Leigh Whannell (born January 17, 1977) is an Australian screenwriter, producer, and actor known for his work on the Saw and Insidious franchises.
He played Adam Stanheight in Saw and Saw III and David in the original short film, was one of the writers of Saw, Saw II, and Saw III, and an executive producer of Saw II and Saw III.
Career[]
Leigh Whannell was born in Melbourne, Australia. A writer since childhood, he worked as a reporter and film critic for several Australian television shows. One was ABC's Recovery, a Saturday morning youth-oriented program hosted by Dylan Lewis. Whannell had initially auditioned for the host role but was later employed as a reporter. After his first interview with Jackie Chan, he stated: "Recovery is the best job I've ever had." Whannell later appeared in Episode 4 of the first season of the RMITV production What's Goin' On There? on June 10, 1998.
While in film school, Whannell met James Wan, who would eventually direct the first Saw film in 2004. After making a short film to showcase the script's intensity, the feature film was produced and became a low-budget hit in late 2004. In the movie, Whannell played Adam Stanheight, one of the primary protagonists. The popularity of Saw led to a sequel, Saw II, directed and co-written by Darren Lynn Bousman after Whannell revised Bousman's original script, The Desperate. Whannell also served as an executive producer.
Around the same time, Whannell returned to collaborate with Wan. They wrote a film called Dead Silence, which Wan directed. It was initially slated for a 2006 release, but problems with the title pushed it back to March 2007. In 2006, the duo composed the story for Saw III. Whannell wrote the screenplay for the third time. The movie was once more directed by Bousman and released on October 27, 2006. Whannell had a featured cameo, reprising his role as Adam from the first film. Saw III grossed $33,610,391 on its opening weekend, making around $129,927,001 worldwide after 38 days in cinemas. Although his involvement in the series ended with Saw III, Whannell was still listed as an executive producer in all subsequent sequels.
Whannell's writing partner, James Wan, was chosen to direct the film Death Sentence, the first feature film with their participation that they did not write themselves. In the movie, Whannell had a small appearance in the role of Spink.
In 2008, Whannell performed alongside Nathan Phillips in Dying Breed, a low-budget Australian horror film about a team of zoologists exploring the Tasmanian wilderness to locate a creature thought extinct - the thylacine, aka the Tasmanian tiger. Instead, they wander into the domain of cannibals and become prey.
Whannell wrote the script for and acted in the 2011 paranormal thriller Insidious, directed by Wan and produced by Oren Peli. When asked about the future of the Saw franchise, which came to a temporary end after the seventh film in 2010, Whannell stated: "It's hard to say definitively because we don't own the copyright for it. The producers could make ten more if they wanted to. But, if we're to take them at face value, they told us that they were definitely done with it. They're pretty exhausted. They've been making one a year every year for the past seven years, so I think they need some time off."
In 2013, Whannell worked as an executive producer, actor, and screenwriter on Cooties, a horror comedy about a virus infecting an isolated elementary school. Later, in 2015, Whannell made his directing debut with Insidious: Chapter 3, for which he also wrote the script.
In 2014, Whannell expressed potential interest in returning to the Saw franchise. However, in a post on his blog in November 2013, Whannell described a new chapter beyond his partnership with Wan, as the latter had finally reached his goal of making epic-style blockbuster productions. Whannell explained: "Now, he's off making the films he's always wanted to make - the big ones. I have no doubt that his name will be added to that special club of film directors that he's always admired very soon. I'm so happy for him, like a proud father. And that is why it is the end of an era."
Filmography[]
Films[]
Year | Film | Actor | Producer | Writer |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | Saw | Yes | No | Yes |
2004 | Saw | Yes | No | Yes |
2005 | Saw II | No | Executive | Yes |
2006 | Saw III | Yes | Executive | Yes |
2007 | Dead Silence | No | No | Yes |
Saw IV | No | Executive | No | |
2008 | Saw V | No | Executive | No |
Doggie Heaven | Yes | No | Yes | |
2009 | Saw VI | No | Executive | No |
2010 | Insidious | Yes | No | Yes |
Saw 3D | No | Executive | No | |
2013 | Insidious: Chapter 2 | Yes | No | Yes |
2014 | Cooties | Yes | Executive | Yes |
The Mule | Yes | Executive | Yes | |
2015 | Insidious: Chapter 3 | Yes | No | Yes |
2017 | Jigsaw | No | Executive | No |
2018 | Insidious: The Last Key | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Home Shopper | Yes | Executive | No | |
Upgrade | No | No | Yes | |
2020 | The Invisible Man | No | Executive | Yes |
2021 | Spiral | No | Executive | No |
2023 | Insidious: The Red Door | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Saw X | No | Executive | No |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2000 | Stygian | Clown / Punk Kid |
2003 | The Referees | Footy Mate |
Saw | David | |
The Matrix Reloaded | Axel | |
Razor Eaters | Nick D. | |
2004 | Saw | Adam Stanheight |
One Perfect Day | Chris | |
2006 | Saw III | Adam Stanheight |
2007 | Death Sentence | Spink |
2008 | Dying Breed | Matt |
Doggie Heaven | Neil | |
2009 | The Last Supper | Philip |
2010 | Insidious | Specs |
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole | Jatt | |
2012 | The Debt Collector | Donovan |
Dick Elves | Larry | |
2013 | Crush | David |
The Pardon | Clement Moss | |
Raze | Elevator Guard | |
Insidious: Chapter 2 | Specs | |
2014 | Cooties | Doug |
The Mule | Gavin Alastair Ellis | |
2015 | Insidious: Chapter 3 | Specs |
2017 | The Bye Bye Man | Larry |
Keep Watching | Mysterious Guest | |
2018 | Insidious: The Last Key | Specs |
Insidious: The Last Key - Dive Into The Insidious Universe | Specs | |
Aquaman | Cargo Pilot | |
2023 | Insidious: The Red Door | Specs |
Television Series[]
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1996 | Neighbours | Stuart Maughan |
1999-2000 | Blue Heelers | Jared Ryan |
2013 | Insidious: Spectral Sightings | Specs |
Television Films[]
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2015 | Lavalantula | Director |
Video Games[]
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2003 | Enter the Matrix | Axel |
Gallery[]
External Links[]
Leigh Whannell on Wikipedia
Leigh Whannell at the Internet Movie Database
Leigh Whannell on Facebook