For a film dedicated to the Australian outback, it’s great to see some Indigenous Australian representation in the form of actor David Gulpilil, who played Neville “Nev” Bell in the first “Crocodile Dundee.” Nev is a Aborigine character who both Dundee and Sue encounter in the Australian outback as they are getting to know each other in the wilderness. While it first seems like Nev may be hostile, it’s revealed that he and Dundee are already good friends after Dundee jokingly pulls a knife on him as a poorly-aged joke. Gulpilil’s line, “Oh Mick, you frighten s*** out of me!” remains one of the funniest and best-delivered lines in the whole film.
As an Aboriginal actor, David Gulpilil had an amazing career in entertainment by often portraying characters of Aboriginal descent in mainstream movies. Some of his biggest roles beyond “Crocodile Dundee” include Chris Lee in Peter Weir’s frightening “The Last Wave,” The Tracker in “The Tracker,” Moodoo in “Rabbit-Proof Fence,” and Charlie in “Charlie’s Country.” Because of these roles and others, Gulpilil received countless accolades, including awards from the AACTA, Cannes Film Festival, and Inside Film. Gulpilil also had a significant career in television, with notable parts in shows like “The Outsiders,” “The Timeless Land,” and HBO’s “The Leftovers” as Christopher Sunday. Sadly, Gulpilil passed away from cancer in 2021 at the age of 68, with his last onscreen appearance being a documentary about himself called “My Name Is Gulpilil.”
