Your new movie Hamlet
for the Fireys - in a few words, what is it about, and what can
you tell us about your character?
Hamlet
for the Fireys is basically a modern day take on take on the
classic Shakespeare play Hamlet. In this case it is centred around a and
Aussie fire fighter who is taking a break from fighting the horrific
bushfires we had in late 2019, early 2020, and while sitting alone with a
drink, is pondering the meaning of life. What did you draw upon
to bring your character to life, and being a firefighter yourself, did
that inform your performance in any way? I was a fire
fighter for the best part of 20 years, and so in that time have faced
things that most only see on TV, and really, hopefully that’s the only
way they experience these things, but I know all too well, the feeling of
exhaustion, the energy sapping heat, the horrific sight of a wall of fire,
all those experiences, and what it takes to face off against such odds.
These things never leave you. Fire fighters really are heroes in the
truest sense, when they must deal with such formidable foes with such
deadly possible consequences. Most of the bush fire fighting teams are
“volunteer” fire fighters too, so they really are just normal people,
put in extreme extraordinary situations. All of these things I can relate
toothrough my life experience, and so it was reasonably easy to sit and
put myself in a situation mentally for what emotion or delivery that was
needed to suit. How did you get
involved with the project in the first place, and what drew you to it? It
was really director David Black [David
Black interview - click here] who approached me with the idea. We had experienced 4
months of the most horrific fires the country had seen, and these events
affected a lot of people. Not necessarily just people who lost homes and
property from these fires, but people hearing day in and out the
continuing heartache of what was going on. It really affected the psyche
of the nation and drew people together to raise funds, and do things to
help each other in tough times. So I'm fairly sure Dave was affected, and
influenced to write this short film, and the emotion in it is evident, and
personally for me, I think it's one of his most poignant and deep films to
date. So it really was a case of him coming to me and saying “hey you
were a fire fighter, would you like to do this?” I thought about it and
said yes. It was as simple as that, and it was a chance to pull out the
old fire fighting gear again. As
Hamlet for the
Fireys is a Shakespeare-adaptation of sorts, what do the writings
of the bard mean to you personally?
I think Shakespeare
really evolved the English language in ways that are still with us today.
There is such a beautiful flow and depth to what was written, and it was
utterly ground breaking for the time, be it a tragedy or a comedy, and we
can even today relate to the various themes that were addressed, such as
love, betrayal, redemption etc. Trying to use the mode of speech on the
other hand is another matter. It at times feels like a tongue twister for
the brain, and it was a real challenge for me to learn the dialogue for
this short film too. I really feel Shakespeare’s writings is one of
those things that will continue to influence us for years to come.
What can you tell us
about Hamlet for the
Fireys' director David Black [David
Black interview - click here], and what was your collaboration
like? I have worked with David many times previously, and
he is quite an interesting guy. He is always thinking about story ideas,
and it just doesn’t stop. Some of these ideas are hit and some are
miss, but his mind is always just going and going, and he always comes up
with something. He is one of those filmmakers who is just consumed with
making films, and that’s all he wants to do, and tell his story as best
as he knows how. There is a passion that doesn’t seem to end, and he
really invests in his ideas too. I really respect that. Working with Dave
as director for this film, and also Gerrado who was the DOP for the film,
was a very easy experience. Dave respected me in doing the job and giving
life to his creation, and I had that space to think and get into the zone
of what was needed for tho role. The most difficult part was remembering
the lines, but it wasn’t really an issue, because Dave read them out for
each part, and I thought for a bit and then really tapped into the feeling
of what was needed. Do talk about the shoot as such, and the on-set
atmosphere! It honestly was one of the best shoots I have
been part of. It was a very small crew, but that was all that was needed
for this shoot, and really there was an atmosphere of ... respect I guess is
the word I’m looking for, but it doesn’t quite describe it. We
obviously were all in shock from the fires, and in some cases they were
still burning in some areas at time of filming. So that certainly
was with everyone, but it was when I climbed back into my old uniform,
that all of a sudden, I felt like I had stepped back in time, and all of a
sudden it was everyone was working with a “real” fire fighter. Maybe
the word I am looking for is reverence, but I wasn’t just as an actor,
but as someone who has seen and done this for a living. It was a bit
surreal.
