Biography
Franklin made his television debut on the sketch show The Ronnie Johns Half Hour (2005-06), and was in fact the eponymous host, on his papier mache horse, The Good Taste Pony. However, it is his character, Chopper, a comedic impersonation of real-life criminal Mark 'Chopper' Read that has become an international cult hit.
In 2006, Franklin’s efforts were rewarded when he was nominated for an Australian TV Logie award, the inaugural Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent.
Also in 2006, Franklin brought Chopper to the stage for Chopper’s F**kin’ Bingo in Sydney and Melbourne, which The Sydney Morning Herald’s Arts Review of 2006, named as one of the ‘five funniest shows of the year’. He has also performed sell out runs of Chopper’s F**kin Bingo at the 2007-10 Adelaide Fringes and 2006-09 Melbourne International Comedy Festivals and 2011 Brisbane Comedy Festival.
In 2007, Franklin performed his debut Australian national live tour, Chopper's Harden the F*ck Up Australia Tour, encompassing 16 cities, 90 performances (over 40 performances added) and breaking box office records at the 2007 Adelaide Fringe. A live DVD of Harden the F*ck Up, Australia was released in March 2008.
In August 2007, Franklin was invited to perform an international version of Chopper’s Harden the F*ck Up World Tour in a sell-out season in London, before presenting the show at the Edinburgh Fringe. The show received strong reviews (4 stars, Three Weeks). Whilst in Edinburgh, Franklin also performed a dramatic role in Phil Nichol’s production of Breaker Morant, playing Lt Whitton, alongside fellow Australian comedians, Adam Hills and Brendon Burns.
At the 2007 Tour de France, the CSC cycling team chose ‘Harden the F**k Up’ as their team motto, wearing Franklin’s Chopper’s black ‘Harden the F**k Up’ inspiration wristbands during the race, thereafter becoming a must-have item in professional world cycling. The Carlton AFL Football club also adopted ‘Harden the F**k Up’ as their 2008 team motto. Similarly, the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and New Zealand’s Americas Cup yacht team also use Chopper’s ‘Harden the F*ck Up’ as their mottos.
In early 2008, Franklin toured his second Australian national Chopper tour, the critically acclaimed, Make Deadsh*ts History (5 stars -The Sunday Mail, 4 ½ stars-The Age). Its initial run was performed over 100 times in 24 cities, prompting a 21-city return tour in late 2008, selling over 50,000 tickets and playing to over 130 performances by year’s end. In July 2008, he returned to London for another sell out season. A live DVD of Make Deadsh*ts History, recorded in D-Division at Pentridge Prison, Melbourne Australia was released October 19, 2009. This DVD was nominated for the 2010 ARIA for Best Comedy Release.
In 2010, Heath Franklin made his feature film debut in the lead role of ‘Mervyn Toebuck’, alongside Jemaine Clement of NZ’s Flight of the Conchords in the black comedy feature film, Predicament.
His 2011 tour of New Zealand with the show ‘A Hard Bastard’s Guide to Life’ broke box office records. Heath followed this up with Chopper vs Heath Franklin in which he debuted his new comedy characters, Bear Grylls and Matt Preston, amongst others.
In 2012/13 he toured his most recent Chopper show ‘The (s)HIT LIST’ to rave reviews and full houses in both NZ and Australia.
From July 3 Heath returns to the small screen starring in ABC1’s new sketch comedy show Wednesday Night Fever.
