- Born
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Clinton Morgan's career has flirted with fame and rubbed shoulders with celebrity, however he chooses to devote most of his time with his family in Perth, Western Australia. During a five year tenure as an English Professor in Seoul, Korea, Clinton had a chance at stardom, and he featured in a number of major films and popular TV shows. He lived in Korea for 5 years with his wife and five children between January 2002 and December 2006. Clinton's work in TV shows and film earned him minor celebrity status in Korea, however the needs of his family took priority and he returned to his home town, Perth in December 2006. The Morgan family live by the beach in their dream home. Clinton has reinvented himself as a performance artist creating content addressing the changing landscape of existence in a post colonial age.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Communication Breakdown
- Clinton Morgan became fascinated by the nature of realism and authenticity in film and television. His studies began with the tutelage of Dr. Ron Becks in Sydney in 1982. Later Morgan experimented with the work of Antonin Artaud, Grotowski, and Stanislavski. His youthful vitality found strength in all aspects of the physical. The more he immersed himself in theatre roles and rehearsals, the more he realized the importance of a high level of fitness and flexibility. Morgan's studies revealed a link between physical prowess and mental agility. Not convinced that the theories of theatre translated well onto film, Morgan turned to the work of the great theatre/film directors such as Elia Kazan, John Huston, and John Cassavetes. In conversation with fellow thespians, Morgan often referred to unconventional movies such as 'Husbands,' 'Reflections in a Golden Eye,' or 'Baby Doll,' because they had a profound impact on his life. The film 'Rebel Without a Cause,' explored the relationship between son and father that cut deeper than any other film he had seen before. When he later saw the movie "East of Eden,' Morgan knew he had found a truth in film art that convinced him he had found the inspiration to devote a lifetime of endeavor. The confrontational scene between Jim Backus and James Dean on the staircase touched a nerve very close to the bone in Morgan. He too had had similar unexpressed feelings between himself and his father. Watching the drama played out on the screen was like witnessing a revelation for Morgan. He sobbed as he sat in the cinema. James Dean had shown in a very real way what pain he felt towards his parents. The violent outburst between father and son had a cathartic effect on Morgan. Morgan now believes that an artist must immerse him/herself in many cultures to appreciate and empathize with the many varied approaches to life. He knew that he lived in a culture that stifled expression in people, especially males. Australian men in general are not demonstrative in social settings unless it is to encourage a sporting event. This is a generalization but it remains a fact. Morgan realized that he had been sheltered from the many varied possibilities in life when he witnessed the strong purging of emotion in this scene and another, which also starred James Dean, in the film 'East of Eden.' In 'East of Eden,' Dean is in another confrontational episode with his father, in this film played by Raymond Massey. Dean plays Cal Trask, a young man who wanted to give his father the best birthday present imaginable, all the money his father lost in a failed business venture to refrigerate lettuce. Massey plays Adam Trask, who is insulted by the offer of money and the way in which it was raised. The father is a righteous man and the fact that the money was earned in shares during wartime meant that his son profiteered from the war. There were two opposing points of view, both of them justifiable in their own right, but brilliantly explored in this family saga. Cal's outburst at his father's refusal is gut-wrenching. Again, Morgan sobbed inconsolably in the movie theatre. The two motion pictures created a turning point in Morgan's life.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Communication Breakdown
- As a young aspiring actor Morgan knew that opportunities were rare in Perth, Western Australia. In 1979 he hitchhiked across Australia and settled in Sydney. He was nineteen at the time. His mother knew he had great ambition and she could plainly see that he was searching for meaning beyond the limited opportunities available in Perth at that time. A young Clinton found work at a clothing store in Pitt Street called John and Merivale's. He enjoyed working there. It wasn't too much of a stretch from his first job in Perth, selling jeans at Acme Jean Company in the Hay Street mall. Morgan had a few friends in Sydnwy who were happy to give him a bed. Mark Enston was a fellow musician from Perth and had set himself up in a rental on Bondi Road near the famous Bondi Beach. Clinton crashed there for a few months. He later wound up in his own apartment in North Sydney. It was on the seventh floor and the Harbour Bridge was visible from the balcony. He liked that, even though it was just a glimpse. Morgan soon found work in hospitality. His first job was a bar tender for the Bennelong Restaurant, located in the Sydney Opera House. He eventually found his way into a Street Theatre troupe. It was as a Street Theatre performer that he eventually befriended young filmmakers enrolled at N.S.W.I.T. (The New South Wales Institute of Technolgy). Here he made a short film with John Polson titled "Mish Van Mosh". This short film was extraordinary for its time as it juxtaposed the characters of a contemporary romance with the historic character, Captain James Cook, the man who claimed Australia as a British colony.
Morgan went on to participate in forty short films over the next two decades. It was the joy of working with the cast and crew on a single project that motivated him, not the money. It was his introduction to the film industry. Film stardom is a childhood dream that is often diminished over time by the responsibilities of adulthood. For Clinton Morgan, that was never an option. In his later years, a break came his way in the most unlikely of places, in South Korea early 2002. Morgan had become a husband and father of five children. He had studied Theatre and Drama at The W.A. Academy of Performing Arts [of Hugh Jackman fame] and continued his studies earning a B.A. degree in Communications and Theatre/Drama at Murdoch University. Then, in 2002, Morgan took his family to Seoul for teaching work and cultural enrichment. All seven of them settled in an apartment in Seoul and began life anew in a foreign country. The plan was to teach English and look into some acting work as well. After a year or so of teaching, Morgan acquired some walk-on roles in several major television productions. He later did some work on "Surprise". [Morgan's daughter, Candice became a regular on the show and appeared almost weekly for two years]. "Suprise" has a regular Sunday morning audience that reaches as many as 8 million viewers. The popular show is repeated the following week on the Comedy Channel for those who can't see it Sundays. The popularity of the show exceeds the expectations of the MBC executives to this day.
Clinton eventually made a break in the genre breaking film 'The Host' (Gwoemul) 2006. Soon after the Morgan family moved back to Western Australia. Clinton is now working with asylum seekers developing theatrical productions and film ideas.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Communication Breakdown
- SpouseCarol Morgan(May 19, 1989 - present) (5 children)
- His first foray into television paired him with a young Heath Ledger in 1996. Morgan and Ledger starred in an episode of 'Sweat', produced in Western Australia by Barron Entertainment.
- Traveled through the Tuscanny region of Italy with Stanley Tucci in 1985, when both were struggling actors. They discussed the joys and challenges of working towards that ever elusive stardom. For Stanley Tucci things worked out in the film industry. Morgan became a family man and raised five wonderful humans into the world, a decision he is very grateful for.
- Perth, Western Australia; currently studying the impact of Flash media on new technologies.
- Acting is listening with your whole body. Listen to what the other character is giving you and run with it. Sure, there is all the stuff you learn in drama classes like emotional substitution, finding your inner voice, getting into the rhythm and beat of the play or film, but to totally listen with all of your perception. That's the key.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content