Paul Mercurio

Paul Joseph Mercurio (born 31 March 1963) is an Australian actor, dancer, TV presenter and politician. Mercurio is best known for his lead role in the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom and his role as a judge on TV series Dancing with the Stars. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2022, representing the electorate of Hastings. Early life Mercurio was born in Swan Hill, Victoria in March 1963, his father was character actor Gus Mercurio. Paul began ballet at nine. He later moved to Perth, Western Australia, where he attended John Curtin Senior High School, now known as John Curtin College of the Arts where there is a theatre named after him. He credits his theatre arts teacher for inspiring him to follow his dream. Mercurio focussed on acting during his high school years but after he graduated, he caught the Indian Pacific train from Perth back to Melbourne where he studied at the Australian Ballet School.