Any future projects you'd like to share? Well
besides acting I’m a writer and director also, and I do have a few
projects on the go for the future in terms of short film and even a
feature I am currently writing or working on, but those are all under
wraps for the moment. I know Dave has a few more wonderful scripts coming
up that I will be part of, and I can tell some of them are going to be a
riot. Once such film is called Game
of Groans
and its totally off
the wall and hilarious. Should be a lot of fun. What
got you into acting to begin with, and did you receive any formal training
on the subject? Well that’s the funny thing. I really
just accidentally fell into it, in regards to modern times. For those who
are looking for a deeper answer, way back when I was young, my first foray
into acting was in Christmas concerts at school. I had the lead role in Twas the
Night Before Christmas playing “Dad” who comes down and
discovers Santa, and while I enjoyed the art of acting etc, I never
studied it or did any high school dramas or anything like that. I think
some of my early films I was an extra. I couldn’t tell you what films
they were off hand, and it was a case of they were short of extras to fill
roles, so I stepped in. This has happened often enough that I have been an
extra, or even a body double on some reasonably high profile feature
films. It's been a lot of fun.
What can you tell us about your filmwork
prior to Hamlet for
the Fireys?
A lot of my acting has been on Dave’s films, but as I mentioned
before I have been on a few feature films as well. One of those is a
feature film about the Australian bush ranger (highway man) Ben Hall,
titled The Legend of Ben Hall. I body-doubled for actor Andy McPhee
who was playing the character “Old Man Gordon”, and accomplice of Ben
Hall. One of the things Andy couldn’t do was run through the bush due to
injury, and so I was dressed up as the character, fake beard and all, to
do all the running that Andy couldn’t do. I had taken the time to watch
how Andy moved, his gait, and general mannerisms, so once I was finished
in makeup, and was ready to fill in for Andy, I stepped out and started
doing an Andy impersonation, and when I looked up, to my surprise everyone
was looking at me. They were a little way from where I was, but they were
all staring, director included. It was a great laugh. There was another
film where I played a truckie. It really was a small bit part, to make the
protagonist really detest his job. So I thought about what was required
and what character this person was likely to be. I based my mode of speech
on an old diesel mechanic I knew when I was a fire fighter, Geoff Page,
and this character had seen to world in his time as a mechanic, and he was
incredible matter of fact, no punches pulled type of guy, but loved a good
yarn and sharing his adventures. He served as a wonderful and colourful
inspiration for the character I played. I added other things like pulling
my pants down for a bit of “plumber's crack”, and I just adlibbed all
that I said on any knowledge I had about trucks. It was great fun, and for
some reason while filming, the take actually went longer than I expected,
so I just kept talking and talking, and interacting with the protagonist.
It was all off the cuff, and a little rough around the edges in terms of
polite conversation but all well meaning etc… and as soon as the
director called cut, the entire set just burst into laughter. How would you describe yourself as
an actor, and some of your techniques to bring your characters to life?
I
honestly feel I’m a bit of an every man. I’m not a fully trained
actor, so I just rely on myself, life experience etc to give the emotion
depending on the situation of the role. Everything I bring to a role, is
really based on life experience and then asking myself, what would this
situation bring out of the character in question. Sometimes the director
has something in mind already for what he wants, and as an actor I can add
to that, but with the limited amount of work I have done, I have been
given generally a free reign of what I can do or bring to a character.
Actors
(and indeed actresses) who inspire you? Oh there are so
many! Where do I start? Fay Wray, the original blonde (she actually
wasn’t blonde) bombshell. Donna Reed always had a lovely innocence about
her. Humphrey Bogart, and in his footsteps Peter Falk. I really love that
hard boiled egg character, though Peter's portrayal in Murder by Death
is a hoot! I enjoyed how Sean Connery evolved over his career, from
Bond
to Henry Jones, Christopher Lee has an amazing presence. Christopher Plummer
as well for that matter, and he had subtle mannerisms I quite like. Of
course these guys are all classic era stars and I have really brushed over
that list, and could add a whole lot more. More current day actors, Samuel
L. Jackson has easily won his right to being a star, no doubt. The guy can
be anything and you just feel it, and I get the vibe he is a hell of a
cool guy too. Tom Hanks is great, loved him in Castaway. Hugo
Weaving is one of those actors who has done so many iconic roles, and
again seems to be one of those down to earth people, and he is an Aussie
too. Talking of Aussies, Cate Blanchett would be utterly wonderful, would
be Hugo Weaving are top of my list. They are just brilliant. Your favourite
movies? I was inspired by Star Wars when it came
out, so the original trilogy. Lord of the Rings also, it's truly
breathtaking. I love the original 1933 King
Kong, Citizen Kane is a masterpiece, Kurosawa’s Seven
Samurai, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Taxi
Driver. I'm a fan of Spielberg, his early films capture that inner
child and that wonder. ... and of course, films you really deplore?
Certainly
the Disney
Star Wars Trilogy. Proof that you can have all the money in
the world and still screw it up.
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Your
website, social media, whatever else? www.lone-viking.com
www.instagram.com/lone_viking1 Anything else
you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Thanks
for the interview! I hope everyone enjoys the film Shakespeare for the
Firies, and thank you so much for interviewing me, its been a lot of fun J Thanks
for the interview!
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