Peter Thurnwald is an Australian actor, director, and producer best known for playing Alex Finnerty in the Netflix series XO, Kitty.
He stepped into acting by chance after a casting agent spotted him at a Gold Coast arts festival performance, and he has since built credits across Australian and international streaming platforms.
Who is Peter Thurnwald?
Peter Thurnwald grew up on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, after being adopted from South Korea as a baby.
His school years at Somerset College focused on academics and sport, with acting far from his mind as a career.
His professional breakthrough came on the Stan Original series Bump, where he played Lachie Koh from 2021 to 2024.
That role earned him wide recognition in Australia and led to a string of international opportunities.
Peter brings a rare personal depth to his roles. His portrayal of an adopted Korean Australian in XO, Kitty drew directly on his own lived experience, giving his performance a layer of authenticity that audiences and critics noticed.
Early Life of Peter Thurnwald
Peter was born in South Korea and adopted by his Australian parents at just six months old.
His adoptive family raised him on the Gold Coast, Queensland, in what he has described as a conventional Australian home.
Growing up, his parents made efforts to keep him connected to Korean culture.
They were part of a small local Korean community where the family would meet and celebrate Korean traditions, even though Peter has said he grew up feeling very Australian.
Despite those efforts, he only visited Korea once as a child, around age 10.
At Somerset College on the Gold Coast, Peter focused on sport and academic work. Theatre was a small part of school life, but he never saw it as a path forward.
So after finishing secondary school, he enrolled at the University of Queensland to study physics.
Peter Thurnwald Age / Birthday
Peter Thurnwald is 27 years old as of 2026, born on December 13, 1998. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius, a sign associated with curiosity, travel, and a search for meaning.
Those qualities seem fitting for someone whose work and personal journey have both revolved around questions of identity and belonging.
Peter Thurnwald Ethnicity and Nationality
Peter Thurnwald holds Australian nationality and grew up as an Australian citizen.
By birth, his ethnic background is Korean, having been born in South Korea before being adopted by his Australian family.
His family kept some Korean cultural ties during his childhood, though he has been open about feeling culturally Australian for most of his life.
Peter Thurnwald Height and Weight
Peter Thurnwald stands 6 feet tall, which is 1.83 meters. His weight has not been publicly confirmed.
On screen, his tall frame and relaxed presence contribute to his appeal in roles ranging from drama to light comedy.
Peter Thurnwald Education
Peter initially enrolled at the University of Queensland to study physics after completing secondary school. Time on set in his early featured extra roles changed his direction entirely.
He auditioned for the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2016, earned a place in the Bachelor of Acting program, and graduated with the Class of 2019.
WAAPA is one of Australia’s most respected performing arts institutions. During his three years there, Peter took on a range of demanding stage roles, including Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Lord Goring in An Ideal Husband, both in 2019.
He also developed skills in directing, writing, and cinematography alongside his acting training.
Peter Thurnwald Career
Peter Thurnwald’s path into acting began not with a plan, but with a scouting moment that changed the course of his life.
His work since then spans Australian television, international streaming, and his own work as a producer and director.
Early Career and Featured Extra Roles (2015–2019)
Peter performed in “Flood” by Chris Isaacs at the Gold Coast Arts Festival in 2015. A casting agent in the audience spotted him and offered featured extra work.
His most notable early credit from this period was an uncredited role as Iwi Prince in the 2017 blockbuster Kong: Skull Island, which starred Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, and Samuel L. Jackson.
That experience on a major Hollywood production lit a fire in him.
He also appeared in an uncredited capacity in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Time on those sets convinced him to pursue acting seriously.
In 2016, he auditioned for WAAPA, won his place, and spent the next three years building his craft on stage and in student productions.
Breakthrough Role: Bump (2021–2024)
In 2020, just one year after graduating from WAAPA, Peter landed the role of Lachie Koh on the Stan Original series Bump.
