BRENTON THWAITES Australian actor talks Brisbane set romance TWO YEARS LATER

Also starring Phoebe Tonkin, TWO YEARS LATER with Brenton Thwaites is love on a bus, a romantic drama on Paramount+ enjoy my conversation with Brenton on the limited series, Australian projects and his international career.

TWO YEARS LATER also stars Phoebe Tonkin, Heather Mitchell, Roy Billings, Lisa Kay. Streaming on PARAMOUNT+ 

https://youtube.com/@movieanalystshaneadambassett?si=nZyw5fHIS4t_KgXj

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:15

Hello, my name is Shane Abassett, your host, the movie analyst, and this is another edition of Cine Critique, and that was Pseudo Echo Listening. Great Australian band. Still going strong. And speaking of Australians, my fellow Australian, although he's a lot more talented than I am, Brenton Twaits. You're about to hear a conversation I did with him well not that long ago. His new show, two years later, starring Phoebe Tonkin, is on Paramount and Worth a Lord. It is about reconnection, romance, love, true love, true romance. On a bus in Brisbane. Heather Mitchell, Roy Billing, two legendary Australian actors are also in it. And Lisa Kaye. Now Brenton Wake, if you don't know the name, you know he's a famous. Well, I would hope you do. He's been in a lot of Australian films, television shows and movies around the world. Particularly movies with big name directors or stars, including Merrill Street and Jeff Bridges. That movie was called The Giver from 2014. And also in 2014 was Maleficent. Remember that one. Angelina Jolly did a couple of those for Disney. Unfortunately, he was also in The Gods of Egypt, which was a little bit of a disaster and an embarrassment on the Australian film industry, although it did supply jobs for people. And I'm sure while they were making it, the Gods of Egypt cast and the crew thought they were making something that was good, but unfortunately not. He is a terrific actor, a great guy. Recently, uh more recently, I saw him in We Bury the Dead and How to Make Gravy, uh, two Australian productions. Both of them are vastly different. And he did pop up in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, uh, one of those as well, uh, because it was filmed up in Queensland. However, here's my conversation with Brenton. I think you'll enjoy it. And again, if you want to know more about me, look me up on at movie underscore analystambassett. Until next time. Brenton Brenton and I. Doesn't sound good. Uh great guy to talk to. You'll really enjoy it. There might be some spoilers for two years later. Uh Phoebe Tonkin, of course. I mentioned her name earlier. She is a co-star, lead co-star, and they have terrific chemistry. She's incredible as well. Huge fan of her career trajectory as well.

SPEAKER_02 2:58

Workers are back in the office for the first time in two years. Australians are getting back to work.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Hello, stranger.

SPEAKER_03 3:11

She returns. I promise myself if I ever saw you again, I'd ask you to marry me. I just always like seeing you on the bus. Easily the highlight of my day. My grandparents, they went on eight dates and they got married, and they've been married for 50 years.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Oh well, go on eight dates with you, and then small cup of coffee.

SPEAKER_05 4:35

Jane, how's it going, mate? Very well. I'm very well. Even though you're a Queenslander, that's okay. Thanks. Lucky. Uh this this show is set, this show where we're going to be chatting about. Uh, I've got to say, I liked it. I've seen all the eight episodes, but was it a prerequisite that it was going to be set in Brisbane, you know, and around Queensland?

SPEAKER_04 4:58

You know, it was originally set in Melbourne. Oh, right. Uh, funnily enough. And that may be a little dirty secret that no one likes to tell, but uh why did we change it to Brisbane? Probably because you're your influence, you know, the local. Yes, that's right. Let's stick with that. I think it was um, you know, we you know it was set on the trams in Melbourne and it had that kind of trammy uh downtown urban kind of feel. But uh I think you know, Hoodlum being from Brisbane wanted to make it at home and you know, wanted to show and highlight Brisbane. Um and it kind of worked really well that the tram just got changed to a bus, you know. So um yeah. Like before if the show's called Two Weeks Later, and we'll two years later, sorry. Or two years later, sorry, of course. Two weeks later, that would be you know, that's that's no time at all. Come on.

SPEAKER_05 5:49

Well, why I got that mixed up is because it it's over a period sort of of eight weeks, eight dates, and did the number eight keep reoccurring, you know, out of the blue subliminally, or not really, because it's not eight.

SPEAKER_04 6:04

Well, you know, it's funny because uh like it he originally says eight dates, but they don't turn out to be dates, they're just the eight hangs, you know. And um, you know, so by the end of the like when I watched it by the end of the last episode, you're thinking, oh, I forgot about the eight dates thing. I thought they were just hanging out, you know. Um no, not really. The number eight really is just set up at the beginning, and um it didn't didn't re-emerge in any weird way, unfortunately. Oh, that's right. I thought there might have been something that occurred, but all good.

