Matthew Newton deemed "untouchable" by agents

Matthew Newton has been snubbed by the Australian entertainment industry.

The Underbelly star, who has been in and out of a psychiatric clinic for the past year after allegedly attacking ex-girlfriend Rachael Taylor, is currently trying to launch an acting comeback but has been deemed "untouchable" by most of Sydney's agents.

Newton has been looking for new representation since he last left Sydney's Northside West Clinic but most industry professionals are not interested in taking him on, according to The Daily Telegraph.

One agent said: "Men may be able to forgive but women never will - and women are a crucial part of the market. What he [allegedly] did to... Rachael, it's unforgivable."

Another said: "It would take [a manager] a year to clean him up publicly before anyone would think about giving him a job. That's too big an investment," while a third said that nobody in the industry "wants to actually see him", adding: "He needs to be invisible."

Newton's Face to Face director Michael Rymer recently described him as "a smart guy" and a "total professional". The story's playwright David Williamson said that he was "bowled over by Matthew's performance" in the movie and described his situation as "tragic".

Earlier this week, Newton spoke publicly about his mental illness battle for the first time, saying: "I was all over the place... I was a lost soul. Going to hospital and having that time to get a sense of who I was, it really allowed me to stop and smell the flowers. It really saved my life."

Watch the trailer for Matthew Newton's latest movie Face to Face below: