Now he's preparing to bring those two worlds together, after he was cast as George Washington in the award-winning hit musical Hamilton at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.

Is he excited?

In a word, "Yes."

In more words?

"Honestly it hasn't set in yet. I know when the day comes where we're in rehearsals, that's when it will become real and I won't be able to stop the excitement," Googoorewon said.

In many ways you could say the Gamilaroi singer was born to perform.

His grandfather is Roger Knox, the "Koori King of Country" and Australia's "Black Elvis".

But his father, blues musician Buddy Knox, says he gets his acting chops from the other side of the family.

"His mum, Sarina, she did all that stuff. She did stage plays and dancing. That's where Goori's theatrical thing comes from, that side of the family. Next to her I'm just a fool," the elder Knox said with a laugh.

The legacy of talent runs deep.

Goori's grandmother, Auriel Andrew, was the first Aboriginal woman on television, singing regularly on Channel Nine's The Country and Western Hour hosted by Reg Lindsay in the early 70s.

She went on to star in several Australian television programs, including A Country Practice, Blue Heelers, and the mini-series Heartland.

Sarina Andrew told the Leader Googoorewon and his grandmother got on like a house on fire.

"Being the baby of the family Goori got loads of attention and was close with her. They used to make each other laugh all the time, trying to out-do each other with their silliness. Very competitive, mum was," Sarina said with a laugh.

Despite his illustrious family background, Goori's journey to the peak of Australian theatre has been a long and winding road.

The last decade he's been bouncing between bands and minor TV appearances, never quite managing to find his niche.

It was his mum who gave him the idea to go for both.

"He was going through this thing where he didn't know if he wanted to be an actor or a singer, and one day while we were down in Sydney I told him 'Goori, why don't you try musical theatre?'" Sarina said.

Googoorewon said he was hesitant at first, but decided there was nothing to lose and dove in headfirst.

"I'd never tried out for any musicals before Hamilton," he said.

"When I first did it I almost got the first role I tried out for. I was second in line."

He auditioned for the twin roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison when the musical was first staged in Sydney in 2021.

When the casting call went out for Hamilton's return to Australia, Googoorewon reached out to try for George Washington.

"What was nice was that they saw something in me that almost had me on the stage having never had musical experience," Googoorewon said.

"So I put in my best for George Washington because he's got the big numbers too, you know?"

It worked.

A week later Goori called his mum with the big news.

"My jaw hit the floor. I practically screamed with joy and it was late at night so I'm pretty sure I woke the neighbours," Sarina said.

She said her son always had the talent, he just needed to put himself out there.

"When he was little he was actually very, very shy, but when he was being a silly bubba he just shone. He'd make you laugh until you were about to pee," Sarina said.

"Mum was the same, she was shy off stage, but push her in front of a camera and she would gain the confidence to be herself and more."

This successful audition has turbo-charged Googoorewon's career, catapulting him into the spotlight of Australian theatre alongside critically-acclaimed Aussie stars like Jason Arrow and Callan Purcell.

"If we were to look at the roles I've done in TV versus the role I'm about to do, this is so much bigger. Hamilton is the biggest musical of the last ten years," Goori said.

His debut as George Washington will be only the second time he's been in a musical, and the second time he's playing someone named George.

Earlier this year he played George Burarrwanga, lead singer of the legendary Warumpi Band, for a production called Big Name, No Blankets by the Ilbijerri Theatre Company.

Googoorewon will be the first Indigenous Australian to play George Washington - Maori actor Matu Ngaropo played the American president in 2021 - and he's starting to sound like the revolutionary leader already.

"It's the biggest role of my career. It cannot be understated how huge it is, so I'll be doing my utmost to impress," Goori said.

"I'm putting in the work because I cannot afford to mess this up. I shall not!"

The young actor's goal is to fit into the role so well the production keeps him on for a tour overseas.

He mentioned Hugh Jackman as an example of how far a career in musical theatre could potentially take him, but when asked if he's trying to emulate the Aussie icon - or anyone else for that matter - he said no.

"I think that part of my life is finished. I've drawn so much inspiration in the past, now I want to be the one just doing it.

"In terms of emulating someone, there isn't anyone really. I just want to get out there and be me."

Hamilton premieres at the Sydney Lyric on Tuesday, July 30.