Tributes | daniel-pollock

Geoffrey Wright (Director, Romper Stomper)

Daniel Pollock was, I believe, one of the most gifted young actors in the country.

He died on 13 April, struck by a passing train near Newtown Station, Sydney. He was 23 years old. The only identification found on him was a used syringe. To the police, Daniel was just another dead junkie — and they’ve seen so many of those before. Daniel was identified in a couple of days in Sydney, however it was two weeks before police in St Kilda notified his family of his death.

Daniel was born in Melbourne and the bulk of his early training was at St Martins Theatre in South Yarra. As a youth, his shy knockabout mates were Ben Mendelsohn and Noah Taylor and it was Daniel’s cherished wish to one day accumulate a body of work comparable to his two brilliant and prominent peers.

Now that wish can never come true, but Daniel left his mark in many fine vivid character roles in Swinburne films, like The Wood Chopper, Tax and Andy Caltex Hits the Road, along with equally memorable work in features such as Boys in the Island and Proof.

Recently, his breakout chance came in Romper Stomper where he played a challenging leading role alongside Russell Crowe and Jacqueline McKenzie. Tragically, his death has robbed him of the chance to see the fruit of his labours in this difficult project.

Daniel had been an addict for several years. Occasionally, the monkey on his back was temporarily tamed. At other times — and particularly toward the end — it was a ferocious beast beyond all control that led him to crime, despair and self-loathing.

There are many reasons why addicts become addicts, and it is true to say that one of the most precious things they gradually lose is the ability to choose to be other than what they’ve become. Nevertheless, the initial choice to resort to drugs is still theirs.

It is, I suppose, a naive hope that other young actors who talk straight-faced of the ‘romance’ of smack might learn from Daniel’s death. Still, one lives in hope. There was no romance in the way Daniel left us, only dumb oblivion and a sickening sense of waste among those many, many friends he left behind.

- Equity Alliance, June 1992

Helen Garner (Writer)

... the standout in Romper Stomper is mad-faced Daniel Pollock, who in real life died not long after. What a loss Pollock is: that delicacy, a puzzled complexity just starting to grow.

- from Hit Me, in The Monthly, October 2005.

Tributes from website visitors

Upon watching Romper Stomper I was moved by Daniel's performance and keen to find out more information about him online and hopefully see his other films, if there were any. Finding out that he had passed away, especially so young broke my heart. I can't fathom how hard that would have been for you guys. I really wanted to say that he was not only extremely talented but also absolutely beautiful looking. Honestly for me he overshadowed the talented Russel Crowe, he would have been an amazing actor! Wish I could know more about him. I hope you receive messages still to this day about how talented he was, and I believe in psychic's so I'd love to go to one and see if I could tell him myself one day how amazing I thought he was. Thank you :)

- Johanna, 2017

I just wanted to say I watched all Daniel's movies and i thought he was amazing. Suicide is a sad end for this highly talented guy. At least his memory lives on, on screen.

- Belle, 2017

I have just finished watching Romper Stomper for the first time - it's always been one of those movies that's been on my 'to watch' list, and I finally did it. I was blown away by Daniel's performance that, straight afterwards, I jumped online to do some research about what else he has starred in so I can watch. It shocked me to read about Daniel's death, and I am devastated that such a talent was taken from this world to soon. I truly hope he is resting in the peace he was seeking in his life. His legacy will live on through his incredible work.

- Kristie, 2018

Romper Stomper is a seminal Australian film and one that I watch regularly. Daniel played a superb part. I worked on Happy Feet 2 and Mad Max Fury Road and George Miller asked us to build a reference library of quintessential Australian films. As the head of engineering for the facility I submitted Romper Stomper for review. My selection was queried because of the extremist overtones. I've worked at Animal Logic as well and we had movie nights. I've submitted all of Daniel's work for review as part of emerging Australian cinema. I lived next door to Hugo Weaving for a while and we would discuss Australian cinema, acting and Daniel. I catch the train nearly every day from Newtown Station and can only begin to imagine the anguish of such a young man standing in front of that train. My father in law ended his own life in a similar fashion at Strathfield about 20 years ago. To learn of that is truly heart breaking. I attended the Heath Ledger exhibit in Perth last year. Another superb talent taken too soon. I also yelled out to Russell in his Merc the other day as he drove down our street here in Rosebery en-route to a Bunnies match. Glad you have this site. I'll not forget Daniel. He had an addiction that clouded his judgement and led to him to make decisions that ended his life. I just wish he had the support network to keep him alive. A tragedy. He's would be my age now born in 1968. We all pass. So young ... so much potential. There are those still out there that remember.

- James, 2018

I think it’s wonderful that you have set up this page in memory of Daniel. It’s so strange how there have been sum strange coincidences in my life that brought me to places that Daniel had been to, for starters we both went to the same high school Swinburne yet he was there 10 years before me most likely. I had no idea about this until recently my sister had been studying at the film school and got me into watching a lot of old Australian films and when I first saw a film Daniel had starred in I really could see his on screen presence was so natural so real I then started to do my research on his life story and a few of my older friends from his generation had crossed paths with him every now and again and said he was an inspiring person. Unfortunately one of the friends who were from his era had recently passed. It’s strange how one person's acting career could have such a strong impact on a person's life for the better, unfortunately in my teen years after my mum passed away I was diagnosed with ADHD and as you can see by the way I write my written English is so-so yet this has not discouraged me in fact I found myself communicating better through Photographic imagery the main reason why I’m writing today is to say it’s strange how throughout the tuff times in my life I’ve looked to find strength from inspirational artists and film actors Daniel for sum strange reason I’ve drawn strength from his life story and it’s helped me to keep going as we are all isolated in Melbourne due to covid 19 I find myself watching a lot of the films he’s been in and there were a few that i'd love to see yet wasn’t sure if you knew where I can see still buy a copy of sum of them.

- Elizabeth, 2020

I just wanted to say thank you for sharing Daniel's story here. I first saw Daniel's films about 20 years ago. His skill in acting, his smile, the depth of emotion he so beautifully conveyed has stuck with me all of these years later… I am currently coming up on 14 years sober, and for some reason found myself thinking of Daniel today, a man I never knew, who passed before I ever knew of him. Nonetheless, what you’ve shared about him here, not only his struggle, but the love and sadness you’ve portrayed… it really reminds me of all the people who love me, who care about me, who would be crushed if I ever went back out. My deepest condolences - Daniel was truly a special person.

- Grant, 2021

I just wanted to let you know that after watching Romper Stomper and looking up Daniel I was terribly saddened to hear about his passing. He was an incredible talent. I’m a cohost on a podcast called Fly On The Wall Podcast (type all one word into Spotify) if you’re interested. It’s generally a dark humoured podcast run by me and my best mate. However I’ve been doing a little segment called The Good The Bad The Ugly and The Weird where I feature all sorts of things under these four categories. I’ve been so moved by Daniel's story that I am talking about him and reading your article on the segment (episode 120). I’m so sorry for your loss but he will live on as Romper Stomper is now an iconic cult classic.

- Luke, 2021

I just re-watched Romper Stomper for the first time since seeing it in the cinemas in 1992. I was unaware of Daniel’s death back then and subsequently found your website while finding out more. I hope you are all doing well and just wanted to say his performance was fantastic in that film and Im one random person who enjoyed it. (A performance as good as - if not better than - Crowe’s in my opinion).

- Ash, 2022

Hi, watched Romper Stomper again last night, sorry for your loss, great actor.

- Richard, 2022