Anthony J Sharpe (born 24 September 1974) is an Australian actor, producer and singer, best known for his role playing the character of Cecil Yates (Cec) on ABC1's Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. He became involved in acting after a lengthy career as a professional singer.
Early life Born to parents Joy and Joe as the youngest of four children, Sharpe grew up on the family's small farm in Willowmavin, Victoria.
Sharpe started playing guitar at the age of fifteen, forming his first band 'Vandals Rampage', with some school friends. A year later, he joined his second band 'The Lost Boys', performing a successful first gig at the Battle of the bands in Kilmore. He then filled in as a singer with another band, ‘Amon Rah’ and took singing lessons to further hone his skills, before joining covers band ‘Dexter’, playing to larger crowds in Melbourne.
After finishing an apprenticeship at Holdens Engine Company as a fitter and machinist, Sharpe left the company to pursue music full-time. His band Heavy Human Traffic recorded several albums and appeared on the first season of Starstruck, to critical acclaim, before later disbanding in 2003.
Career While working at Dracula's Theatre Restaurant, Sharpe met actor Brett Swain, who encouraged him to pursue acting. Soon thereafter, he landed his first television role on Blue Heelers (2002), which led to further guest roles in Neighbours (2005) and City Homicide (2010).
During this time, Sharpe also formed the band ‘Action Sam’, going on to do an eleven year residency at Melbourne's European Bier Café. He also auditioned for reality TV series Rock Star: INXS, competing to be the band's new lead singer. As one of the top 20 contestants, he travelled to LA, where he met and collaborated with some of America’s top producers.
In 2011, Sharpe landed the ongoing role of Cecil Yates (Cec) in ABC1 detective comedy-drama series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, appearing for all three seasons, through to 2013.
Sharpe acted in several Australian independent films and short films and also performed in his first play in the 2016 Short+Sweet Festival, winning an award for Best Actor. The following year, he appeared as Detective Foy in an episode in Wentworth.
In 2019, Sharpe played the role of Jacobus Crier in action drama film Robert the Bruce, the sequel to 1995 Mel Gibson film Braveheart. The following year, he appeared in the role of Cash in horror film Black Water: Abyss, about a group of friends encountering killer crocodiles while exploring a remote cave system. He also reprised his role as Cec from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, in 2020 film Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears. In 2021, he appeared in the first season of American series Nova Vita, with Titus Welliver and Dean Norris.
In 2022, Sharpe joined the supporting cast of NBCUniversal miniseries Joe vs. Carole, based on the real-life rivalry between zoo operator Joe Exotic and big-cat rescuer Carole Baskin. He appeared opposite Kate McKinnon, Kyle McLachlan and David Wenham in the role of Erik Cowie.
The following year, Sharpe played the recurring role of Billy Hopkins in the first season of crime drama series Black Snow, alongside Travis Fimmel. He also had a recurring role as Manfred in six episodes of Bay of Fires, appearing opposite Marta Dusseldorp. In 2024, he joined the main cast of crime series Human Error, in the role of Keith Bird.
Sharpe featured as Slim in 2024 sports drama film Kid Snow, opposite Phoebe Tonkin and Nathan Phillips. The same year, he also appeared as Austin Benton in western feature The Unholy Trinity, opposite Samuel L. Jackson.
Sharpe most recently appeared in the Emmy Award-nominated series Deadloch.
Filmography
Television YearTitleRoleNotes Ref.1998 Blue Heelers Dogger 1 episode 2000 Stingers Addict 1 episode 2003 Neighbours Jason Kimberly 1 episode 2010 City Homicide Craig Rammage 1 episode 2011–2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Cecil Yates (Cec) 29 episodes2017 Wentworth Detective Foy 1 episode Murder Jake Hemmingway 1 episode 2019 Snappers Garrath 2020 Perfect Chaos Peter 3 episodes2021 Nova Vita Tommy 1 episode Fires Brendan Dodds 2 episodes Closure Detective Miniseries2022 Joe vs. Carole Erik Cowie 5 episodes Fisk Gordon 1 episode2023 Black Snow Billy Hopkins 3 episodes Bay of Fires Manfred 6 episodes 2024 Human Error Keith Bird 6 episodes 2026 Deadloch DJ Darrell
Films YearTitleRoleNotes Ref. 2007 Hotel Motel Gary Brahme Short film 2010 Out of Order Chef Short film 2015 There's a Bluebird in My Heart Miles Short film 2016 Oh, Brother Malcom Short film 2017 Carp Made the River Green Paul Short film 7 Storeys Down Sig 2018 Mutt Keith Robert the Bruce Jacobus Cryer Schnook Cooper Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears Cecil Yates Initiation Jasper The Orchard Henry 2019 Loren Detective Nulla Ray Starky 2020 Black Water: Abyss Cash 2024 Kid Snow Slim The Unholy Trinity Austin Benton
Awards and nominations Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 2012 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Equity Ensemble Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
References
External links
Anthony Sharpe at Creative Soul Management