Steve Bastoni

• Name — Steve Bastoni • Born — 4 March 1966 • Birthplace — Rome, Italy • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1976–present • Children — 3

Bastoni was born in Rome, Italy, to Australian mother Val and Italian father Raffaele. His father was a five-time Italian kayak champion who competed for Italy in the double kayak event at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. Bastoni’s interest in acting began after seeing a London production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the age of six. When he was eight, Bastoni relocated to Melbourne with his mother and two sisters, after his parents separated. He often spent his childhood summers on the Mornington Peninsula, learning to surf in Sorrento. At age ten, Bastoni performed an amateur production alongside his mother, at the Adelaide Fringe. At primary school he often scored lead roles in the school productions, and performed in a school play called Minestrone, at the age of 11. He largely learnt acting on the job. While working a part-time job at an Italian restaurant in the inner city suburb of Carlton, Bastoni performed at La Mama, earning the nickname 'Hollywood' from his co-workers. At the age of 16, Bastoni landed a role in short film Skipping Class, after which time he signed with an agent and got an Actors Equity Card. As a teenager, he also played basketball at state level, competing against former professional player Andrew Gaze in the under-16s.

Bastoni's theatre work includes the playing role of Rocky in the 1987 Australian national tour of The Rocky Horror Show starring Daniel Abineri. Abineri then gave him the role of Charlie Fortune in his controversial rock musical Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom in 1989, starring alongside Russell Crowe and Nadine Garner. He notably starred in Cameron Mackintosh's 2002 big budget musical production of Oliver! directed by Sam Mendes, which toured nationally and to Singapore. He played the role of Bill Sikes, alongside John Waters and Tamsin Carroll. In 2012, Bastoni performed in Everynight, Everynight at Melbourne's Gasworks, for Frank Theatre Company, and in Jager Productions’ Barassi, as AFL legend Ron Barassi. He also appeared in a 2013 Belvoir production of The Threepenny Opera, playing Macheath. In 2019, Bastoni starred in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, marking his debut for Melbourne Theatre Company. The same year, he also played the lead role of Jay Conway in Ulster American for Melbourne's Red Stitch Actors Theatre. He was nominated for Green Room Awards for both roles, as well as one for his earlier turn in Ben Elton’s Popcorn in 1999.