The show became a critical success in Australia and drew a large following. Peter played Lachie across the full run of the series from 2021 to 2024, making the role his longest and most sustained television credit to date.
That same period brought further opportunities. In 2022, he appeared in Young Rock on NBC as the character Young Randall.
Also in 2022, he was cast as Foresite in Players, the CBS/Paramount+ series based on the world of League of Legends esports.
XO, Kitty and International Recognition (2023–Present)
Peter’s most high-profile role came with his casting as Alex Finnerty in Netflix’s XO, Kitty, the spin-off of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before film series.
He appeared in the show from 2023 to 2025. Alex is a young Australian teacher who was adopted from South Korea and travels to Seoul searching for his birth family, a storyline that mirrors Peter’s real life in striking ways.
He has spoken openly about how close the character was to his own experience. “I am an adopted Korean, so playing an adopted character brought its challenges in the sense that it was very close to home,” he said in an interview with The Korea Times.
In 2025, Peter appeared in the short film It’s Our Time alongside Bianca Bradey and Tiana Hogben.
He also starred in the short film Rear View Mirror (2024) as Oliver, and as The Protagonist in the short Envy (2023). Several other projects remain in various stages of production, including Scattered,
Her Last Laugh, and Deathkeeper, where he serves as both actor and executive producer.
Behind the Camera
Alongside his acting career, Peter has built a parallel track as a producer and director.
His debut directing project was the short film “Running,” which he made through collaboration with the Western Australian Screen Academy and Hey Buddy Films.
He has been developing original television series through Pathline Pictures and Continuance Pictures.
On screen, he serves as executive producer on multiple upcoming projects, including Her Last Laugh, Dunny Derby, and Deathkeeper. That production role shows a clear intent to shape the stories he tells, not just perform in them.
Peter Thurnwald Filmography
Here are some movies.
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Kong: Skull Island | Iwi Prince (uncredited) | Film |
| 2021–2024 | Bump | Lachie Koh | TV Series |
| 2022 | Players | Foresite | TV Series |
| 2022 | Young Rock | Young Randall | TV Series |
| 2023 | XO, Kitty | Alex Finnerty | TV Series |
| 2023 | Envy | The Protagonist | Short Film |
| 2024 | Rear View Mirror | Oliver | Short Film |
| 2025 | It’s Our Time | Shannon Edmunds | Short Film |
Peter Thurnwald Net Worth
Peter Thurnwald’s estimated net worth is $800,000 as of 2026.
His income comes from acting across television and film, producer credits on multiple projects, and his growing profile following his role in XO, Kitty.
His acting work spans Stan, Netflix, CBS/Paramount+, and NBC, with each credit adding to his profile and earning power.
Peter’s shift into producing and directing opens additional revenue streams beyond performance fees alone.
Several projects currently in post-production and development suggest his output is set to grow in the years ahead.
Peter Thurnwald Wife
Peter Thurnwald’s relationship status has not been publicly confirmed.
He keeps his personal life private and has not shared details about a girlfriend or partner in interviews or on social media.
His public focus remains on his career and on the personal journey of searching for his biological roots.
He has been open about wanting to visit South Korea to search for his birth mother, though as of his last public comments on the topic, he said he was not yet ready to begin that search.
Peter Thurnwald Social Media
Peter Thurnwald is active on Instagram under the handle @peterthurnwald, where he shares updates on his projects, behind-the-scenes content, and personal photos.
His Instagram account has attracted over 310,000 followers.
He uses the platform primarily to promote his work, including his ongoing Netflix and streaming appearances.
Conclusion
Peter Thurnwald’s journey from an unplanned performance at a Gold Coast arts festival to a lead role on Netflix represents one of the more compelling late starts in recent Australian screen acting.
His ability to draw personal history into his roles, particularly through the XO, Kitty storyline that mirrored his own adoption story, gives his work a resonance that extends well beyond technique alone.