Vernon Wells, a strong-featured Australian actor, was born in December 1945 in Rushworth, rural Victoria, to Eva Maude (Jackson) and Michael Wells. Prior to his acting career, Wells worked in a quarry and later as a salesman. His early career took off when he was noticed by casting agents and began appearing in Australian TV commercials, print ads, and local TV shows such as "Homicide" and "Matlock Police".
Wells' first cinema appearance was a minor role in the low-budget erotic fantasy film Felicity (1978). However, his big break came when he was cast as the homicidal biker "Wez" in the high-budget film The Road Warrior (1981),shot around Silverton near Broken Hill in outback New South Wales, Australia. This iconic role showcased Wells as a psychotic, post-apocalyptic gang leader who relentlessly pursues hero Mel Gibson before meeting a spectacular death at the film's finale.
Hollywood soon beckoned for Wells, who spoofed his mad biker role in the popular teen comedy Weird Science (1985) before taking on another villainous role as the treacherous ex-soldier "Bennett" who foolishly double-crosses Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando (1985). Once more, Wells meets a dramatic end, impaled against a boiler at the film's conclusion, as Arnold remarks "Let off some steam, Bennett".
Wells continued to find regular work as a "villain" of one description or another, predominantly in B-grade thrillers or action films, including Last Man Standing (1987),Circuitry Man (1990),Kick of Death (1997),and Starforce (2000). The talented Wells then landed a recurring role as futuristic criminal "Ransik" in the highly popular "Power Rangers" TV series and subsequent series of films, including Power Rangers Time Force: Photo Finish (2001),Power Rangers Time Force: The End of Time (2002),and Power Rangers Time Force: Dawn of Destiny (2002).
