Tom E. Lewis was born and raised in South Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory amongst the Murrungun tribe where today their lands are federally protected. For much of his early life he worked as a bricklayer and stockman in order to make ends meet. However this was only a front for his real drive and ambition to pursue a life of artistic merit. Most notably, Tom has shown his talents in both the musical and theatrical arena. He has worked with many renowned theatrical companies such as Playbox and Melbourne Theatre Company and has produced internationally recognised work. But the real success story for Tom was his transition from theatre into film earning his first breakthrough role as the title character in the film "Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith" (1978); a film which won itself a Palme d'Or nomination no less at the 1978 Cannes Film Festival. Tom's film career has been as broad as at has been long with him playing a multitude of complex, realistic and mostly recognisable indigenous characters. One of his most noticeable characters included Two Bob, an outlaw in the commercially and critically successful "The Proposition" (2005) and Jimmy Conway in the film "Red Hill" (2010) in which he played the main antagonist, an escaped and extremely vengeful convict. Tom E. Lewis' acting abilities have slowly over the years begun to shine more and more on the international film circuit. With the release of his new film "Red Hill" (2010), which is being hailed as the next No Country for Old Men, it seems that Tom's day in the sunlight is just around the corner and perhaps even bigger character roles for him to sink his teeth into?

In 2000 he held the Olympic torch through Melbourne, Australia.In 2001 he initiated a cultural foundation called the Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation.