Gyton James Grantley (born 17 July 1980) is an Australian actor and comedian, best known for his portrayal of convicted murderer and drug trafficker Carl Williams in the hit Australian television show Underbelly.
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Early life
Grantley was born to parents Dick and Sandy and he has a brother. He was educated at the Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane, where he graduated in 1997. During his school years, he was a rugby union player and a rower. He was also heavily involved in drama and theatre-sports, and won the Headmaster's Prize for Drama in his senior year.
After he finished high school, not confident he could make a living out of acting, Grantley studied an arts degree at the University of Queensland. However, after a year, he decided to audition for Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Unsuccessful on his first attempt, he was finally accepted two weeks before the year started. He graduated in 2001 with his acting degree. He began doing voiceover work at the age of 18, while studying. Soon thereafter, he moved to Sydney, where he secured an agent.
Career
Grantley began his screen acting career in 2001, with a guest appearance in comedy drama series Fat Cow Motel alongside Brendan Cowell, playing Gary Walpole. Over the next few years, he had several small roles in films including Schoolies week drama Blurred (2002), comedy Danny Deckchair (2003) with Rhys Ifans, adventure-comedy Under the Radar (2004) with Nathan Phillips and A Man's Gotta Do (2004). He also made further guest appearances in television, including two-part miniseries Marking Time (2003) with Abbie Cornish, and legal series Small Claims (2004–2006) with Claudia Karvan and Rebecca Gibney.
From late 2005, Grantley began playing the ongoing role of Dane Pickerstaff in short-lived drama series headLand. In 2006, he had a small role in Foxtel comedy-drama series Supernova, before landing a 10-episode guest role in long-running soap opera Home and Away the following year. His character, nurse James Dalton, was involved in a love triangle with Kit Hunter (Amy Mizzi) who was pregnant to Kim Hyde (Chris Hemsworth). Grantley also appeared in 2007 romantic comedy film All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane alongside Ryan Johnson.
In 2008, Grantley shot to fame in the first season of high-rating underworld crime drama Underbelly, playing real life antagonist and criminal Carl Williams, opposite Kat Stewart, Rodger Corser, Damian Walshe-Howling and Callan Mulvey. His performance won him the award for 'Most Outstanding Actor' at the Logie Awards.
In 2009, he had a starring role as Sumo in 30 Seconds, reuniting with his Underbelly co-star Kat Stewart, and appearing alongside Peter O'Brien and Stephen Curry. He also starred opposite Don Hany and Susie Porter in the second season of East West 101, as Craig Deakin. He also appeared in the 2009 Tropfest Short Film Festival finalist Being Carl Williams where Grantley, playing himself, is abducted by two criminals who mistake him for Carl Williams after his role in Underbelly. That same year, he had a small role in romantic crime film Prime Mover opposite Michael Dorman as well as featuring in biographical war film Balibo with Anthony LaPaglia.
In 2010, Grantley played the role of Norman Morris in war drama Beneath Hill 60 opposite Brendan Cowell and then starred as Matt in shark thriller The Reef, reuniting with his Underbelly cast mate Damian Walshe-Howling in the latter.
In 2012, Grantley was cast in a new series, House Husbands, playing Kane Albert, one of the four main characters. In 2015, he left the series after its fourth season, however returned in the fifth-season finale for a brief appearance.
It was announced in late 2013 that Grantley would be reprising his role of Carl Williams in the spin-off series Fat Tony & Co. (which was not placed under the Underbelly franchise, for financing reasons), which focused on the rise and fall of Tony Mokbel, who also featured in the original series, played by Robert Mammone. During this time, Grantley appeared in his first stage musical, portraying comic rogue Luther Billis in Opera Australia's production of South Pacific. After having auditioned for the role, he took over from Eddie Perfect, for the Brisbane season. In 2015, Grantley appeared as Barney McSwiney in comedy-drama film The Dressmaker (2015), alongside Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Sarah Snook and Liam Hemsworth.
Grantley appeared in 2017 film Don't Tell, playing opposite Aden Young and Jack Thompson. That same year, he also took on his first TV presenting role, as host of Network 10's Pooches at Play, a lifestyle show all about dogs and our relationship with them, continuing for three seasons, until 2018. That same year, he performed in the role of Jason in the theatrical production Hand to God. In 2019, he took on the role of Ron Weasley in the Australian stage production, of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne.
Grantley reprised his role of Carl Williams for the third time in Informer 3838, in 2020. He has since said that the role – which had made him famous – led to people calling him 'Carl' almost everyday.
In 2021, Grantley served as narrator on the reality show Space Invaders, which he has continued for six seasons, through to 2026. In 2023, he played the role of Cain Foster in the TV series We Were Tomorrow, as well as Allan Carter in the crime drama miniseries Human Error. That same year, he competed in the second season of reality series The Traitors, alongside reality personality Ash Pollard and Australian Survivor alumnus Luke Toki. He was 'banished' in the second episode.
Most recently, Grantley played the character of Wally in 2024 children's film Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp. On 25 August 2025, he was named in the cast for the film Her Aussie Romance. Once complete, the Hallmark film was renamed A Melbourne Match.
Grantley has also performed voiceover work in television advertisements for Subway, Starbucks, Bupa, Google and NRL.
Filmography
Personal life
Grantley is married to schoolteacher Alex Ortuso. The couple initially met at a music festival in Queensland in 2010, but started their relationship when Grantley moved to Melbourne, after securing his role in House Husbands. After dating for five years, they got engaged in Italy in 2015, before wedding in secret, in a private registry ceremony in early 2016. This was followed by a celebration in Byron Bay in April 2016, officiated by Grantley's House Husbands co-star Julia Morris.
The couple revealed on the day of their wedding that Alex was 17 weeks pregnant with their first child. Their son was born on 10 August 2016, arriving five weeks early.
They welcomed their second child, a daughter on 2 May 2019. Their third child, another daughter, was born on 16 February 2021.
Since 2023, Grantley and his family have been living on the Italian island of Sardinia, the ancestral home of his wife, having put their Ivanhoe family home up for lease.
Grantley previously dated comedian Nikki Osborne, after having met at drama school.
Grantley is actively involved with the Australian organisation, 'Polished Man', which helps support and raise awareness for children affected by violence.