SPEAKER_05 6:42

Oh, and your co-star Phoebe, uh, she was in a movie called The Eighth Day. So there's something. There you go. I know that. Uh speaking of Phoebe Talking, your co-star in this, uh, there's a lot of chemistry, and it has to work because of it, and it does work between you two. Had you known each other before or worked together before?

SPEAKER_04 7:04

No, I I'd known of her. We had friends in common. Um, but I yeah, I'd never worked with her. I I'd seen her work for many years and uh yeah, I'd kind of enjoyed watching her career um kind of blossom from H2O to going overseas in America and doing uh yeah uh and working for the CW and then you know Boy Swallows Universe was fantastic. So I think you know, we're a similar age, we had a similar trajectory. It kind of made sense that you know that we were paired on this movie.

SPEAKER_05 7:38

Well, I first interviewed her and have continued to interview her ever since 2010, tomorrow when the war began. So I've seen her blossom as well on screen. Yeah, I love that by the way. That was great. She yeah, and it's really nice because every time I catch up with her, she remembers me. She remembers me from way back then, and we always like have a great interview. So it was good to see you both on screen together. And a lot of it, maybe I'm wrong, but a lot of it seemed like there was uh long takes or uh monologues that were uncut unless there was some secret edits. Was that the case?

SPEAKER_04 8:12

Yeah, I mean, we we performed those scenes like a play, you know. We didn't we didn't really cut uh performance-wise. I mean, there obviously is cuts in the film and in the show. Um, but yeah, those those long takes are really what I loved, you know, like just being in between action and cut and relaxing in that scene and just kind of finding that each each different flow to it. I mean, episode six is uh, you know, there was chat about do we make this a one-er, do we shoot this in, you know, in one shot? Oh, really? And we, you know, Emma didn't want to do that because it kind of it might have hindered the the episode a little bit, but we performed it as we were, you know, we performed these uh 20-minute takes, you know, one one 20-minute block at a time, and each different take had its own flow and its own colors, and and um yeah, I I I just I'd love doing that, it was great.

SPEAKER_05 9:07

Uh, and it was set pretty much just after the COVID era. That's that's pretty extreme. A lot of people have memories of where they were then. Uh, so was that a bit of a challenge, maybe going back to that era and setting setting the show in that in that time?

SPEAKER_04 9:23

Yeah, I mean, it's really set two years later, uh, two years after that time, but I think it was important to to just get into the mindset at the beginning of the show, and which is just I don't know, just meant melancholic, depressed, sad, lonely, you know, just that kind of like uh I'm not used to talking to people, I don't care, I don't want to see anyone, I just want to, you know, head down and just keep breathing. Um, and also that thing of like a lot of that stuff's not that clear, you know, like people didn't were confused and and not really understanding what is happening. And you know, some people found these great kind of turning points in their life and you know, were more creative or quit their job or sold their house or bought a farm, uh like I did. Uh and uh and some people didn't. And I think it was important just to capture the mental state of what a lot of young people were going through, young people that are used to you know, connection and intimacy and you know socializing um and having away from them.

SPEAKER_05 10:34

Yeah, I I mean the fallout was still high, that's why I asked that question, you know, even though it was two years later. So things were different, very different, I'm I'm assuming. And you sort of played into that with the character.

SPEAKER_04 10:44

Yeah, exactly. I think, yeah, even though it was too, I mean, even even now, people are still, you know, I don't know, like you hear at Melbourne as Melbourne's, like, you know, we had it a bit different up in Queensland, you know, on the Gold Coast, everyone was kind of outside and surfing or whatever, but down in Melbourne, it just sounded like a different country, you know, different world. Um, and that was more, I mean, that's probably that's why we originally I think wanted to set the show down in Melbourne, because Melbourne was the worst, you know. That's right. Um, so yeah, so I think you know, changing to Brisbane had a more uplifting, positive feel for the you know, the run of the show. But in the beginning, yeah, it was important to exactly capture you know what it would be like two years after being stuck in a house, you know.

SPEAKER_05 11:34

And it's it's Bris Vegas, who wouldn't want to be in Bris Vegas? It's Bris Vegas, yeah, yeah, exactly. Uh look, romance to me, I'm a hopeless romantic. Uh, romance is not dead. I love the genre. Uh, is it different as an actor to try and be romantic and and play play that role rather than it being in action or a scary film or whatever it might be? Is romance hard to do and to be convincing?

SPEAKER_04 11:58

Well, it's just it's just imperative that you connect and relate to your other actor, you know. Luckily for me, in this, you know, in romance, it's about people, right? Getting together. And I I think you've got to find that that flow with whoever you're working with, um, and just be organic with them. And I I love that kind of style, you know. Um, it's you know, it's like Ethan Hawke in Before Midnight. Uh sorry, in um in the goddamn, in the Sunrise trilogy, I forget what they're called. Yeah, that's all right. In the in the sunrise trilogy by uh Richard Linklater. Yes, Richard, Richard Link later. It's finding those like organic ticks and things that you know only the moment can show. And uh yeah, I think I get that from the other person. I don't I don't think it's really planning what you're gonna do or looking a certain way or chin down or this or that. It's just yeah and trying to be relaxed and and um and yeah, just being in the scene, being organic with your scene partner. Uh so I love that, but it is very different to horror. You know, horror and genre filmmaking is you know, stunts and all that is is more timing, it's more you know, angles, it's it's fun, it's on wires, there's vampires, there's teeth, you know, it's blood and shit everywhere. It can be a lot of fun, but um this is the opposite. It's you know a different skill.

SPEAKER_05 13:32

Well, I loved your work with Mike Flanagan and Oculus, so you know, I hope you go back and work with him sometime or or in that genre. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:39

Mike is a genius. He uh yeah, we had you know very small budget for that film, and he knew exactly what he wanted to shoot and only shot that shot, you know. So he uh yeah, and he's gone on to do great things. So I I hope so too. I haven't heard from Mike since, but um but maybe this interview is gonna get out there. Mike Flanagan, uh, if you want to do a movie, let's do it.

SPEAKER_05 14:01

Yeah, uh he's in demand, but I don't see why he can't use you again down the track. Yeah, sure. Occupus too, maybe. Uh now two years later has uh female directors and also a very distinct look about the show. Um, was there any differences on set? Or do you mean do you finding that you're working or seeing more female directors in the industry?

SPEAKER_04 14:26

Oh, I mean, definitely on this show, they're all female directors. Yeah, it was set up by a director who was also one of the producers on the show, Emma Freeman, who was just amazing to work with. Um, and I I haven't met anyone who has worked with her who says anything different. She's just got this real confidence about her direction. She's loves performers and actors, gives great notes, leaves you alone uh when you need to be left alone. Um, and just isn't afraid to try things, you know, is curious, is open. And um I, you know, I it's such a it's such a rare quality in a director. It shouldn't be. But um it's yeah, it was I think Phoebe and I are speaking on behalf of Phoebe, but I I feel comfortable doing that. Yeah. Just had the most amazing time with her. We, you know, she enabled us to let down our guard a little bit, um, which we obviously needed to do in order to connect and be vulnerable with each other. Um, and yeah, maybe maybe I wouldn't have been so open and vulnerable with a man directing. Uh, you know, I'd like to think that I would be, but I think maybe there's something about you know having a show like this that that is, you know, the target audience is mainly for women. You know, I like to think that young fellas are going to watch this and love it as well because I I did. Um and uh, but I I think it makes sense for the show to be to have you know a little bit more of a female stance in the direction side of things. But you know, that being said, I would love to see, you know, if we were to go again, I would love to have a little bit more of a mix, you know, in in the direction and okay, and just see what it's like to you know have you know uh you know, maybe a few more fellas coming in direct. Dare I be cancelled, but you know, yeah, it was it was great. I mean it you know, it was a good experience. Um, you know, but yeah, I I think also like this the way the show was set up, uh, it was really pushed from you know Sophia Mogford at Paramount, uh from Tracy Vieira at Hoodlum. I think the team around it were you know these these great women who were really pushing this show to be on the air.

SPEAKER_05 16:58

For sure. I totally agree. And I really enjoyed it. I'm a guy, but you know, like I said, I'm quite partial to a good romantic story, and it's emotional too, and not just a light story. It has some heavy butt heavy parts in it. Uh, did you uh like audition? Were you hand-picked for the role, or did you have to go through a process?

SPEAKER_04 17:17

Uh no, I didn't audition. I think they they uh uh Nathan and Tracy at Hoodlum, they they got me in to do a table read, a cold read, just as a favor to hear it out loud. And uh it was kind of a two birds with one stone tactic, you know, was there to hear Pete's script out loud, but also to pitch it to Sophia at at Paramount. Um and I guess they saw me do it and liked how I did it, and I did it and loved the piece, and um you know, and I was available and yeah, they offered me the part, and uh it just made sense to go back and do it at that time. It was, you know, it was a good it was a good good timing for me because I'd come back from America and I was kind of floating around thinking, do I stay here? Do I go back? What do I do? Right. Um and it just worked out really well.

SPEAKER_05 18:11

And cutting your hair was never an issue that that you could leave it long.

SPEAKER_04 18:17

Every time I've worked with these goddamn producers, there's a hair issue that almost gets everyone sued. Oh no. I remember on uh on slide. I had brown hair on Sea Patrol, and I went to Slide and they dyed it blonde, and then I had a reshoot. And so there was this ridiculous battle of like, how are we gonna get this hair? And we just dyed it with five dollar hair dye, and it worked really well. Um, but on two years later, I was on a you know, I was the next day I flew down to Melbourne to do a horror movie and they wanted my long hair, but I didn't want long hair on two years later. You know, I wanted you know shorter hair because long hair, I look like a homeless heroin addict, and it just didn't work. And um anyway, I it it it worked out for the best. Safe to say, I got to decide what to do with my own hair, which was a wonderful moment for me. As an accident that made you happy.

SPEAKER_05 19:13

Oh, it made my life, yes. Oh well, they're auditioning and searching for a new James Bond, I'm sure you get your hair cut for that if you uh you know got picked or were in the mix.

SPEAKER_04 19:24

I'll eat my own hat if the Brits hire an Aussie. Wouldn't it be their own hat? They they just unfortunately, unlike Australians, they love their own. And I love that about Britain and the UK and France and Italy and these smaller places that you know that really battle and and fight for their own. Um yeah, I mean, I'd love to see an Aussie in the role. Uh I obviously James Bond would be amazing to play, but you know, at the same time, there's Bond-like things floating around everywhere. Like, you know, I think I think the back in the day, James Bond as a you know, tent pole was the thing to watch. And now you've got terminal list, um, Day of the Jackal, which is fucking great. Um, you know, Citadel. Citadel's another one. Citadel, you've got the agency, you go, and I love this genre. Um, and so yeah, look, Bond's Bond, it's fantastic. Denis Denis Villeneuve is is is one of my favorite directors of all time. So I think it's gonna be a fantastic movie. I'll be there, whether I'm in it or watching it. But uh, but yeah, I think that genre, that that film and that that property has inspired a whole array of fantastic shows, you know.

SPEAKER_05 20:42

Well, I wouldn't write you off yet, or or Jacob with any Aussie, because you know, they went with George Lasenby once many years ago, so who knows? Oh and how did he go? Look, if you revisit that movie, I've got to say, Bretton, it holds up. It's actually better than you think. All right, Brenton for Bond. How do we oh well before we wrap up, um, a couple more things on two years later. Um, Roy Billing and Heather Mitchell. I mean, that's pretty iconic Australian actors that were in the show with you. Um, how was it working with them? Um magnificent, I suppose.

