Helmut Bakaitis (born 26 September 1944) is a German-born Australian director, actor and screenwriter and playwright.
His father, an academic, hoped to become a teacher or lecturer, but was forced to dig sewers to support the family.
He formed a drama group and performed in and directed school productions, and eventually began to write plays.
Before Bakaitis had graduated (in 1965), he was offered his first professional acting role at the Theatre Royal in Hobart.
He subsequently studied a post-graduate diploma in Drama and Education at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and established youth programs in inner London.