Hugo Weaving

His family moved back to Australia in 1976, where he attended Knox Grammar School in Sydney

He graduated from Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1981

Weaving's first major role was in the 1984 Australian television series "Bodyline", as the English cricket captain Douglas Jardine

He portrayed the notorious Vicomte de Valmont, a character he first played onstage in 1987

He starred opposite Nicole Kidman in the 1989 film "Bangkok Hilton"

In 1991, Weaving received the Australian Film Institute's "Best Actor" award for his performance in the low-budget "Proof"

He appeared as Sir John in the 1993 Yahoo Serious comedy "Reckless Kelly", a lampoon of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly

Weaving first received international attention in the hit "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" in 1994, and provided the voice of Rex the sheepdog and farm leader in the 1995 family film, "Babe"

Montreal Film Festival - In 1998, he received the "Best Actor" award from the Montreal Film Festival for his performance as a suspected serial killer in "The Interview"

Weaving earned further international attention with his performance as the enigmatic Agent Smith in the 1999 blockbuster hit "The Matrix"

He garnered additional acclaim in the role of Elrond in Peter Jackson's three-film adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings", released between 2001 and 2003

He later reprised that role in the film's 2003 sequels: "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions"

In 2004, Weaving became an ambassador for Australian animal rights organisation Voiceless, the animal protection institute

He starred as a heroin-addicted ex-rugby league player in the 2005 Australian indie film "Little Fish", opposite Cate Blanchett

In 2006, he worked with Cate Blanchett on a reprise of the STC production of "Hedda Gabler" in New York City

Weaving played the title role as V in the 2006 film "V for Vendetta", in which he was reunited with the Wachowskis, creators of "The Matrix" trilogy, who wrote the adapted screenplay

Immediately after "Wolfman" wrapped in spring 2008, he returned home to Australia to film a lead role in the film "Last Ride", directed by Glendyn Ivin

Weaving himself was unaware of the controversy and had accepted the role based on Michael Bay's personal request; in a November 2008 "Sun Herald" interview, he said he'd never seen "Transformers"

Filming began in autumn 2009 in Nottingham, England and Adelaide, South Australia and continued through January 2010

In early 2009, Guillermo Del Toro, director of "The Hobbit" films, prequels to "The Lord of the Rings", confirmed his intent to again cast Weaving as Elrond of Rivendell in a BBC interview When asked about reprising the role, Weaving replied that he was game, but had not officially been approached

Weaving spent the summer of 2009 starring in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of "God of Carnage", portraying the caustic lawyer Alain Reille

In March, the Sydney Theatre Company and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced that STC's 2010 production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya would be reprised in Washington, D.C. during the month of August In April, months of speculation finally ended when Weaving appeared on "The Hobbit"'s New Zealand set, shortly before a production spokesman officially confirmed the actor's return as Elrond in Peter Jackson's prequel trilogy to "The Lord of the Rings"

The child migrant saga "Oranges and Sunshine" opened in the UK on 1 April, the culmination of months of success on the festival circuit in late 2010-early 2011

Weaving played a supporting role in Joe Johnston's 2010 remake of the 1941 film "The Wolfman", starring Benicio del Toro

In February 2010, Weaving revealed to "The Age":

Weaving completed filming his role on the project in September 2010 and returned to Sydney to prepare for "Uncle Vanya"

Rome International Film Festival - The film premiered at the Rome International Film Festival on 28 October 2010 and garnered positive reviews

He returned to the stage in November 2010 in Sydney Theatre Company's "Uncle Vanya", costarring Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh

On 13 March 2011, "The Key Man", which Weaving filmed in 2006, finally debuted at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas

Del Toro eventually left the project; Peter Jackson decided to direct the films himself but Weaving was not officially confirmed in the cast until May 2011

It is unlikely he will sign on for any further Marvel franchise instalments; in an August 2011 Baltimore Sun interview, the actor confided he's weary of typecasting and of "blockbuster" films in general: "I think I've about had enough

The project, co-starring Tom Hanks, Ben Whishaw, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, and Susan Sarandon, began filming in September 2011 and was released in October 2012

The busy actor joined the cast of three forthcoming Australian films in summer 2012

The Western-tinged police thriller "Mystery Road", written and directed by Ivan Sen, began filming in June 2012

He rounded out 2013 co-starring with Richard Roxburgh and Philip Quast in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting For Godot", for the Sydney Theatre Company

In the spring of 2013, Weaving reprised the Agent Smith role for a General Electric television commercial for their "Brilliant Machines" innovations in healthcare management technology, which was slated to air during a break from 13 April's edition of Saturday Night Live, and subsequently continued to receive multiple airings on major cable networks

From 26 July to 27 September 2014, Weaving played the titular role of Sydney Theatre Company's production of Macbeth

In October 2015, Weaving joined the cast of the film adaption of Craig Silvey's Australian novel, "Jasper Jones"

In 2018, Weaving stared as Thaddeus Valentine in "Mortal Engine"