Paul Hogan: The Tap Dancing Knife Thrower

Book - Paul Hogan Autobiography: The Tap Dancing Knife Thrower
my life -- without the boring bits
By: Paul Hogan

The icon and legend at last tells his story his way - without the boring bits.

Paul Hogan first appeared on our screens in 1971 as a 'tap dancing knife thrower' on channel 9's New Faces.

The then father of four and Sydney Harbour Bridge rigger from Granville did it as a dare, but when the network's switchboard lit up, he was invited back. So popular was he with viewers, Hogan became a regular on Mike Willesee's A Current Affair.

The rest, as they say, is history. In collaboration with his business partner and best friend John Cornell (who played his sidekick, Strop), he went on to become Australia's favourite TV comedian.

His hugely popular comedy shows and appearances in unforgettable and ground-breaking ads for cigarettes, beer and tourism, came to personify Australia and Australians here and overseas, helping to change the perception of who we are as people and as a nation.

Then, in 1986, Crocodile Dundee, the movie he conceived, co-wrote and starred in, became an international smash, grossing more than a billion dollars in today's money and earning its star an Oscar nomination.

Despite the fact Hoges claimed to be 'retired', many more movies followed, including Crocodile Dundee II, Lightning Jack, Almost an Angel and Charlie & Boots. But even as his star rose ever higher, he always expected someone to grab him by the arm and say, 'What are you doing here? You're just a bloody rigger!'

The Tap Dancing Knife Thrower is a funny and candid account of the astonishing life of 'one lucky bastard', as Hoges describes himself. Full of countless stories never previously shared and told in the comedian's inimitable, funny and self-deprecating style, The Tap Dancing Knife Thrower is Paul Hogan's story told his way - 'without the boring bits'.

About the Author

Paul Hogan AM was a rigger on the Sydney Harbour Bridge before rising to fame in the early 1970s with his own comedy sketch program, The Paul Hogan Show. The series ran for more than a decade, and was popular both in Australia and around the world. In 1985, Hogan was awarded Australian of the Year and was also inducted into the Order of Australia. In 1986 he starred in Crocodile Dundee, a film he conceived and co-wrote. It went on to become the most successful Australian film ever and launched Hogan's international film career, winning him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and a BAFTA Award nomination.

Following the success of Crocodile Dundee, Hogan starred in several other films, including Crocodile Dundee II, Lightening Jack, Almost an Angel and Charlie & Boots. He is currently working on a new movie, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee, with long-time collaborator Dean Murphy.

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The Tap Dancing Knife Thrower is due for release in October 2020.

After years of refusing offers to tell his life story, Australia's favourite comic Paul Hogan will finally reveal all in a noholds barred autobiography.

Hogan said last night the book - called The Tap Dancing Knife Thrower - is a candid , humorous account of the Sydney Harbour Bridge rigger from working-class Granville who went on to become an international superstar.

Of his decision to put pen to paper, 80-year-old "Hoges" said "now that I've moved firmly into the fourth quarter, it's about time I shared the stories behind the headlines and movie posters" .

"Because, more often than not in my life, fact has been funnier, and certainly stranger, than fiction., " he said.

Working with publishers HarperCollins Australia, the father of six promises to tell the whole story from his successes

- including 1986's Crocodile Dundee, which earned him an Oscar nomination - to some of his troubles: a stoush over taxes with the ATO, his failed marriage to first wife Noelene, and the breakdown of his relationship with Dundee co-star and second wife Linda Kozlowski.

Indeed, Hogan's classic Crocodile Dundee, the movie he conceived, co-wrote and starred in, is credited with introducing Australia to the world. It made $508 million globally and spawned a lucrative sequel, which raked in $371 million worldwide.

Hogan also appeared in hugely successful tourism ads selling Australia to the world, making him a beloved figure in the US with the promise of another "shrimp on the barbie" .

But with all the success, the "one lucky bastard" often felt he didn't deserve it - despite the accolades and wealth, he always expected someone to grab him by the arm and say, 'What are you doing here? You're just a bloody rigger.' "

Hogan has been on Australian TV screens for close to 50 years, since he first appeared on Channel 9's talent show New Faces as a "tap dancing knife thrower" in 1971.

But it was his own vehicle, The Paul Hogan Show and subsequent TV specials with business partner and best friend John Cornell (who played his sidekick, the surf lifesavingcapped Strop), that endeared him to Australians, making him one of our favourite personalities.

Post-Dundee , despite his claims he was "retired" , Hogan appeared in movies such as Lightning Jack, Almost An Angel and Charlie And Boots.

With his long-time collaborator Dean Murphy, Hogan has been working on a new movie, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee, which co-stars another Aussie legend, Olivia Newton-John , plus funnymen Chevy Chase and John Cleese.

Article by TIFFANY BAKKER: May 8, 2020 - The Herald Sun Digital Edition.
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