This study analyses Lawrence's embodiment of this central cultural archetype, and his importance to an evolving national cinema. Covering Bruno Lawrence's eighteen New Zealand feature films this is the first critical study of the career of an actor who was bound up with the revival of the New Zealand cinema. From the formation of the touring multimedia performance bus, Blerta, through the films Wild Man (1977), and Smash Palace (1982) to The Quiet Earth (1985), Lawrence became established as the most familiar and ubiquitous of New Zealand's actors and something of a counter-cultural icon. Specific sections of this publication concentrate on Lawrence's early career; Lawrence as a performer; Lawrence's supporting roles - in films such as Bridge to Nowhere (1986), and Utu (1983) - and the atavistic Man Alone; the 'central' Lawrence films, Smash Palace, Heart of the Stag (1984), and The Quiet Earth; and Jack Be Nimble (1993) as a film that appears to move beyond the idea of the Kiwi bloke. The publication concludes with a compehensive filmography - which includes information on Lawrence's overseas productions, short films and television programmes - and an extensive bibliography.