Paul Hogan Biography Quotes 9 Report mistakes

Early Life and Work
Paul Hogan was born in 1939 in New South Wales, Australia, and grew up in working-class suburbs of Sydney. Before he ever stepped in front of a camera, he worked as a rigger on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a job that shaped his unpretentious manner and gave him an ear for the dry humor and banter of everyday Australians. That practical, laconic outlook would later become his trademark.

While he had no formal training in performance, Hogan possessed an instinctive comedic timing and a knack for character observations. Friends and coworkers encouraged him to try his hand at entertainment, and he eventually appeared on the television talent program New Faces. His cheeky send-up of the show and its judges drew attention, paving the way to television spots and a new career.

Breakthrough on Television
Hogan's first sustained visibility came from short comic segments on Australian current affairs television, where his offhand wit and ordinary-bloke persona stood out. A key figure at this stage was producer John Cornell, who recognized Hogan's potential, became his manager and collaborator, and later appeared alongside him as the character "Strop". Under Cornell's guidance, Hogan developed recurring sketches, characters, and a tone that celebrated Australian humor while sending up its stereotypes.

The Paul Hogan Show, launched in the 1970s, showcased his brand of sketch comedy: broad physical gags, quick one-liners, and affectionate parody of suburban life. Often written by Hogan himself with input from Cornell and other writers such as Ken Shadie, the series helped cement his image as a larrikin with a twinkle in his eye. Actors and entertainers who worked with Hogan during this period, including Delvene Delaney, contributed to the show's ensemble feel and its enduring popularity.

Ambassador for Australia
By the early 1980s Hogan was an established television star at home, but it was his appearances in international advertising for Australian tourism that made him widely known abroad. In these spots he invited Americans to visit Australia, promising to throw another "shrimp on the barbie", a line that became part of global pop culture. The ads amplified his persona as a friendly, wry Australian everyman and set the stage for his transition to feature films.

Film Stardom and Crocodile Dundee
Hogan made the leap to the big screen with Crocodile Dundee (1986), which he co-wrote with John Cornell and Ken Shadie. Directed by Peter Faiman, the film paired Hogan's outback adventurer Michael "Crocodile" Dundee with New York journalist Sue Charlton, played by Linda Kozlowski. The fish-out-of-water comedy captured audiences worldwide, blending gentle culture-clash humor with a romantic thread between Hogan and Kozlowski.

The film was a box-office phenomenon and earned Hogan a Golden Globe for acting in a musical or comedy, while the screenplay received an Academy Award nomination. Its success introduced a global audience to Australian settings and sensibilities, and it made Hogan one of the most recognizable Australian entertainers of his generation. The sequel, Crocodile Dundee II, arrived soon after, with Hogan again co-writing and leading the cast. Though more conventional as an action-comedy, it extended the franchise and his international standing.

Further Projects and Collaborators
Hogan continued to develop projects with John Cornell, who directed Almost an Angel (1990), a sentimental comedy that reunited Hogan and Linda Kozlowski. He later wrote and starred in Lightning Jack (1994), a Western caper that paired him with Cuba Gooding Jr., and appeared in the family adventure Flipper (1996) with Elijah Wood. In 2001 he returned to his signature character in Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, revisiting the gentle humor of his original international breakthrough.

He remained active in Australian cinema as well, leading the comedy Strange Bedfellows (2004) with Michael Caton and later teaming with Shane Jacobson for the road-movie drama Charlie & Boots (2009). These films leaned on his established strengths: understated delivery, a gift for warmhearted banter, and an instinct for stories about unlikely friendships and family bonds.

Personal Life
Away from the screen, Hogan's private life occasionally made headlines. He married his first wife, Noelene Edwards, long before fame arrived, and their long relationship, family life, and eventual divorces were closely followed by Australian media. His professional and personal worlds intersected when he and Linda Kozlowski, his Crocodile Dundee co-star, formed a partnership off-screen; they later married and had a son, Chance, before eventually separating. Despite the scrutiny, Hogan typically presented himself as an unassuming figure, more comfortable with a low-key routine than with celebrity trappings.

Family also featured in his creative circle. Over time, various relatives and longtime colleagues contributed to his projects, and collaborators such as Ken Shadie and director Peter Faiman played formative roles in developing the tone and structure of his breakout films. John Cornell, both a business partner and a creative foil, remained central to Hogan's career for decades, shaping deals, productions, and the broader strategy that carried Hogan from Australian television into worldwide cinemas.

Public Image and Legal Disputes
Hogan's public image as a genial everyman sometimes collided with the realities of international success. In later years he became embroiled in high-profile disputes with Australian tax authorities arising from investigations into film financing and offshore arrangements. He consistently denied wrongdoing and, after prolonged legal wrangling, the matter concluded through settlements without admissions of liability. The episodes tested his relationship with the Australian public but did not erase the affection many held for him as a representative of a particular Australian wit and warmth.

Legacy
Paul Hogan occupies a distinctive place in Australian popular culture. His early sketches helped define a comic sensibility that was cheeky, self-deprecating, and welcoming. Through the tourism campaigns he became, for many outside Australia, the face and voice of the country. With Crocodile Dundee he fashioned a screen character that combined bushcraft, courtesy, and quiet confidence, making an impression strong enough to cross borders and decades.

The people around him were instrumental: John Cornell as manager, producer, and creative partner; Ken Shadie as co-writer; Peter Faiman as the director who brought Dundee to life; and Linda Kozlowski as the on-screen and off-screen partner whose performance anchored the franchise's appeal. Fellow performers such as Michael Caton and Shane Jacobson helped carry his later Australian films, and collaborators like Cuba Gooding Jr. and Elijah Wood connected him to a new generation of international audiences.

While some critics saw the Dundee persona as a simplifying stereotype, others recognized the care with which Hogan and his colleagues balanced humor with sincerity. That balance, along with a career that bridged television, advertising, and film, ensured that Hogan's work left a lasting imprint. He remains a reference point in discussions about Australian identity on screen and an example of how a performer can translate local authenticity into global resonance.

Our collection contains 9 quotes who is written by Paul, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Success - Career - Reinvention - Retirement.