Paul Hogan

If Australia has a human face in the American popular mind, it may well be the smiling, deeply lined visage of Paul Hogan. Less as an actor than a personality, this lean, tanned and weathered- looking former construction worker--nicknamed "Hoges"--represented the Land Down Under in a series of ads for the Australian Tourist Commission that enticed more than 600,000 Americans abroad. Audiences found him earnest, likeable and down-to-earth. Hogan parlayed these qualities into international stardom as the co-writer and star of "'Crocodile' Dundee" (1986), a hugely successful comedy adventure depicting the adventures of an Outback outdoorsman in New York City. This unpretentiously old-fashioned comedy was a smash hit that won Hogan a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy, an Oscar nomination for the original screenplay and a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award nomination. It also generated a successful sequel, "'Crocodile' Dundee 2" (1988), which Hogan co-scripted and executive produced. Together the films grossed over $500 million.