In his youth and continuing to present day he has been close friends with actor Mel Gibson, with whom he attended NIDA and starred in the movies Summer City (1977) and Mad Max (1979). The latter role is his best-known performance, in which he played "Jim Goose", the best friend and partner to Gibson's character. The Mad Max trilogy has since became a cult classic, and was the film that launched Gibson to mainstream stardom. Bisley and Gibson also starred together in The Chain Reaction (1980), in which Gibson only appeared in a brief cameo role. His other film credits include roles in The Highest Honor (1983), The Winds of Jarrah (1983), Fast Talking (1984), Silver City (1984), The Big Steal (1990), Over the Hill (1992), and "Red Hill" (2010), the gritty Australian drama in which Bisley played the Police Inspector "Old Bill".