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David Gulpilil

David Gulpilil

Actor, also producer and writer · Died November 29, 2021, aged 68 · Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia

David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu AM, known professionally as David Gulpilil and posthumously for cultural reasons as David Dalaithngu for three days, was an Aboriginal Australian (Yolŋu) actor and dancer, known for the films Walkabout, Storm Boy, Rabbit-Proof Fence, and The Tracker.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 1, 1953
Died
November 29, 2021 (aged 68)
From
Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
Works as
Actor, also producer and writer
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 9% in 30 days

What are David Gulpilil's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
21%
Bonds
16%
Morality
15%
Survival
15%
Society
14%
Power
13%
Ideas
7%
Justice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 8

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 5 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 7
Hero
2 of 7
Mentor
1 of 7
Shadow
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
7
Contemplative
5
Dread
3
Hopeful
4
Other
9

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch David Gulpilil's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Gulpilil's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Faraway Downs(2023)

    Show 6 episodes · as King George

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • My Name is Gulpilil(2021)

    Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Storm Boy(2019)

    as Fingerbone Bill's Dad

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Cargo(2017)

    as Daku

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Goldstone(2016)

    as Jimmy

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • MESSiAH (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Another Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Writer · as Self / Narrator

  • The Leftovers(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · as Christopher Sunday

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Charlie's Country(2013)

    Writer · as Charlie

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Satellite Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Jagamarra

  • Australia(2008)

    as King George

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Ten Canoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as The Storyteller

  • Crocodile Dreaming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Burrimmilla

  • The Proposition(2005)

    as Jacko

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Mimi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Granddad

  • The Tracker(2002)

    as The Tracker

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Rabbit-Proof Fence(2002)

    as Moodoo

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Serenades (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Rainman

  • BeastMaster(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Shaman

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Dead Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Second Man in Desert

  • Snowy River: The McGregor Saga(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Manulpuy

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Until the End of the World(1991)

    as David

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Dark Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Adjaral

  • Crocodile Dundee(1986)

    as Neville Bell

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Right Stuff(1983)

    as Aborigine

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • 3 Dances Gulpilil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Dancer

  • The Last Wave(1977)

    as Chris Lee

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Storm Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Fingerbone

  • Mad Dog Morgan(1976)

    as Billy

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Rainbow Serpent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • Showing Melbourne to Maningrida (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director · Producer · as David Gulpilil

  • Walkabout(1971)

    as Black Boy

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 32 titles from 1971 to 2023; peak year 2001.

Biggest box office

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

$328M worldwide

Highest rated

Walkabout (1971)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Australia (2008)

Film career

19712023

Peak 2001 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting30 of 32: 28 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thDirecting1 of 32: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting2 of 32: 1 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 32: 1 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1970s7 · 7 acting · 1 crew1980s3 · acting1990s4 · acting2000s8 · acting2010s8 · 7 acting · 2 crew2020s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 13% of 16 roles
7191

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do David Gulpilil's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 79th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most loved · actor

The Right Stuff (1983)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 78/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is David Gulpilil's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles36–68 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles16–51 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 47 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles11–48 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 51 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does David Gulpilil work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Gulpilil's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Rolf de Heer shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers