By Erin Free
“Parker is incredible,” enthuses David Cook, the driving force behind the new feature film Heart of the Man. “I met Parker several years ago on an indie feature and instantly knew I had to work with him again one day. As the idea for Heart of the Man came to light, I reached out to Parker, and thankfully he was keen to join the team. He’s just one of those actors who pulls you in. He’s present, caring and honest. His work on screen is a true testament to that.”
Currently appearing in the small screen adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel Apples Never Fall, and with previous roles in Young Rock, Harrow and Darby and Joan, young Australian actor Parker Little really steps it up with the lead role in the gritty Aussie drama Heart of the Man, the debut feature from actor, writer, producer and director David Cook. In a bold performance that deftly mixes physical grace and power with true sweetness and sensitivity, Parker Little superbly plays aspiring boxer Chris Wundurra (Parker Little), who lives under the shadow of his deeply troubled father, Sammy Wundurra (David Cook), a former legend in the ring now plagued by a whole host of demons. Daring in its themes and tough in its approach, Heart of the Man offers the perfect showcase for the highly engaging Parker Little, who truly rises to the occasion…
How did this film come to you? How did you get involved?
“David Cook and I worked together a number of years ago on another independent feature, 2021’s House of Inequity, and we knew we worked well together and spoke the same language per say. Dave basically came to me a couple of years ago after working together and pitched me the idea of this film. Immediately I was on board, and I didn’t hesitate in joining the team. There were a few drafts that we worked through together over the months prior to shooting and since that first moment until the last, it was a very collaborative and rewarding effort.”
This film requires a lot of you, physically and emotionally… can you tell us about some of the training and preparation that you had to go through?
“My character Chris is obviously a boxer, which means the first thing I did was get to training. Luckily, I had prior experience in boxing and had casually been learning for a while, but this forced me to kick it up a notch. I essentially trained as a boxer would for about six months leading up to shooting, including everything from a painfully strict diet to doing a million sit ups a day. I also just tried my best to copy Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine cutting plan for obvious reasons. It was something I really enjoyed though. It was very taxing, but at the same time, it made me feel that I earned my place in the film, and helped me to understand what Chris’s life might look like. I found it invaluable.”
As a lower budget film, was the shoot hectic? Did you have enough time to prepare and rehearse and so forth?
“It was a hectic shoot with a capital H. Not only was it low budget, but we also shot through the second wave of Covid and the Brisbane floods. Both of these things forced us to stop shooting at times and flip the schedule on its head. Some outdoor days became indoor days and vice versa. Rehearsals were pretty minimal as we had to shoot very quickly, often filming up to eight to ten pages of script every day. This kind of thing did force everyone to bring their A-game though, just knowing we didn’t have the luxury of messing around. It became a huge team effort, and that kind really pays off.”
David Cook cuts a very imposing figure on screen… can you talk about working with him on the film?
“Too much praise can’t be given to Dave for his work on this film. Not only is he the writer, producer, director and one of the leads of the film, but he also wore almost every hat on set at one time or another. From bringing wardrobe himself, to lugging apple boxes around, he was everywhere at once. Not only that, but his role in front of the camera isn’t an easy one either. But every day he showed up for me and the other actors, and he was so present when he needed to be. While doing all of this, he is also maybe the calmest person in any given room. He ran such a relaxed feeling set, even though every day was a hectic time crunch with not much room for error. It was very inspiring to watch him work.”
What was your greatest challenge on the film?
“If I’m being honest, it was the diet. No one asked me to do it, but it was a challenge I set for myself…and I damn near killed myself doing it! I’m not sure how boxers do it year-round. From carb restricting to dehydrating for a week to carb loading again, it was a roller coaster, and I apologise to anyone who caught me on a moody day when all I wanted was a cheeseburger. Again, I’m glad I did it though. But my family might not be.”
What sort of effect do you hope the film will have on people?
“I really saw this film as such an inwards journey of self-discovery for Chris, and I would hope that anyone who sees it might take away that it’s okay to not know what the hell your next step is going to be. The most important thing in the world is to stay true to yourself. Follow your gut. Listen to how you feel. Don’t live your life according to someone else’s rules. It sounds selfish, but put yourself first.”