SPEAKER_04 21:16

Oh, mate, that were great. I mean, Roy is just, you know, he's a career actor, he's done so much different stuff over the years, and great stories on set, you know. Um, and Heather Mitchell has the energy of a 21-year-old. She is just a firecracker that we all fell in love with, and it's just so easy to connect with, so smart, so empathetic and kind and encouraging. And and yeah, I just we all just kind of fell in love with her. And you know, I was blessed in the sense that you know, she's my grandmother. So, you know, those colors I, you know, I got to really parallel into the show, but um, yeah, you know, it's a story. you know that I can kind of connect with. You know, I was, you know, my grandparents are both gone now, but yeah my my yeah, my grandfather died. And then my grandmother died a couple of years ago. And yeah, I don't know. I think it's just it's it's that that storyline isolated is very very relatable. You know, it's very Aussie and relatable and sad and beautiful at the same time. Um and yeah it's I don't know I just I I had a it was great. It was realistic. And you know it all those scenes were very easy to act in because they just felt real. It was really easy to be in the scene with those guys. Yeah like I said I I think it was all really natural from the entire cast but I mean uh Emily Burton's also in it the great Emily Burton fellow Queenslander I noticed her too so great great cast in the foreground and the background I think great show great production yeah the supporting actors were fantastic and it's you know all local not all local Brizzy guys but a lot of local Brizzy talent you know popping up throughout the show and uh you know the guy who played my uncle Ian John uh he was fantastic and just this yeah just this this this wonderful you know kind soft patriarchal energy that you know was kind of littered throughout episodes but you know it was this it was kind of that on set you know this this you know an old Shakespeare buff you know theater actor been just for 50 years you know just just learnt so much from him um and the extras as well were fantastic which you don't always have you sometimes you get some quirk quirky quirky you know weird extras but the ones on this show was just amazing so supportive and and professional uh and Brent Brent outside of like movies and performing what do you do like uh are you did you keep up your cricket skills after save your legs or do you do other sports? You know I watched that with my kids the other day and they were like dad I didn't know you were so good at cricket. I was like I I don't I wasn't I don't think I was very good I looked good I looked good um I you know I honestly I'm busy just on my farm we're trying to we're starting a regenerative farm um or some researching different ways on how to you know adapt uh adopt new kind of yeah new regenerative farming practices um yeah we're just talking to different kind of friends around talking to um yeah different people around here you know because I I don't know that's just our dream me and my partner had this dream of starting a farm and now I realize how much work is is involved and how many things break and how basically I'm a mechanic and a plumber now. That's what I do is it harder being a farmer or an actor oh it's it's a farmer that's a good question. Um it's it's harder being a farmer farming is hard it's great it's a great challenge out there with my hands in the dirt I love it but um it's it's you're you're on your own which I'm not used to I'm used to a set people around you know what I mean like it's uh yeah but it's it's great it's a good it's a good balance they're both very uh you know they work well together yin and yang good to hear good to hear and you've got to mix it up exactly yes I think exactly you gotta mix it up and to wrap it up uh you know uh cheese later's a romance as we spoke about uh besides the blue lagoon the awakening what's your favorite romantic movie blue lagoon was fantastic thank you very much for saying that uh I bring up I I know your whole repertoire I don't want to go one by one but I've seen them all I've seen you work over the years oh that's funny I mean I just I love romance I think of that scene in Romeo and Juliet when Leo's looking through the glass you know the fish tank at Claire Danes and they're just looking at each other you know and but you can feel all the chem you feel all that butterflies and you feel the bubbles and you feel gooey inside I just think that that you know for everyone like men women like everyone can see that and feel that and what a wonderful thing that is and it's like lightning in a bottle sometimes you don't have chemistry on screen with your partner and you know we've seen those movies that don't have that um and so to do one that does have it I think it's like it's it's the greatest thing about cinema in my opinion is two people that have real chemistry and and how that kind of transcends to the screen so Baslerman's Williams Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet's your pick you know what I actually really loved Solo Mio uh which was a kind of a rom com that came out this year. Yeah it's new I yeah I watched it and I just thought is it James um Kevin James Kevin James was fantastic okay brilliant Italian actress uh Nicola I blank it on her last name sorry Nicola but she is just they they just works they have real chemistry you know and it just is amazing to watch and it you know it it kind of is just this I guess run of the mill you know guy goes to Rome to meet but it but the chemistry in the frame with these two people is just off the Richter.

SPEAKER_05 27:43

Go check it out and solo Mio check it out I I've seen almost everything so you've just named one I haven't seen so I will be checking that out I loved it I loved it well that's it thank you very much uh in your own words why should people watch two years later I mean it's a romance it's got you and Phoebe talking about chemistry is fantastic you've got great support cast but in your own words why should people tune into Paramount Plus for for the show two years later is a love story it's a modern romance about these two people trying to you know put their you know trying to work through the challenges of starting a successful relationship and I think we can all relate to that and it's awkward and funny to see and watch and um yeah I I I hope you have a good time checking it out.

SPEAKER_04 28:31

And you may cry I I know I did at one point so yeah. Yeah hopefully you see bits of yourself and I mean I think Aussies will really connect with it they'll see bits of themselves in in the show somewhere but uh yeah it's got its ups and downs there he is Mr.

SPEAKER_05 28:54

Brenton Thwaites hope you enjoyed that conversation uh two years later on Paramount Plus and we did discuss his Blue Lagoon movie which was uh pretty much the third Blue Lagoon movie and the one everyone forgets most people remember Return to the Blue Lagoon that long after sequel of the original The Blue Lagoon uh but no one remembers very much. Not much in detail anyway Blue Lagoon The Awakening from 2012 with Brenton that we're there was a blue lagoon in the late 40s as well so it's all happening with a blue lagoon. At movie underscore analyst is my uh social media handle you'll find me right here on YouTube and also you'll be listening to Cine critique hopefully all my back episodes lots of interviews and reviews until next time my name is Shane A Bassett I'll see you at the movies I heard he got kicked out of the last school he was in all the kind of strings I had to pull get you back on this trip.

SPEAKER_02 30:08

Be safe you girls love you high school teens lost off the coast of the believed that the students have been lost at the coast will undoubtedly be difficult for the families and students back home teams will not find a family there's no one out there I'm never gonna see my family again am I making up the video time I'm trying to save us what are you doing I go for a swimming weird you know that right who asked it we're gonna be okay I used to watch it I watched it do you ever think about what everybody else has done where everybody else comes in