Paul Eenhoorn, 'This Is Martin Bonner' actor, dies at 73

WASHINGTON: The Australian actor Paul Eenhoorn, best known for his critically acclaimed cameo appearances in the indie blockbusters "This Is Martin Bonner" and "Land Ho!", has passed away.

He was 73.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, as per his wife Stephanie, Eenhoorn passed away on Monday in his sleep at home in Tacoma, Washington, following what appears to have been a heart attack.

Later that day, he was scheduled to begin production in Seattle with the Silver brothers, directors Kahlil and Shogi. Eenhoorn played the lead detective in the contentious documentary "Zoo" (2007) about a man who passed away after having anal sex with a horse after relocating to the United States and the Seattle region in 1999.

The movie had its Sundance premiere and was shown during the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes.

In "Warrior's End" (2009), he played the role of Kael, commanding a squad of mediaeval soldiers. In the "Company of Women" (2015), he played an ageing academic who is shown around the city one night by a well-dressed ladies' man (Shogi Silver, who also wrote the film that was helmed by his brother).

In the 2013 Chad Hartigan film "This Is Martin Bonner", Eenhoorn played the title role, a recluse who relocates to Reno, Nevada, works as an outreach counsellor at a prison and adopts a recently released inmate (Richmond Arquette) as his own.

In a 2014 interview, Eenhoorn recalled, "At the time I shot that, I was pretty much depressed. I don't know if it was a performance or just me being me on the day."

As David Rooney noted in his THR review from Sundance, "Eenhoorn conveys a whole complicated history without actually saying a lot, hinting that Martin's patience and inner fortitude may have been hard won."

Eenhoorn followed up that performance with a strong performance as the former brother-in-law of a retired surgeon (Earl Lynn Nelson) in the endearing adventure comedy "Land Ho!" (2014) as the two travel across Iceland.

That film had its world premiere at Sundance as well before Sony Pictures Classics bought it.

Many thanks to "Land Ho!", "Martin Bonner", and Eenhoor won back-to-back years' worth of the prestigious John Cassavetes Award at the Spirit Awards.

Paul Marinus Eenhoorn, who was born on November 16, 1948, went to Perth's Paul Blackburn South High School and Murdoch University before pursuing acting training at the Mount Lawley Academy of Performing Arts and The Actors Center.

He revealed to IndieWire in 2013 that "I've been on television since I was about 17. I had opportunities, one major opportunity I blew in my 20s. Once I started down this pathway, it was a case of not letting anyone stop me. Not my wife, not my family. It was getting too late to give it a small percentage. I had to give it one hundred per cent", as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

"Max Rules" (2004), "Keep Your Day Job", "Superstar" (2009), "Coffka" (2009), "Half Empty" (2011), "Rogue Saints" (2011), "Beautiful Brit Baker" (2012), and "Monarch City" were among the movies that Eenhoorn had worked on (2022). In the video game "Half-Life 2", he also served as the inspiration for Dr Arne Magnusson, the White Forest's leader.