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Not a Bad Guy
We sit down for a chat with Aussie actor Dwaine Stevenson about his role in the upcoming Bad Behaviour and his interesting road to acting.
After deciding to try his hand at acting after 14 years in the army, which ended because of injury in 2000, Dwaine Stevenson doesn't have the traditional actor's story. For the past ten years, he has been building his name through short films, stage and, more recently, in feature films with starring roles in Gabriel and the upcoming Bad Behaviour.
The laid-back actor says he had been waiting for a great role when the part of Mark in Bad Behaviour opened up for him. "They contacted me and I knew they were having some ups and downs trying to get the film going. But when I read it, even before I finished, I thought ‘I have to do this.' I really felt good about it, like I've been waiting for a couple of years for a really deep part like this since Gabriel. And they were passionate and believed in it."
The film, which will premiere as a showcase on the closing night of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, is a modern noir/exploitation thriller. In his directorial feature debut, Joseph Sims' film follows a series of interrelated stories, including sibling psychopaths, a jealous husband and teenagers fresh out of school - all leading to their eventual demise.
Stevenson's character in Bad Behaviour is an average guy. He plays the local policeman in a small beachside town, where the film takes place. At a crossroads in his life, his family starts breaking down and he begins to lose control.
"I'm just excited to be part of another film after Gabriel. It's been a challenging time since that picture," Stevenson reflects. "Because my role in Gabriel was so intense and dark and character based, it took a while to get past that again and be seen as an actor who can play other roles. I was just excited to bring a real human being to screen, with real problems and real issues. I want to make something real that affects people. I don't want to do something that doesn't mean anything."
The experience was all the more interesting since a majority of his screen time in Bad Behaviour was opposite Wolf Creek's John Jarratt. "It was a good journey with John and I loved every second working with him. Working with great actors like that allows you the freedom to do what you want because you know you've got such a strong backboard behind you."
It's clear the acting bug has been in Stevenson's genes for a while. "My first deep experience as an actor came in the fifth grade when I pretended to be The Incredible Hulk. I went into the full transformation and chased the other kids around the playground. Then I went behind a tree and changed back and I would come out and go ‘What happened?' and they bought it. That was when it started for me. I'm still basically just a kid chasing his dream," he smiles.
While waiting for a release date for the movie, Stevenson will start production on two more films, including Craig Newland's Frozen Moments and Gabriel 2, although he could not share any details with FILMINK just yet.
Bad Behaviour will premiere at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival on August 28. For more information, check out the website.