Kyle Shilling
Kyle Shilling | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 November 1993 Taree, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupations | Actor, Rapper, Dancer |
| Employer | Seven Network |
| Known for | Home and Away |
Kyle Shilling (born 18 November 1993) is an Australian actor, hip-hop musician and dancer best known for playing Mali Hudson on Seven Network's soap opera Home and Away since 2023. He is the show's first full time Indigenous Australian actor.[1]
Kyle was crowned winner of Dancing With The Stars Australia 2025 with his professional dancer partner Lily Cornish.[2]
Kyle is also known by his hip-hop artist name ‘BLACX’.[3]
Early life
Shilling is a Widjabul man of the Bundjalung Nation. He grew up in the towns of Taree and Pottsville in New South Wales. He has a twin brother.[4]
Shilling started learning traditional Indigenous dance from the age of 10, and applied for the dance course at NAISDA Dance College while he was in high school. After a successful audition, he spent four years training in different dance styles such as contemporary, ballet, jazz and other cultural forms of dance. He graduated in 2018 with a Diploma in Professional Dance Performance.[5]
Dance career
Shilling began his professional career at Bangarra Dance Theatre which he joined in 2015.[6] His first production was the company's Lore, before he toured Australia with the world premiere production of The Man with the Iron Neck (Legs on the Wall)[7], followed by Sunshine Super Girl (Performing Lines) based on the life of tennis player Evonne Goolagong Cawley. Kyle also toured with Black Cockatoo for The Ensemble Theatre.[8]
Shilling has performed at the Australian Dance Awards, and in Message Sticks at the Sydney Opera House, he also spent six weeks in Tennant Creek working with six communities to create a dance performance as part of the Desert Harmony Festival. [6] Shilling has also collaborated with 2NDTOE on the educational piece Alice Can Dance in the Northern Territory, and he has worked with the community in Taree and Alice Springs as a choreographer and dance teacher.
Shilling is a hip hop and rap artist, known as BLACX. He has released several original tracks.[9]
Film and television
In 2017, Shilling appeared in the short film Hoax, which was shown at the Brisbane Short Film Festival and shortlisted for the Toronto International Film Festival.[10]
In December 2022, it was announced Shilling had joined the cast of Home and Away after landing the role of surfer, Mali Hudson. Mali arrived in Summer Bay in January 2023 as a friend of River Boy, Dean Thompson, and has since gone on to run Manta Ray Boards the local surf school and board shop.[11]
In February 2025, it was announced on Sunrise that Shilling would be a contestant on the twenty-second season of Dancing with the Stars Australia. He was partnered with Lily Cornish.[12]
On 4 August 2025, the season wrapped and Shilling was announced as winner, defeating comedian Shaun Micallef.[13]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Hoax | Eddie | Short film |
| 2025 | Dancing with the Stars | Self | 9 episodes |
| 2023–present | Home and Away | Kyle Shilling | Series regular |
References
- ^ Morton, Nadine (9 December 2022). "Home and Away welcomes rapper as show's first Indigenous main character". Great Lakes Advocate. Australian Community Media. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ^ Taylor, Caleb. "Kyle Shilling Wins Dancing With The Stars". 7News.com.au. Seven Network. Archived from the original on 8 September 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ^ "Triple J Unearthed - Blacx". Triple J. ABC.
- ^ Giglio, Michelle. "Kyle Shilling is Dancing With The Stars". North Side Living. Archived from the original on 17 June 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ^ "NAISDA graduate Kyle Shilling leaps to new heights". NAISDA. 29 August 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Kyle Shilling". Bangarra. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "The Man With The Iron Neck". Performing Lines. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "Mona Vale resident Kyle Shilling joins Black Cockatoo". Northern Beaches Council. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ Bannon Ward, Shauna (1 April 2025). "Home and Away star Kyle Shilling's life with twin brother and new gig away from soap". RSVP Live. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "Kyle Shilling". 7plus. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ Moran, Alexis (6 December 2022). "Bundjalung man to make waves on Home and Away cast". SBS. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ Taylor, Caleb (9 February 2025). "See the big names hitting the dancefloor as Seven unveils the entire cast for the new season of Dancing With The Stars". 7News. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ Knox, David (5 August 2025). "Kyle Shilling wins Dancing With The Stars". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.