Childhood & Early Life
Socratis Otto was born in Sydney, Australia, on May 5, 1970. He was the eldest son in the family. His parents moved from Greece to Australia in search of better work opportunities.
As a child, Socratis was highly interested in sports. He also had a keen interest in writing and was fascinated by the world of cinema and TV. It was not until he became a teenager that he realized that he wanted to make a career in the entertainment industry.
Following his high-school graduation, he attended college and earned a degree in creative writing and literature. He initially intended to become a writer. However, his love for acting caught up with him, and once out of college, he immediately joined ‘NIDA.’
‘NIDA’ happens to be one of the most popular acting schools in the world, and its alumni community includes famous Hollywood actors such as Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. Socratis graduated from ‘NIDA’ in 2000 and associated himself with theater in the following year. He also started auditioning for film and TV roles at the same time.
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Career
In 2001, Socratis got his first break when he joined the reputed ‘Sydney Theatre Company’ and started participating in their plays. He made his debut with the play ‘Salt’ in 2001 and received humongous appreciation for his role.
His auditions started to become fruitful, and in the same year, he bagged his first screen role. He appeared in a small role in the children’s TV series ‘Outriders.’ He appeared in just one episode of the series.
The same year, he appeared in the Australian TV medical drama ‘All Saints,’ which featured him in the roles of ‘Adam Grey’ and ‘Hugh.’
In 2002, he made his film debut with a short film titled ‘Running Down These Dreams.’ The same year, he received a major career breakthrough when he appeared in the TV drama ‘Young Lions.’ He played the role of ‘Justin Carmody’ in the series that ran only for a single season. However, his work was appreciated.
The following year, he was offered a small role in the American science-fiction film ‘The Matrix Reloaded.’ Although the film featured him in a small role of an operator, working on the film gave him enough opportunities to connect with more industry people. The humongous critical and commercial success of the film boosted his career.
In 2003, he played one of the key roles in the Australian film ‘The Rage in Placid Lake.’ The film was an average success at the box office.
In 2006, he was offered the role of ‘Detective Mentieth’ in the Australian adaptation of the classic Shakespeare novel ‘Macbeth.’ The film was a big critical success but managed average collections at the box office.
In 2008, Socratis played one of the lead roles in the independent film ‘Monkey Puzzle' and then appeared in a short film titled ‘Eleven.’ The same year, he appeared in another short film, ‘Residue,’ and played a small role in the feature film ‘The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce.’
In 2009, he returned to TV after a break of seven years and made his comeback with a supporting role in the miniseries ‘False Witness,’ playing the role of ‘Shannon Cross.’
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The same year, he appeared in the mini documentary series titled ‘Darwin’s Brave New World’ and played the titular role of ‘Charles Darwin.’ Soon, he bagged a key role in the soap opera ‘Home and Away.’
He received widespread recognition for portraying the role of ‘Robert Robertson’ in the soap opera. His role continued for three years, spanning 37 episodes. The show was immensely successful and helped Socratis get better roles.
Soon, he bagged a role in the superhero film ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine,’ starring fellow Australian actor Hugh Jackman in the lead role. Although the film was a big critical disaster, it was a box-office hit in his native country, Australia. Socratis then appeared in two short films titled ‘In Hearts Left Behind’ and ‘Nightwalking.’
In 2010, Socratis appeared in guest roles in three series, namely, ‘The Pacific,’ ‘Miracles,’ and ‘Dance Academy.’ The same year, he appeared in a low-budget independent film titled ‘Anyone You Want.’
In 2012, Socratis appeared in a small role in the series ‘Rake’ and was also featured in the American thriller ‘Gone.’
In 2013, Socratis appeared in guest roles in the series ‘The Doctor Blake Mysteries,’ ‘Paper Giants: Magazine Wars,’ and ‘Serangoon Road.’
In 2014, he was offered a key role in the American–Australian science-fiction horror film ‘I, Frankenstein.’ The film featured him as ‘Zuriel,’ a brave warrior. The film received abysmal ratings from critics but managed to rake in good box-office collections.
Soon, Socratis bagged a career-defining role in the film ‘My Mistress.’ He played ‘Leon,’ one of the key roles in the film.
The same year, he was given a role in the famous Australian TV drama ‘Wentworth.’ The series featured him as ‘Maxine Conway,’ a transgender. His role was met with universal appreciation. Following this, he appeared in a key role in the 2018 film ‘Enter the Wild.’
