After years of hard graft in Aussie film and TV, Patrick Brammall’s certainly enjoying his time in the spotlight as a leading man, thanks to a plum role in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Yet the Colin From Accounts actor admits that getting his big break at 50 means taking a back seat to his other, more important job – as a devoted “girl dad”.
The star says, “I’m like, ‘Oh, fk, wouldn’t it have been good if this kind of opportunity had happened 20 years ago?’ But I know I wouldn’t have been ready. I would have got caught up in it. I wouldn’t have known the value of other things. I have tiny people who depend on me and that’s more important than this.”
It’s not surprising that Patrick cherishes his role as a father so much, given the journey he and his wife, Colin co-star Harriet Dyer, 37, went on to become parents to their daughters Joni, four, and Mabel, one. In a recent candid chat, the actor reflected back on the serious health issues he went through as a child, and how ongoing medical intervention and operations rendered him infertile from a young age.
“I had prune belly syndrome, which affects the renal system, kidneys, bladder and potentially the lungs,” he explains of the rare congenital disorder which primarily affects boys.
“I had to have surgery when I was two weeks old to save my life and a bunch of surgeries until I was about 10.”
A vulnerability that shaped him
Looking back on it now, Patrick admits the challenges of his childhood gave him a “ vulnerability” that has served him well as an adult.
“I’m pretty quick to accept circumstances,” he says.
“I always knew that I wouldn’t be able to have kids naturally.”
When he met Harriet on the set of detective comedy No Activity in 2015, it was the start of a successful creative and romantic relationship, and he told her early on about his inability to father children.
Patrick tells, “She knew from the get-go that I couldn’t have kids and she was like, ‘Well, that’s OK. Let’s see.’ And then as time went on, we were in America and we thought, ‘Let’s look into adoption because that’s a viable option in the States.’”
A life-changing year
As it happened, 2021 turned out to be a mammoth year for the Aussie couple. They married in Florida just five days after Patrick proposed and, five months later, they became parents to their adopted daughter Joni. Both know how fortunate they were to be living in the US when they started their journey to parenthood, acknowledging how much more complex and time-consuming adoption can be back home.
“It wouldn’t have happened for us here,” Patrick says.
“We met the birth mama and we’re still in touch. It’s really important that we are.”
His most important role
After welcoming their first child, Patrick and Harriet’s careers also gained momentum, with their comedy Colin From Accounts turning them into big-name stars internationally. But even with all the accolades, Patrick still finds the most meaning in his role as a husband and father.
He shares, “Straightaway, when I first became a dad, I was like, ‘You’re my number-one job.’ Now Joni’s four and a half, I love her more than anything. It’s not just my job – it’s my joy as well.”
That love doubled when the pair brought baby Mabel into the fold in early 2025, although Patrick has since joined the ranks of parents riding the emotional rollercoaster.
“Parenting is fking amazing,” he says.
“You can have undying love for someone you are incredibly angry with in the same breath!”
Is it a wrap on Colin From Accounts?
It’s been a hit here and around the world, but Colin From Accounts fans are preparing to say goodbye to Gordon, Ashley and their adorable rescue dog Colin. Harriet shared some behind-the-scenes snaps from the making of season three, with a poignant caption that sounded rather final.
“That’s a wrap on Colin From Accounts,” she wrote.
“The absolute time of my life.” Executive producer Dan Monaghan also said the next season “will likely be the last one for now”.
The show has quite the cult following of A-list fans, including Kevin Bacon, David Tennant and Imelda Staunton.
