You did a few episodes of All Saints and Packed To The Rafters, but it all really happened to you after Spartacus: Blood And Sand… “That’s right. I did ten episodes as Varro. He was the best friend and confidant of Spartacus, but his journey came to an end when Spartacus was put in a position where he had to kill him, so Varro is long gone.”
Were you killed in a particularly nasty way? “Yes, sword through the neck, essentially. It was an honourable death for a gladiator.”
Why did your role in Spartacus make such an impact? “Meeting [the late] Andy Whitfield and working with him had a lot to do with my education about how to approach LA. We became very close, and he’d come out here for years and done multiple pilot seasons. He had a lot of knowledge about how the town worked and what to expect. I was always serious about getting to LA and trying to do this, but I didn’t really know how to approach it. Back in those days, my girlfriend was quite keen to come and do it, but I had this attitude that you just had to wait until you had the right thing to bounce off. I don’t even know if I’m of that school of thought anymore. It can be quite tricky to come out here and get started, but it’s not necessarily like you need to conquer Australia first. It’s just about making the most of an opportunity – whether that’s an Aussie soap or a US TV show or a small role in a big film. Whatever it is, you just need something to get the ball rolling. It’s a relatively approachable town. I’ve spoken to a lot of mates recently who want to come and do the pilot season next year, and I just implore them to do so. Even if nothing happens, you manage your expectations and come and give it a go. There’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s a challenging thing, and it is a daunting prospect. I was shitting myself the first time that I came to Los Angeles. Those first auditions are really intimidating, because all of a sudden, you’re on this other stage, and you don’t really know what to expect or how you’re going to be received.”
Jai Courtney and Andy Whitfield in Spartacus: Blood And Sand
What was your first Hollywood audition? “I came here in 2009 to audition for a role in Thor.”
Did you see Chris Hemsworth? “No, gosh no! It was just a pre-read for a support character, and obviously nothing happened with it, but you’ve got to start somewhere. That was even before I had an agent out here. I came out to do meetings and someone sent me in to do this audition. I was terrified.”
But you’ve been on a roll ever since? “Yeah, it’s been pretty crazy. It’s funny because you hope that that’s going to be the case. There’s a saying here that some of the agents use about making fans; about getting out in LA, and going in for all sorts of stuff even if it’s something that you would never do in a million years. You never know who’s going to be casting what. It’s always about trying to do the best job that I possibly could, even if I wasn’t inspired by the material. It’s always about strengthening my abilities as an actor, whether it’s something as technical as doing an American accent. I’m sure that’s improved a ton over the last couple of years, because I’ve done so many auditions in an American accent now. And just camera awareness. It’s sometimes tricky for actors who come out of drama schools who are so classically based to get in front of the camera and then be expected to know how to handle that.”
Jai Courtney and Adam Beach in Suicide Squad
When did you know that you wanted to get serious about acting? “I wasn’t sure about it until I was eighteen, which is relatively late. Prior to then, it was more like a sport, or a hobby. It wasn’t really something that I was incredibly passionate about. But that built as I grew up, and I finished high school. I was working this dead end job, just hating it, and I realised that I had to embrace a passion and do something that I love. And acting was why I wanted to get up every day, so I did the auditions for the drama schools in Australia, and took that really seriously. I was fortunate enough to go and train for three years at WAAPA, and it was through that training that it really became something that I was absolutely sure about. I was never shy about admitting that. Once I realised that acting was for me, it was like, ‘Cool, I want to go to Hollywood and make big movies.’ It’s surreal and strange at times, and you have those pinch-yourself moments, but weirdly, it seems normal at the same time, because this is what I hoped for.”
Before you went to WAAPA, you were turned down by NIDA? “NIDA, WAPPA…I don’t think it really matters. It’s about what the individual makes of those experiences. I truly believe that. People try and kick around that competitiveness, and certainly when you’re putting those drama schools on a pedestal before attending them, it’s interesting to contrast and compare and think about who’s better and this and that. NIDA has given birth to incredible careers, and their alumni are amazing. But WAAPA was really good for me.”
And now you’re working with the A-listers. It was essential that you had chemistry with Bruce Willis to win the gig of playing his son in A Good Day To Die Hard. How nerve-wracking was that? “I had to show up at that audition with lines in my head, and there were cameras on me. The director was there, and I was trying to impress the producers as well. And then there’s the star, Bruce, and it’s his thing. He knows this franchise…he is this franchise. I was nervous to get in that room and perform under those conditions, but I soon realised that we all had a common goal of wanting to do well. I just embraced that. I made the most of it and had fun. I walked out of that session just thinking, ‘If I don’t get the gig, that was cool anyway. I had ninety minutes of improvisation with weapons and cameras and Bruce Willis.’”
Bruce Willis and Jai Courtney in A Good Day To Die Hard
Is it intimidating working with these actors who’ve been at the top of their profession for decades? “Yeah, a little, of course. But it’s a funny thing when you work with people like that. It’s easy to get rattled by their stature in the industry, but the sooner that you realise that you are just actors and that’s your job, the better. They might be really famous or really good at what they do, but if you are lucky enough to be in a position where you are doing that alongside them, then the sooner you just get on with the job, the better. That’s when the good work is created. But I did catch myself a couple of times having an out-of-body thing where I thought, ‘There’s John McClane in front of me! We’re doing a scene together!’”
In your wildest dreams, did you ever imagine that you’d be getting into a fight with Tom Cruise? “Not really, no. It was crazy. I’ve always been an ambitious person, so I always hoped to have these opportunities, but it was incredible when it first popped up, that’s for sure. The fighting, the car chase, it was a little daunting at first. You certainly don’t want to throw the wrong punch at the wrong time and collect him on the jaw with a right hook!”
What is the response back home now that Jack Reacher and A Good Day To Die Hard have been released? Do you get any ribbing from your friends? “Always. I don’t know if you saw the film Due Date, with Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr., but one of my best mates recently started calling me ‘Hollywood.’ My mates will pick on me for certain things. I might start to complain about some problem, as we call it, a ‘champagne problem’, real first world stuff that I didn’t realise was in me, and they let me know pretty quickly. But they are generally very supportive, and they are very proud. We had a premiere for Jack Reacher when I was down in Australia working, and it was awesome to take my family and friends along.”
Suicide Squad is in cinemas now.
