Born to parents Joy and Joe as the youngest of four children, Sharpe grew up on the family's small farm in
Willowmavin,
Victoria. Sharpe picked up his first guitar at the age of fifteen and fell into singing by accident, after filling in singing with a high school band. After finishing an apprenticeship at
Holdens Engine Company as a fitter and machinist, Sharpe left the company to pursue music full-time. His band Heavy Human Traffic recorded three albums:
Ritafind (1998),
Heavy Human Traffic (1999), and
Second Skin (2001). The group disbanded in 2003. Sharpe began his professional acting career performing two years at
Dracula's Theatre Restaurant in
Melbourne. ==Career==