven Network.

Bowler has been the voiceover narrator for Border Security: Australia for the Seven Network since 2004. He has also provided the narration for the Canadian version and the American version when those versions air in Australia and New Zealand as Border Security: International on 7two.

Personal life

Bowler was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but moved to Australia when he was young, and was raised in Brisbane.

In 2011, he separated from his wife of nine years, Australian actress Roxane Wilson, with whom he has two children.

Career

Bowler is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art.

He worked extensively in theatre with the Bell Shakespeare Company touring with the original company founded by John Bell.

His first television role was as Constable Wayne Patterson on Blue Heelers, from 1993 to 1996. After leaving that show, he spent time on Pacific Drive in 1996 and Medivac from 1996 to 1998. He had recurring roles on Always Greener and Stingers, starred in the television adaptation of On the Beach, spent a year on the ABC series Something in the Air, and starred in the 2004 miniseries Through My Eyes about the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain. Bowler had a recurring role on All Saints from 2004 to 2005.

Bowler hosted the Australian version of The Mole from 2000 to 2003. He was replaced in the 2005 series by Tom Williams because of family commitments and his duties with Border Security: Australia's Front Line. He is the narrator of the latter show, having begun as on-camera host in 2004 and transitioning to the off-camera role after the first season.

Bowler appeared in the New Zealand series Outrageous Fortune in the recurring role of Wolfgang West. He was in greater demand since joining the program, but turned down other work to remain with the show.

Bowler guest starred as Gault, the captain of a freighter on the American television series Lost, starting with the season four episode "Ji Yeon".

In 2008, he began a recurring role on Ugly Betty as Connor Owens, corrupt CFO of Meade Publications and the love interest of the series' main villain. Bowler said of his character, "He's got a lot of evil secrets." In December 2009, he was cast as Cooter, a werewolf, in the HBO urban fantasy series True Blood, for that show's third season.

In late 2010, he was announced as the host of Seven Network's The Amazing Race Australia and remained for three seasons. He did not return for the 2019 Network 10 revival of the series, being replaced by Beau Ryan.

He played Hank Rearden in Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011), the first part of a planned three-part film adaptation of Ayn Rand's novel of the same name. He was also seen in 2011 in The City of Gardens, and the film Killer Elite.

In 2012, Bowler was cast as Richard Burton opposite Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor in the biographical TV-movie Liz & Dick for Lifetime in the US.

He was seen in the war drama Gallipoli, released in 2015 on Channel 9, Australia. Bowler was also seen in the psychological action film Swelter, alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme and Alfred Molina; in the sci-fi thriller 400 Days with Brandon Routh and Dane Cook; Lucky Dog with Amy Smart; and the family movie, Zooey to the Max.

In 2020, Bowler appeared in a recurring role in The Baker and the Beauty playing the Australian father of lead character Noa Hamilton, played by Nathalie Kelley.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References

1. Shattuck, Kathryn (4 December 2009). "What's On Today > 9 p.m. (ABC) Ugly Betty". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
2. "'Defiance' Star Grant Bowler Reveals His Gaming Habits". Comcast TV Blog. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
3. Coster, Alice (11 May 2011). "Grant Bowler hosts Channel 7 and Active TV's The Amazing Race Australia". Herald Sun. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
4. "Grant Bowler Video: Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi". OV Guide. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
5. "Amazing Race's Grant Bowler splits with wife". Herald Sun. Melbourne, Australia. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
6. "More New Blood – Both Vamp & Lycan Added to True Blood". Dreadcentral.com. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
7. "Wolf at the door". Otago Daily Times. 17 June 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
8. "SPOILER ALERT: The Ugly Betty Cast Dishes on Season 3". People. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
9. "Final True Blood Season 3 Promo Poster Revealed". Dreadcentral.com. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
10. Chocano, Carina (29 April 2011). "Atlas Shrugged Part One (2011) : A Utopian Society Made Up of Business Moguls in Fedoras". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
11. "Grant Bowler to play Richard Burton opposite Lindsay Lohan's Liz Taylor". Tvtonight.com.au. 27 May 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2014.

External links

• Grant Bowler at IMDb
• Outrageous Fortune Official site
• Sue Barnett & Associates | Grant Bowler
• "Grant Bowler Signs On For Lead In Syfy's Upcoming Epic Science Fiction Series, 'Defiance'". Syfy press release via Zap2It.com. 17 January 2012. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
• "Grant Bowler on Gallipoli, the 2015 TV miniseries". Stuff/Fairfax. 9 February 2015.

• Living people
• Australian male film actors
• New Zealand male film actors
• 1968 births
• Australian male television actors
• New Zealand male television actors
• New Zealand emigrants to Australia
• 20th-century Australian male actors
• 21st-century Australian male actors
• Male actors from Auckland
• Male actors from Sydney
• Male actors from Brisbane
• Male actors from Perth, Western Australia