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Mick Jagger’s Outlaw Movie Role
A little-known chapter in Mick Jagger’s creative life unfolded far from the Rolling Stones’ usual world, on the other side of the globe. While the band faced a period of transition back in England, Mick was in Australia, immersed in the role of the infamous outlaw Ned Kelly for Tony Richardson’s film. The physical and emotional distance proved quietly transformative. Away from touring schedules and studio routines, Jagger found space to write, reflect, and experiment. During this isolated stretch, ideas began to take shape that would soon turn into one of the Stones’ most defining and controversial songs. Acting, solitude, and songwriting overlapped, turning an unexpected detour into a moment that helped reshape the band’s future.
July 13, 1969 marks the start of an often overlooked chapter in Mick Jagger’s life and creative journey. On this date, Mick was in Australia filming his role as the infamous bushranger in Ned Kelly, the Tony Richardson–directed movie based on the legendary 19th-century outlaw. The shoot would keep him there until September, placing Jagger far from London and the Rolling Stones at a moment of intense transition for the band. During his downtime in Australia, Mick didn’t stop writing. In fact, this period proved remarkably productive: while staying there, he began working on Brown Sugar, a song that would soon become one of the Stones’ most iconic and controversial recordings. The isolation, the role-playing, and the distance from the band all fed into a creative burst that would leave a lasting mark on Rolling Stones history.
Ned Kelly: Mick Jagger Rides Into Unfamiliar Territory (1969)
As well as dazzling audiences with his magnetic presence on stage, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger had already dipped his toes into acting, appearing in the controversial 1968 film Performance, where his portrayal of a reclusive rock star earned both praise and criticism for its surreal and boundary-pushing style. Riding the wave of that cinematic intrigue, Jagger stepped into an even bolder role: portraying Australia’s most infamous outlaw in the 1970 film Ned Kelly. The vision behind the movie was ambitious. Director Tony Richardson, known forThe Charge Of The Light Brigade and Tom Jones, aimed to blend historical grit with a lyrical, almost folk-song-like tone.“The more I worked on it”, Richardson explained, “the more I thought that I could make it by adopting a ballad…almost a country and western formula.”
A Bucket-Headed Bandit and Chaos Behind the Scenes
Despite the dreamlike cinematography and poetic ambition, Ned Kelly faced turbulence from the outset. The production was hampered by creative clashes, poorly received rewrites, and cultural friction. Richardson later blamed “the Australians” for part of the chaos, while the tension on set seemed to mirror the outlaw spirit of Ned himself. The myth of Kelly’s rebellion extended beyond the screen—off-camera drama turned into legend.
“Don’t Do It, Mick!”
Even within the Rolling Stones’ inner circle, doubts loomed. “With that bucket on his head!?” Keith Richards chuckled in a 2008 interview with FilmInk. “I said, ‘Don’t do it, Mick!’ Mick’s not natural cinema food.” But ever the restless spirit, Jagger pursued the challenge. Whether successful or not, Ned Kellybecame a strange detour in Jagger’s career, capturing a moment when rock and cinema collided—with mixed results and unforgettable flair.
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