Harvey Zielinski is an incredibly singular artist as a transmasculine actor who's recently expanded into writing, directing and producing across stage/screen. He is a two-time Heath Ledger Scholarship finalist, a Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star Award winner, and he was the Red Stitch Actors Theatre graduate ensemble member for 2018.
As an actor, Harvey has worked for legendary directors such as Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), Emma Freeman (The Newsreader), Ben Chessell (Dr Who), Gracie Otto (Heartbreak High) and Beck Cole (High Country) and opposite stars such as Don Cheadle (Avengers), Emily Mortimer (Mary Poppins Returns), Markella Kavenagh (TLOTR: The Ring of Power), Belinda McClory (The Matrix), Bojana Novakovic (I, Tonya), Kat Stewart (Offspring), Kate Box (Wentworth) and Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd).
Harvey is best known as series lead Charlie in White Fever (ABC), series lead Abel in Catherine Hardwicke's (Twilight) sci-fi series Don't Look Deeper (Quibi/Roku), and series regular Gez Rahme in Amazon Prime original comedy series Deadloch. Other screen credits include Love Me (Warner Bros), Spreadsheet (Paramount+), Metrosexual (9Now), My First Summer (STAN), Why Are You Like This (ABC/Netflix) and Get Krack!n (ABC).
Harvey's stage credits include Nick in Sarah Goodes' smash-hit 5-star production of Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf at the 1000-set Comedy Theatre, Malthouse Theatre Company's production Because the Night (Matt Lutton), cavemxn (Anthropocene Theatre Company), Suddenly Last Summer (Red Stitch), The Antipodes (Red Stitch) and Hir (Red Stitch).
Harvey's screenwriting has been supported by ABC's Fresh Start Fund, Imagine Impact, Screen Australia, the 'Originate' features initiative and the 17th Annual Ontario Creates Film Financing Forum at TIFF (2022). He is a Malthouse Theatre commissioned playwright and a writer on ABC comedy series White Fever. He is a regular fixture in Australian writers' rooms. Harvey's debut feature film Sweet Milk Lake was recently fully financed and greenlit by the inaugural Originate Features initiative, a partnership between VicScreen, SBS, Arenamedia and Screen Australia. As well as being the writer of Sweet Milk Lake, Harvey is also directing, starring and producing.
Harvey was the Director's Attachment for The Newsreader S2 (Emma Freeman) and the Assistant Director for Right Now (Red Stitch). He recently directed the 'Unsaid Says a Lot' campaign for the Victorian Government and a proof of concept for Sweet Milk Lake.
Harvey is represented by Mollison Keightley Management in Australia and Artists First in the US. He holds O1 visa status for the USA.
“A joy to watch…” – Time Out
“The lead actors are all fantastic, especially Zielinski…(His) performance as a betrayed best friend is an exceptional one” – Cinema Australia
“Achingly vulnerable…” – The Age
“Remarkable work…” – Australian Arts Review
“Zielinski hovers quite perfectly between confidence and uncertainty” – In Review
“Zielinski and Boesen are a riot” – Time Out
“The wattage emanating from the cast is often electrifying…Zielinski nails the slick, colourless swagger of Nick, but he’s also able to convey a sense of wistfulness and self-awareness that isn’t necessarily on the page” – The Guardian
“He is especially good – sly, ingratiating and likeable while never wholly trustworthy...” – Australian Book Review
“Best on the night…”– Australian Arts Review
“Act II’s opening scene between Nick and George is a standout…Zielinski’s subtle naturalism adds a magnetic believability” – Limelight
“You forget they are acting; the quartet are that good…Zielinski’s Nick has the cocky pugilism required…it is fascinating to watch the two men go at it.” – Theatre Matters
“Stunning performances…Zielinski as Honey’s husband, Nick, is particularly well cast. His very affable appearance allows him to turn his character’s naivety into deceit with the art of a grifter.” – Stage Whispers
“Zielinski’s spunky, naive and narcissistic Max is both adorable and relatable.” – Daily Review
