Matthew Nable


Matthew Nable is an Australian film and television actor, writer, sports commentator and former professional rugby league footballer. After playing in the Winfield Cup Premiership during the 1990s for the Manly-Warringah and South Sydney clubs, he wrote and starred in the rugby league-centred drama The Final Winter in 2007. Nable went on to act in films such as Killer Elite and Riddick. He appeared on The CW's Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow as Ra's al Ghul.

Early life

Nable grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and also, as a young boy, spent two years at Portsea, Victoria, when his father, Dave, a soldier, was stationed there. His father had also worked as a trainer for the Australian national rugby league team, and his brother, Adam Nable, would become a professional player as well.

Career

Sporting

Matt Nable rose through the junior ranks at the Manly-Warringah club and made five appearances for the Graham Lowe-coached team over 1991 and 1992. Following this he wouldn't appear in the premiership until 1995 when he played three games for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
After another season in England where he played for Carlisle before moving to the, Nable quit football and then tried his hand at boxing, fighting for the state light-heavyweight title as an amateur. He then worked as a beer salesman and personal trainer, but eventually decided to leave paid employment to become a writer.

Writing and acting

After encouragement from his mentor, Booker Prize-winning novelist Thomas Keneally, Nable wrote a screenplay for The Final Winter based on his unpublished novel of the same name. With friends he also managed to raise $1.6m and they worked together to make the film which was released in 2007, and earned critical praise but was a box office failure.
Nable went on to act in the United States as a Los Angeles detective in the 2008 television movie S.I.S..
In 2009, his book We Don't Live Here Anymore was published, in 2011 he published his second book Faces in the Clouds, which won critical praise.
He worked as a writer on Channel 7's rugby league comedy programme, The Matty Johns Show.
Nable appeared in the main cast of critically acclaimed and award-winning SBS drama series, East West 101, and in the 2011 action film Killer Elite alongside Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Yvonne Strahovski, Jason Statham, and Dominic Purcell.
Nable starred in the 2012 Australian drama series, '. The same year he was announced as a cast member of another Australian TV series, '. He also had a role in the film 33 Postcards.
He appeared in the 2013 sci-fi film Riddick alongside Vin Diesel.
In March 2014 it was reported that Nable would appear in the Nine network's upcoming miniseries Gallipoli.
On 4 September, Stephen Amell announced on Facebook that Nable would portray the role of Ra's al Ghul on the third season of Arrow. Despite Liam Neeson expressing an interest in reprising his role for the television series' third season and the CW Network reaching out to him, he was unavailable and Nable was cast as Ra's instead. IGN's Jesse Scheeden said he brought "charisma and danger to the part". Nable portrayed the character in ten episodes of the third season. He reprised his role in a first season episode of Legends of Tomorrow.

Filmography

TitleYearRoleNotesSource
'2007Grub Hendersonalso written by Nable
S.I.S.2008Melville AtkinsonTV movie
East West 1012011Detective Neil TravisTV series, 7 episodes
33 Postcards2011Tommy
Killer Elite2011Pennock
'2012William George "Jock" RossTV series, 6 episodes
'2012Detective Sergeant Gary JubelinTV series, 5 episodes
K-112012Villalobos
'2013Max
Riddick2013Boss Johns
Around the Block2013Jack Wood
Son of a Gun2014Sterlo
Incarnate2014Dan
In Cold Light2014The InspectorPost production
Fell2014ThomasPost production
Arrow2014–2015Ra's al GhulTV series, 10 episodes
Gallipoli2015Sergeant Harry Perceval
Winter2015Jake Harris
DC's Legends of Tomorrow2016Ra's al GhulTV series, 1 episode
Barracuda2016Frank TormaTV series, 4 Episodes
Quarry2016ThurstonTV series, 5 Episodes
Hyde and Seek2016Gary HydeTV series, 8 Episodes
Hacksaw Ridge2016Lt. Colonel Cooney
2017Mark Standen
Jasper Jones2017Sarge
Fox League2017HimselfMonday Night with Matty Johns, The Late Show with Matty Johns, NRL 360, The Dally M AwardsVoice-overs and live appearance
1%2017Also writer
In Cold Light 2018The Inspector
Mr Inbetween 2018-19Dave

Books

;Faces in the clouds
*