David Gulpilil Dead At 68: What Was The Legendary Indigenous Australian Actor's Cause of Death?

By Kate Hill

Iconic indigenous Australian actor, David Gulpilil, reportedly passed away at the age of 68.

The South Australian Premier made an announcement, Steven Marshall, on Monday, November 29, regarding his passing. The statement read, "It is with deep sadness that I share with the people of South Australia the passing of an iconic, once-in-a-generation artist who shaped the history of Australian film and Aboriginal representation on screen - David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu (AM)."

SA Premier Steven Marshall has confirmed the passing of legendary actor & artist David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu.

‘He was a man who loved his land and his culture, and he was a man who took it to the world.’ pic.twitter.com/asZoureKvq
— Harvey Biggs (@HarveyBiggs) November 29, 2021

Premier Marshall confirmed that he has died after a four-year-long battle with lung cancer. He added, "He was a man who loved his land and his culture, and he was a man who took it to the world. My thoughts are with his family, and his dear friend and carer Mary Hood."

Gulpilil's Life As He Becomes An Actor

Before becoming a legendary icon in the movies, Gulpilil never went to school. And according to The Hollywood Reporter, he learned English by listening. "That's all I know, dancing, singing, spear-throwing and hunting," he recalled in a 2015 interview. "My father gave me a spear and said make sure you come back, the spear is life."

At 16, Nicholas Roeg cast Gulpilil after he spotted him performing a traditional ceremonial dance, which later made him land on his first big-screen appearance for 1971's "Walkabout." Later on, he contributed to the "Australia's cinematic New Wave" with naturalistic performances running from 1976 to 1977. He starred in three movies, namely "Mad Dog Morgan," "Storm Boy," and Peter Weir's "The Last Wave," per New York Post.

In 1986, he became a well-known actor after appearing as Neville Bell for the film "Crocodile Dundee," which later became Australia's top-grossing movie and blockbuster film in the United States. He was the Indigenous Australian who encountered Mick Dundee, played by Paul Hogan, in the bush.

On His Life Achievements

By the 2000s, Gulpilil continued working for films just like "The Proposition" in 2005, "Australia" in 2008, and "Satellite Boy" in 2012. He appeared in the 2021 documentary about his life, "My Names Is Gulpilil," for his last screen appearance, which premiered in September.

In the course of his career, Gulpilil was awarded the Un Certain Regard best actor prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and a second AACTA award for his performance. He also received the Red Ochre Award for outstanding contribution to the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders arts.

Other than that, he also received the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee lifetime achievement award.

May his soul rest in peace.