Who Is Martin Crewes? The Remarkable Life Story of David Crewes’ Son

Martin Crewes is an Australian actor whose career spans three decades of musical theatre, television and film, and his story is closely tied to a family steeped in the performing arts. Born in London and raised largely in Western Australia, he built his reputation on the West End stage before appearing in a major Hollywood film. As the son of actor David Crewes, Martin grew up surrounded by theatre, and that upbringing shaped almost everything about the career he went on to build. This article looks at his early life, his family background, his rise on stage and screen, and where his career stands today.

Martin Crewes: Quick Bio Table

Detail	Information
Full Name	Martin Crewes
Date of Birth	1968
Place of Birth	Barnet, London, England
Nationality	British and Australian
Raised In	Perth, Western Australia
Education	Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
Qualification	Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre (1990)
Occupation	Actor, singer, stage performer
Father	David Crewes (actor, born in New Zealand)
Mother	Elizabeth Crewes (actress, passed away January 2002)
Siblings	Amanda Crewes (sister, actress), Jason Crewes (brother)
Known For	Les Misérables (West End and international tours), Resident Evil (2002)
Notable Stage Roles	Marius (Les Misérables), Sky Masterson (Guys and Dolls), Larry Murphy (Dear Evan Hansen), Monsieur André (The Phantom of the Opera)
Notable Screen Roles	Chad Kaplan (Resident Evil), supporting role in DOA: Dead or Alive, David Knight (Everything in Between, 2022)
Awards Recognition	Nominated, Best Male Actor in a Musical, 2002 Helpmann Awards

Early Life and Background

Martin Crewes was born in the London borough of Barnet in 1968. He spent his earliest years in England before his family relocated to Perth, Western Australia, when he was just ten years old. That move proved formative, as Perth is where he would later train, begin performing and lay the groundwork for a long career in musical theatre.

Growing up in a household already immersed in acting gave Martin an early exposure to the craft. He has spoken about wanting to become a performer from a very young age, a desire that only grew stronger once the family settled in Australia. The vibrant local theatre scene in Perth gave him his first real taste of performing in front of an audience.

By his teenage years, Martin was already taking part in community theatre productions, building confidence and stagecraft long before he pursued formal training. This grassroots experience gave him a practical understanding of performance that would serve him well once he entered a professional academy.

Family Background: A Household Built on Theatre

Martin’s father, David Crewes, was born in New Zealand and worked as an actor for many years, appearing in stage productions across both the United Kingdom and Australia, including a production of Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming in 1968. David’s own passion for the stage had a direct influence on his son’s ambitions, and the two shared a profession that ran deep in the family.

Martin’s mother, Elizabeth Crewes, was also an actress, as was his aunt Marie. The family were long-time members of Playlovers, an amateur theatre group based in Floreat, Western Australia, where several relatives performed over the years. This close-knit theatrical circle meant that acting was never treated as an unusual or distant career choice in the Crewes household; it was simply the family trade.

Martin is not the only sibling to follow this path. His younger sister, Amanda Crewes, is also a professional actress and trained at the same institution he did, graduating in 1998. He also has a younger brother, Jason Crewes. Sadly, Martin’s mother Elizabeth passed away in January 2002, a loss that came during a particularly active period of his stage career.

Education and Early Training

After settling in Perth, Martin pursued formal training at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, widely known as WAAPA, one of Australia’s most respected institutions for actors, singers and musical theatre performers. He graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre.

His time at WAAPA gave him rigorous training in singing, acting and dance, the three disciplines that underpin musical theatre performance. This grounding proved essential, since musicals would go on to define the earliest and most significant stretch of his professional career.

The Academy has produced a long list of well-known Australian performers, and Martin’s graduating years placed him among a generation of actors who would go on to work internationally. His training there gave him the technical foundation to compete for major roles on stages far beyond Western Australia.

Breaking Into Australian Theatre

Following his graduation, Martin quickly found work in Australian musical theatre. His early credits include productions such as Barnum, The Wizard of Oz, Aspects of Love, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and West Side Story. These roles allowed him to build a solid reputation within the Australian theatre circuit.

He also branched into television during this period, appearing in Australian shows including Neighbours, RFDS and Phoenix. This mix of stage and screen work early in his career gave him valuable range and visibility beyond the theatre world alone.

In 1995, Martin travelled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to play Lieutenant Joe Cable in a production of South Pacific, his first major role performed outside Australia. This engagement marked the beginning of a more international phase of his career.

International Breakthrough with Les Misérables

Martin’s most defining role came through Les Misérables, the enduringly popular musical based on Victor Hugo’s novel. In 1996, he was cast as Marius in an international touring production that took him to Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Cape Town, introducing his work to audiences across several continents.

