From receiving an international acting award to stunt horse riding on screen, Gisborne’s William Lee is enjoying quite a ride.
Lee starred in The Legend of Ben Hall as character John Dunne, and was the film’s executive producer.
At the 50th annual Houston International Film Festival (Worldfest), he was named best supporting actor for his performance.
Lee, who grew up in Gisborne and Bullengarook, said he felt at home filming the bushranger movie in the Macedon Ranges.
Lee rode competitively with Macedon Pony Club and the Australian Novelty Racing Association as a child.
He said his horse-riding skills meant he was able to perform his own stunts while acting.
He recently played a horse handler and rider in two episodes of Lawless – The Real Bushrangers, a Foxtel television documentary series, and can be seen next in Mutt, a film still in production about underground dog fighting.
The former Braemar College and Gisborne Secondary College student said he respected how his Macedon Ranges upbringing had helped him with his acting career.
“I’m pretty proud to say I come from a small country town like Gisborne,” he said.
Lee is working on writing his own film, which he hopes to produce and direct.
“I think you have to be a jack of all trades in this industry,” he said.
Lee this week walked the red carpet alongside some of the biggest names in film and television at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards.
