William McKenna is an actor who starred as ED KENNEDY in The Messenger for Lingo Pictures which premiered on the ABC in 2023. He also starred in BBC’s Queen of Oz, series 3 and 4 of Nowhere Boys for Matchbox Pictures. He can next be seen in the upcoming Stan series Thou Shalt Not Steal directed by Dylan River.

William was awarded the Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star Award for 2023.

In 2019 to 2020, William starred as SCORPIUS MALFOY in the Australian production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which he was nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play and won the Green Room Award for Best Performance in a Theatre Production.

William began his 2024 by starring as Paul in Milked, directed by Iain Sinclair for fortyfivedownstairs. He has also starred in Melbourne Theatre Company’s Bernhardt/Hamlet as Maurice Bernhardt directed by Anne-Louise Sarks in 2023 and in Admissions as Charlie Luther Mason opposite Kat Stewart in 2022.

William performed and wrote his first solo comedy play as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival at the Town Hall called Appellation. For which he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the MICF awards.

He was the winner of the 2015 MICF ‘Class Clowns’ nationwide competition. He came back to host the 2016 National Final. He performed and hosted his own season of live shows as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2016 and 2017 at the Arts Centre.

William can next be seen in the upcoming Stan series Good Cop/Bad Cop and the feature film River.

Awards & Nominations

CASTING GUILD OF AUSTRALIA Winner – Rising Star (2023)
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL Nominated –  Best Newcomer for ‘Appellation‘
GREEN ROOM AWARDS Winner – Performance in a Theatre Production for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2020)
HELPMANN AWARDS Nominated – Best Male Actor in a Supporting for in a Play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2019)
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL Winner – Class Clowns National Final (2015)

Theatre

THE REMOVALISTS
Role: Ross. Dir. Anne-Louise Sarks, MTC | 2025
MILKED
Role: Paul. Dir: Iain Sinclair, fortyfivedownstairs | 2024
BERNHARDT/HAMLET
Role: Maurice. Dir. Anne-Louise Sarks, Melbourne Theatre Company | 2023
ADMISSIONS
Role: Charlie Luther Mason. Dir: Gary Abrahams, Melbourne Theatre Company | 2022
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD
Role: Scorpius Malfoy. Dir: John Tiffany, Michael Cassel Group Pty Ltd | 2018-2020

 Television

GOOD COP BAD COP
Role: Officer Sam Szczepkowksi. Dir: Various. Jungle Entertainment | Stan, 2024
THOU SHALT NOT STEAL
Role: Young White Copper. Dir: Dylan River, Ludo Studio | Stan, 2024
THE QUEEN OF OZ
Role: Matthew. Dir: Christian Van Vuuren, Lingo Pictures | ABC, 2023
THE MESSENGER
Role: Ed Kennedy. Dir: Daniel Nettheim, Helena Brooks, Jennifer Leacey. Lingo Pictures | Screen Australia, 2022
NOWHERE BOYS: BATTLE FOR NEGATIVE SPACE (Series 4)
Role: Ben. Dir: Various, Nowhere Boys 4 Productions Pty Ltd 2018
NOWHERE BOYS: TWO MOONS RISING (Series 3)
Role: Ben. Dir: Various, Matchbox Pictures/ABC 2016

Film

RIVER
Role: Marcus. Dir: Zane Borg, Pancake Originals | 2024
THE UNREQUITED LOVE OF FARRAH BRUCE (Short)
Role: Luca. Dir. Daisy Anderson, Sarah Wormald 2022
HEART THROB (Short)
Role: Angelo. Dir. Greta Nash, GGG Films 2022
BREATHE (Short)
Role: Lead. Dir: Lesley Pinder, Hayley Surgenor 2021
SKATES (Short)
Role: Boy. Dir: Maddelin McKenna, Swinburne University 2017

Live Shows

APPELLATION
Stand Up – solo show           Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022
LOL SQUAD LIVE
Host / Performer. Dir: Wes Snelling, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017
CLASS CLOWNS NATIONAL FINAL 2016
Host. Dir: Wes Snelling, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2016
LOL SQUAD LIVE
Writer / Performer. Dir: Wes Snelling, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2016
CLASS CLOWNS NATIONAL FINAL 2015
Writer/Performer & National Winner. Dir: Wes Snelling, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2015
POETRY SLAM
Stand Up. State Library – Poetry Australia 2015
HELP CONFERENCE
Stand Up. Ronald McDonald House Charities 2015