Harry Cook (actor)

Harry Cook
Harry Cook attending the I, Tonya premiere
Born
Harry John Cook

(1991-06-12) 12 June 1991
Croydon, London, England
Occupations
  • actor
  • writer
Years active2008–present
Notable work
Spouse
Liam Davis
​
​
(m. 2015; div. 2018)​
Awards
  • FilmOut San Diego
  • Best Supporting Actor
  • Winner
  • Drown (2015)
  • Australian LGBTI Awards
  • LGBTI Celebrity of the Year
  • Nominee
  • 2017
  • Australian LGBTI Awards
  • LGBTI Celebrity of the Year
  • Nominee
  • 2018
  • Australian LGBTI Awards
  • LGBTI Local Icon
  • Nominee
  • 2019

Harry Cook (born 12 June 1991) is a British-Australian actor and writer.

Early life

Born in Croydon, South London, Cook moved to Australia with his family in 2001 when he was ten years old.[1] After leaving school he completed his Year 10 school certificate at TAFE.[2]

Acting career

Cook is best known for his roles in early 2000s films such as Accidents Happen (2009), Caught Inside (2010), Panic at Rock Island (2010), Drown (2015) and I Love You Both (2015). His role in Drown earned him a Best Supporting Actor Award at FilmOut San Diego in 2015.[3]

On television, he has appeared in minor roles on My Place (2009), Old School (2014), Mr Inbetween (2018), Diary of an Uber Driver (2019), Bump (2021) and Home and Away (2025).[4]

Writing

In September 2018, Cook's debut memoir, Pink Ink, was released to largely positive reviews.[5][6] His debut young adult novel, Fin & Rye & Fireflies, was released in August 2020 through Black and White Publishing's imprint Ink Road Books.[7] It won the Scottish Book Trust's Teenage Book Prize in 2022.[8] In 2021, Cook released his second YA novel, Felix Silver, Teaspoons & Witches, via Duet/Interlude Press, an imprint of Chicago Review Press, to mixed reviews. Kirkus Reviews wrote that "the cobweb-thin plot is less than enchanting", "the characters are not deeply developed" and "all main characters are coded as white".[9] Publishers Weekly described the plot as "thinly developed" and "hurtling toward a familiar conclusion", but complimented Cook's "accessible" prose.[10]

Political activism

Cook was active in the campaign for marriage equality in Australia, particularly in the lead-up to the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey in 2017.[11] In 2016, he was nominated as LGBTQ Celebrity of the Year at the inaugural Australian LGBTQ Awards held at the Sydney Opera House for his work as an openly gay activist and actor. He was nominated again the following year,[12] and was nominated for the LGBTI Local Icon Award at the 2019 Australian LGBTI Awards.[13]

Since the October 7 attacks in 2023 and the outbreak of the Gaza war, Cook has been a vocal critic of Israel and of the Jewish community. Some of his commentary has attracted public controversy, including his claims that the 2025 Bondi Beach massacre, the 2001 September 11 attacks and the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy were "false flag" attacks organised by Israel,[14][15] and his calls to boycott Jewish-owned businesses in Australia.[16] He has described Jews as "demons" and the Talmud as their "spell book", and has shared eugenicist[17] and Neo-Nazi[18] claims that Ashkenazi Jews have an "incestuous" "gene pool".[19][20][21] In August 2026 Cook posted a video to social media in which he promoted Holocaust denial and defended Adolf Hitler, including Hitler's claims that the 1917 Bolshevik revolution was a "Jewish coup" and that Jews were responsible for hyperinflation in Germany after the First World War. Cook cautioned against trusting the testimony of Holocaust survivors and warned about an "international world swindle" perpetrated by Jews.[22]

Personal life

Cook came out as gay in 2013.[23][24] He married Liam Davis in November 2015 in Carmel, California.[25] They announced their separation in 2019.

Cook has described himself as sober and has discussed his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.[26][27][28] He has been an ambassador for the Hello Sunday Morning sobriety program.[28]

Cook has discussed his "life-long" friendship with American actor Geena Davis, describing her as "instrumental" to his career after they appeared together in Accidents Happen.[29] Until 2026, Cook was an ambassador for the Geena Davis Institute.[30][31] In May 2026, the Institute publicly distanced itself from Cook's political commentary and removed his profile from its website.[32]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Accidents Happen Larry Conway[33]
2010 Caught Inside Archie Cox[34]
2010 Panic at Rock Island Chook TV movie
2010 The Fall Vincent Short
2015 Drown Meat
2016 I Love You Both Drew Johnston

TV series

Year Title Role
2009 My Place Tom Muller
2015 Old School Jordan Wallis
2019 Diary of an Uber Driver Mike Fisher
2021 Mr Inbetween Lucas Channing
2021 Bump Netball player
2025 Home and Away Police constable

Theatre

Year Title Role
2001 Oliver! The Artful Dodger
2001 Bugsy Malone Bugsy Malone
2008 Macbeth Banquo
2009 Citizenship Tom
2012 Russetts (International Playwright Competition Cambridge, UK) Duncan
2016 RENT Mark Cohen
2018 Bushfire Simon Crncevic
2018 Spindrift Snowy
2019 Preserving Jars Tim/Policeman
2019 Promiscuous Cities Richard/Jack/M1

Books

Year Title
2018 Pink Ink [35]
2020 Fin & Rye & Fireflies [36]
2021 Felix Silver, Teaspoons & Witches [9]

References

  1. ↑ Salvo, Natalie (30 September 2018). "Book Review: Harry Cook's Pink Ink is a queer-positive memoir that doesn't sugarcoat things". The AU Review. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  2. ↑ Cook, Harry (27 August 2018). "Being a Gay Actor Isn't Easy | Advocate.com". www.advocate.com. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  3. ↑ Accomando, Beth (27 August 2015). "Hot Guys and Homophobia Fuel Drown". KPBS. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Harry Cook". IMDB. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  5. ↑ Salvo, Natalie (1 October 2018). "Book Review: Harry Cook's Pink Ink is a Queer-Positive Memoir that Doesn't Sugarcoat Things". The AU Review. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Salvo, Natalie (19 January 2019). "BOOK REVIEW: Pink Ink by Harry Cook". 100% ROCK MAGAZINE. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  7. ↑ "Fin & Rye & Fireflies". Black & White Publishing. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  8. ↑ Lyle, Joan (4 May 2022). "The Scottish Teenage Book Prize 2022 winner is Fin & Rye & Fireflies by Harry Cook". Publishing Scotland. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Felix Silver, Teaspoons & Witches: A fantasy with a queer romance that doesn't quite live up to expectations". Kirkus Reviews. 7 June 2022.
  10. ↑ "Felix Silver, Teaspoons & Witches by Harry Cook". Publishers Weekly. 21 July 2022.
  11. ↑ Ireland, Judith (8 March 2015). "Mardi Gras Film Star Puts in Call to Madam Speaker". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  12. ↑ Jane Higginson, Alanna (9 November 2016). "OutNews Exclusive: Interview with Harry Cook star of RENT". Out News Global. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  13. ↑ Heyman, Martin (15 October 2018). "Music Name Feature Prominently in LGBTI Awards Shortlist". The Music Network. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  14. ↑ Lange, David (22 March 2026). "Harry Cook Pushes "False Flag" Bondi Massacre Claim". Radical Truth Telling. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Cook, Harry (16 August 2026). "Thanks for Following Along". Instagram. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  16. ↑ Lange, David (11 March 2026). "Haters Targeting Israeli-Linked Businesses in Australia". Radical Truth Telling. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "Eugenics and antisemitism – The Holocaust Explained: Designed for schools". 22 June 1933. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  18. ↑ EJC (22 September 2020). "French Court Jails Neo-Nazi Apologist for Antisemitic Messages". European Jewish Congress. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  19. ↑ Cook, Harry (11 June 2026). "The History of the Ashkenazi Gene Pool". Instagram. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  20. ↑ Cook, Harry (5 June 2026). "The Four Founding Mothers". Instagram. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  21. ↑ Lange, David (16 March 2026). "Harry Cook Doubles Down on the Terror Support and Antisemitism". Radical Truth Telling. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  22. ↑ Tanuki, Tom (6 August 2027). "Harry Cook". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  23. ↑ Potts, Andrew (22 December 2013). "Aussie actor Harry Cook talks about coming out and upcoming movie Drown". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  24. ↑ Murphy, Troy (9 December 2013). "Aussie Actor Harry Cook "I'm Gay"". Star Observer. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  25. ↑ "My wedding day was the happiest of my life. Why did it have to be outside Australia?". The Guardian. 7 December 2015. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  26. ↑ Cook, Harry (3 January 2019). "Growing up gay in Australia". ABC listen. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  27. ↑ Wade, Matthew (5 September 2018). "'I couldn't process my internalised shame': Harry Cook talks his new memoir". Star Observer. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  28. 1 2 Shorten, Kristin (14 August 2013). "Seven reformed drinkers on why quitting booze changed their lives for the better". News.com.au.
  29. ↑ "Best Selfie: Aussie actor Harry Cook on his 'life-long' friendship with co-star Geena Davis and how his life changed after his coming-out went viral". Nine.com.au. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  30. ↑ "Harry Cook". Geena Davis Institute. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  31. ↑ "Harry Cook". Geena Davis Institute. Archived from the original on 22 January 2026. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  32. ↑ Lange, David (19 May 2026). "Geena Davis Institute Scrubs Harry Cook From Website After Backlash". Radical Truth Telling. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  33. ↑ Balfour, Brad (25 June 2009). "Q&A: Actor Geena Davis Got an Oscar and Now Makes Accidents Happen". HuffPost. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  34. ↑ Edwards, Russell (21 June 2010). "Caught Inside". Variety. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  35. ↑ Cook, Harry (30 April 2018). "Get To Know Harry Cook". Finch Publishing. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  36. ↑ Richter, Simone (31 August 2020). "Review: Fin & Rye & Fireflies by Harry cook". The Nerd Daily. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
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