The following year, in 1997, Martin relocated to the United Kingdom and continued in the same role, this time in the West End production of Les Misérables in London. Landing a leading role in one of the West End’s longest-running shows was a significant milestone and cemented his standing as a professional musical theatre performer on the world stage.

While based in London, Martin also appeared in other prominent West End productions, including The Rink and Pal Joey, broadening his repertoire beyond the role that had made his name. In December 2000, he was chosen to open the Royal Variety Performance, one of British entertainment’s most prestigious annual events, with a rendition of “Hey Pachuko” from the film The Mask. Performing before the Royal Family and a national television audience was one of the standout moments of his UK career.

Stepping Into Film: Resident Evil

In 2002, Martin took on his best-known screen role, playing Chad Kaplan in the horror action film Resident Evil, based on the popular video game series. The film introduced him to a global audience far larger than musical theatre alone could offer, and it remains the credit most casual fans associate with his name.

Interestingly, Martin has said he had never played the Resident Evil video game before filming, admitting that the game itself unsettled him. That honesty about stepping into an unfamiliar franchise added a relatable dimension to a role that introduced him to international film audiences.

Beyond Resident Evil, Martin’s screen credits also include the drama Match Point and the action film DOA: Dead or Alive, in which he appeared as a supporting character. These roles further diversified his filmography beyond stage musicals.

Return to Australia and Continued Stage Success

Martin returned to Australia in late 2001 and quickly resumed a busy theatre schedule. In 2002 alone, he appeared in the musicals Oh! What a Night and Hair, and from August to October that year he starred as Jim Ryan, known as “The Man”, in The Man from Snowy River Arena Spectacular, a large-scale Australian production that toured to considerable acclaim.

His performance as Rik the bartender in Oh! What a Night earned him a nomination for Best Male Actor in a Musical at the 2002 Helpmann Awards, one of Australian theatre’s most significant industry honours. That same year, he also took on a concert tour of Les Misérables, once again as Marius, performing in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland between October and November.

Martin’s career has continued to evolve in the years since, moving into more mature stage roles as he has grown as a performer. He has played Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Larry Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen, and Monsieur André in an Australian production of The Phantom of the Opera, roles that reflect a shift toward more dramatically complex characters.

Recent Work and Ongoing Career

Martin’s screen career has continued alongside his stage work. In 2022, he appeared in the Australian film Everything in Between, playing David Knight, a wealthy but emotionally distant father, a role that showed his continued willingness to take on layered, character-driven parts in film.

Across more than three decades in the industry, Martin has balanced stage and screen work in a way that few performers manage consistently. His ability to move between large-scale musicals, television drama and film has kept his career active well beyond the initial wave of attention he received from Les Misérables and Resident Evil.

Today, Martin Crewes remains active in the Australian entertainment industry, continuing to take on stage and screen roles that reflect his long-standing versatility as a performer.

Conclusion

Martin Crewes’ career reflects the kind of steady, versatile success built through years of stage craft rather than a single moment of fame. From his training at WAAPA to leading roles in Les Misérables on the West End and a breakout film role in Resident Evil, he has consistently balanced theatre and screen work throughout his career. Coming from a family shaped by acting, including his father David Crewes, gave him a natural foundation, but it is his own sustained body of work across musicals, television and film that has defined his place in Australian entertainment

Frequently Asked Questions About Martin Crewes

1. Who is Martin Crewes?

Martin Crewes is an Australian actor and singer known for his work in musical theatre, television and film, best recognised for playing Marius in Les Misérables and Chad Kaplan in Resident Evil.

2. Who is Martin Crewes’ father?

His father is David Crewes, an actor born in New Zealand who performed in stage productions across the United Kingdom and Australia.

3. Where was Martin Crewes born?

He was born in the London borough of Barnet, England, in 1968, before his family moved to Perth, Australia, when he was ten.

4. What is Martin Crewes best known for?

He is best known for playing Marius in the West End and international productions of Les Misérables, and for his role as Chad Kaplan in the 2002 film Resident Evil.

5. Did Martin Crewes attend drama school?

Yes. He trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre.

6. Does Martin Crewes have siblings in the acting industry?

Yes. His younger sister, Amanda Crewes, is also a professional actress, and both siblings trained at the same academy.

7. What other film roles has Martin Crewes played?

Beyond Resident Evil, he has appeared in Match Point, DOA: Dead or Alive, and the 2022 Australian film Everything in Between.

8. Has Martin Crewes won any awards?

He was nominated for Best Male Actor in a Musical at the 2002 Helpmann Awards for his performance in Oh! What a Night.

9. Is Martin Crewes still acting?

Yes. He continues to work in Australian theatre and film, with recent credits including the 2022 film Everything in Between.

10. What nationality is Martin Crewes?

He holds British roots through his birth in London but was raised in and is closely associated with Australia, where he trained and built the majority of his career.