Bastoni was in a relationship with actress Sarah Lambert, whom he met when she appeared in a 1991 episode of Police Rescue. He was also in a relationship with actress Melissa George in the mid-1990s. He was later in a long-term relationship with TV star Nina Zandnia. Bastoni is married to Bianca Pirrotta, whom he met at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2005. They moved in together in Sydney not long after their courtship began. When Pirotta fell pregnant, the couple moved to Melbourne to be closer to family. They married in October 2007, three months after the birth of their first son. Together, the couple now have two sons and a daughter and live in the Melbourne suburb of Rosebud. Bastoni has been open about his past struggles with addiction prior to the age of 40, crediting the birth of his son with turning his life around and finding recovery. Bastoni studied a Certificate 4 in Mental Health while making mental health plans and programs for workers in the mining industry. He conducts workshops in schools, encouraging young people to talk about their life experiences, in association with Australian not-for-profit suicide prevention organisation, R U OK?.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. • 1983 — Home — Colin — Season 1, episodes 25 & 26 • A Descant for Gossips — Howard — TV movie • 1984 — Waterfront — Emilio Callini — Miniseries, 3 episodes • 1984 — Special Squad — Season 1, episode 17: "Wild Man" • 1985 — A Hard Bargain — Mario • 1985 — Neighbours — Alex Baxter — Season 1, episode 154 • 1986 — Prisoner — Peter McCormack — Season 8, 11 episodes • 1989 — Il Magistrato to — Robbie Shaw — Miniseries, 6 episodes • 1991 — G.P. — Vic Graziano — Season 3, episode 8 • 1991–1996 — Police Rescue — Yiannis 'Angel' Angelopoulos — Main role: Seasons 1–5, 59 episodes • 1992 — Six Pack — Johnny — Season 1, episode 2 • Frankie's House — G.I. Jarvis — Miniseries • 1994 — Time Trax — Gerald — Season 2, episode 10 • 1995 — Blue Murder — Detective Michael Drury — Miniseries, 2 episodes • 1995 — Natural Justice: Heat — Paul Tancred — TV film • 1997 — Flipper — Lt. Cmdr. Mercer — Season 2, episode 9 • Twisted Tales — Constable Paul Bell — Season 1, episode 1 • 1998 — Wildside — Eric Foley — Season 1, 4 episodes • The Fury Within — Dr. Stephen Johnson — TV film • 1999 — Without Warning — Arch Whitelaw — TV film • 1999; 2002 — Stingers — Billy Robardi / Nigel Finster — 2 episodes • 2000 — The Lost World — Ramses — Season 1, episode 18 • On the Beach — First Officer Neil Hirsch — TV film • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — McAfee / Newcomen — TV film • Tales of the South Seas — Season 1, episode 17 • 2000; 2001 — Beastmaster — Maloc — Season 2, episodes 5 & 12 • 2001 — South Pacific — Lt. Buzz Adams — TV film • 2002 — Counterstrike — Captain Kram — TV film • 2005; 2006 — The Alice — Greg — Season 1, episodes 6 & 21 • 2006 — Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America — FEMA Director McGarrett — TV film • 2007 — All Saints — Morgan Garrett — Season 10, episode 12 • 2007–2009 — Neighbours — Steve Parker — Main role: Seasons 23–25, 322 episodes • 2009–2010 — Missing Persons Unit — Host — Documentary series • 2010 — Sleuth 101 — Harry — 1 episode • Sea Patrol — Steve Coburn — Season 4, episode 2 • | The Golden Mile — Louis Bayeh — Season 3, 6 episodes • Rush — Boogie — Season 3, episode 21 • 2012 — Lowdown — Brad Gordon — Season 2, episode 7 • 2013 — Mr & Mrs Murder — Marcus James — Season 1, episode 9 • 2014 — Fat Tony & Co. — Homicide Det. Charlie Bezzina — Miniseries, 5 episodes • Upper Middle Bogan — Benji Amenta — Season 2, episodes 4 & 7 • 2015 — Hawaii Five-0 — Tom Bishop — Season 6, episodes 4 & 8 • 2016 — The Wrong Girl — Craig Peterson — Season 1, episodes 4, 5 & 7 • 2016–2017 — Wentworth — Don Kaplan — Seasons 4–5, 8 episodes • 2018 — How to Stay Married — Lenny — Season 1, episode 3 • 2019 — Bad Mothers — Tom — Main role: Season 1, 7 episodes • Welfare — Jon Karagiannis — Main role: Season 1, 6 episodes • 2020 — Aussiewood — Tony Taranto • 2021 — Australian Gangster — Joe Barbaro — Miniseries, 2 episodes • Fires — Vince Rocca — Miniseries, 1 episode • 2022 — Garrison7 • The Younger Man — Podcast series • 2023 — Utopia — Minister Assisting — Season 5, episode 1 • 2024–2025 — Darby and Joan — Chris Steele — Season 2, 5 episodes • 2026 — Dear Life — Geoff Parry — TV series: 2 episodes

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. • 1985 — The Journey — La Mama Theatre, Universal Theatre, Melbourne • 1986 — Cafe Misto — Spoleto Festival, Melbourne • 1987–1988 — The Rocky Horror Show — Rocky — Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne • 1989 — Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom — Charlie Fortune — Church Theatre, Hawthorn, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne • 1991 — The Dreamer Examines His Pillow — Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC • 1999 — Popcorn — Wayne — Melbourne Athenaeum • 2002 — Oliver! — Bill Sikes — Lyric Theatre, Sydney, Regent Theatre, Melbourne, Singapore • 2005 — Show Us Your Roots 3 — Comedian — Canberra Theatre • 2012 — Everynight, Everynight — Gasworks, Melbourne with Frank Theatre Company • Barassi — Ron Barassi — Jager Productions • 2013 — The Threepenny Opera — Macheath — Belvoir, Sydney • 2019 — A View from the Bridge — Eddie Carbone — Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC • Ulster American — Lead — Red Stitch Actors Theatre • 2026 — West Gate — Victor — MTC

