Background
Joel McIlroy grew up in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney.
Joel McIlroy grew up in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney.
While still at school McIlroy went to the United States of America and studied in Los Angeles for six months.
McIlroy took over the role of Flynn in 2003 after Martin Dingle-Wall left the role in 2002. McIlroy first appeared in various productions with the Forest Youth Theatre Company, acting in musicals from the age of 16 to 18. After starring in a Year 11 musical production with his high school, McIlroy decided that he wanted to become an actor.
He later travelled around Europe before returning to Sydney to study acting.
At 20, McIlroy enrolled in the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) and after completing four years" study has had acting roles in theatre and television ever since. McIlroy appeared in the plays, A Midsummer Night"s Dream, Henry V and The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other.
He worked at student jobs to support himself during those years. Many years later, he is still connected with the "Theatre for Young People." After appearing in the short film, The Beat Manifesto, for the Australian Film and Television School (North Ryde, Sydney), McIlroy was nominated for an American Film Institute Award.
His acting career spanned various plays and guest roles in television: Water Rats (1996), All Saints (1998), as Brent Duffy for four episodes of the American Broadcasting Company television drama Love Is a Four-Letter Word (2001), also as Bertie Jenkins in the American Broadcasting Company mini series Changi (2001) and as Chook in the feature film, Angst (2000).
He also directed two Sam Shepherd plays, Action and Fool for Love. McIlroy"s acting career really took off when he joined Home and Away to replace Martin Dingle-Wall as Flynn Saunders.