One of Bastoni's earliest screen roles was opposite Ben Mendelsohn, Nadine Garner and Greg Fleet in 1986 film The Still Point. He also had a recurring role in prison drama series Prisoner that same year. At the age of 24, Bastoni landed his first lead role in a television series, playing Constable Yannis 'Angel' Angelopoulos in Police Rescue, alongside Gary Sweet, from 1991 to 1996. The role saw him twice nominated for an AFI Award for Best Lead Actor. During this time, Bastoni also appeared in 1993 film The Heartbreak Kid, alongside Claudia Karvan and breakout star Alex Dimitriades. After his tenure on Police Rescue, Bastoni spent three months in America, where he was offered a five-episode stint in the series Superboy. Unable to procure a work permit in time, he was forced to turn down the offer. He went on to appear in other Australian series such as Wildside (1998) and Stingers (1999–2002). In 1999, Bastoni starred with Adam Baldwin in Frances Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This was followed by a role in 2000 Golden Globe-nominated television film On the Beach, opposite Bryan Brown, Rachel Ward and Armand Assante. He also starred in 2000 film 15 Amore, earning him a nomination for the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Alfredo, as well as a Film Critics Circle nomination in the same category. He next appeared in the 2001 films South Pacific alongside Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr., and He Died With a Felafel in His Hand opposite Noah Taylor. In 2002, he had a role in The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course before appearing in 2003 blockbuster The Matrix Reloaded with Keanu Reeves. 2006 saw him in Suburban Mayhem (2006). In 2007, Bastoni began playing another of his best known roles, as Steve Parker in long-running soap opera Neighbours, a role he undertook until 2009. From 2009 to 2010, he hosted Missing Persons Unit, replacing Mike Munro. In 2010, he also appeared in the third installment of the Underbelly franchise, Underbelly: The Golden Mile, as Louis Bayeh. Bastoni appeared in an episode of Sea Patrol, temporarily replacing Mike Flynn as the Commanding Officer aboard the fictional RAN vessel HMAS Hammersley, before playing the role of Don Kaplan in critically acclaimed Australian prison drama Wentworth. He also played homicide detective, Charlie Bezzina in Fat Tony & Co., a 2014 spin-off series of Underbelly, based on the Melbourne gangland war. Other television credits include appearances in award winning miniseries Blue Murder, The Alice, Rush, Mr & Mrs Murder and the comedies Lowdown, Upper Middle Bogan, The Wrong Girl and How to Stay Married, as well as US series Hawaii Five-0. Bastoni appeared in the 2013 film Drift, alongside Sam Worthington and Xavier Samuel, before playing the role of Omer in 2014 film The Water Diviner, alongside Russell Crowe. He starred as Steve in Truth (2015) alongside Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, and appeared in 2016 sport film Broke. More recently, Bastoni has starred in Channel 9 drama series Bad Mothers in 2019, alongside Mandy McElhinney, Daniel MacPherson and Michala Banas. He also appeared in 2021 miniseries Australian Gangster and 2022 Russell Crowe-lead thriller film Poker Face. Bastoni has also written and directed several short films, the first of which, The Gift, won several international awards. The film was shown in parliament in New South Wales and is part of the curriculum in Canada, where it is used to generate discussions about mental health.

Bastoni serves as the founder and coordinator for the annual Peninsula Film Festival, held in Melbourne since 2011, and Victoria's biggest outdoor film festival.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. • 1983 — Skipping Class — Steve — Short • 1984 — Melvin, Son of Alvin — Bullo • 1986 — The Still Point — David • 1987 — The Lighthorsemen — Turkish Demolition Soldier • 1989 — Closer and Closer Apart — Sam — Direct-to-video • 1993 — The Heartbreak Kid — Dimitri Yiannos • 1997 — Wanted — Rico • 1998 — 15 Amore — Alfredo • 2001 — He Died with a Felafel in His Hand — Sydney Police Officer 2 • 2002 — The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course — Deputy Director Reynolds • 2003 — The Matrix Reloaded — Captain Soren • 2005 — Man-Thing — Rene LaRoque • Fink! (aka Pros and Ex-Cons) — Willing • 2006 — Suburban Mayhem — Detective Robert Andretti • Macbeth — Banquo • One Last Shot — Detective — Short • 2007 — St George — Short • 2008 — The Plex — The Baron / 'Mad' Morgan Edwards • 2011 — The Tea Party — Cubby — Short • 2012 — Thought Tracker — President Stanton — Short • 2013 — Drift — Miller • 2014 — The Water Diviner — Ömer • 2015 — Truth — Gil Schwartz • Damage Control — The Killer — Short • 2016 — Broke — Sherro • 2018 — The Widow — Antonio Monaco — Short • 2019 — The Whistleblower — Harrison's Gunman • 2021 — Streamline — Glenn Goodman • Him — Tom Ridgen • 2022 — 262 Our Stories So Far — Short • Poker Face — Paul Muccino • Fumblelove — Mack — Short • 2024 — Take My Hand — George • 2025 — The Mediator — Mick Gatto — Short • Bang