Ozzie Devrish: At the time I was very young and confident, and really passionate about the game ... I had scouts following my every move and putting together offers so I always assumed I was going to have a great career in AFL and never considered anything else. Naturally, when the injury put a halt to everything I was heart-broken, but things happen for a reason and now I have a career that I love every bit as much as I loved AFL. I never look back on what could have been – I prefer to look forward to what could be.
TFM: How did your first acting job come about?
OD: I was working in security at the time and was approached to join an agency. The first role the agency gave me turned out to be the type of role new actors dream of! I was initially just an extra for the FF Chameleon 3 Dark Angel. Whilst on set they liked my look and I was upgraded from a crowd of 60 to a select crowd of 25 for close up's - then the Director spotted me in that crowd and upgraded me to IBI Smuggler. I didn’t even realise what that meant initially! It was only later that I learned I had gone from part of a crowd to a 1 ½ day shooting scene with the main cast, a gunshot wound, interrogations, and the camera right in my face. From that point on I was hooked!
TFM: On screen you play a hard arse, a tough guy and usually a bad guy. Do you think the bad guys in movies are the most fun to play?
OD: Definitely! Even the A list actors of Hollywood love the chance to play a bad guy - John Travolta in "From Paris with Love" and Cate Blanchett in “Robin Hood” have both said recently how much they enjoy stepping outside the bounds and getting to play tough roles. Shooting guns, car chases, action scenes, fighting with all types of weapons and getting to do some great stunts ... and get paid for it? It’s every guy’s dream! I thrive on it!
TFM: The Condemned is one of my guilty pleasures, you had a small un-credited part in the film, what was your typical day like on the set?
OD: It was a great experience, and it didn’t seem like work- my typical day was getting to play a great role and getting to talk to amazing people! There were some hard core guys there, especially the guys from WWE, but they were really helpful and were more than happy to pass on their experience and knowledge. Nathan Jones was great to work with – my scene was filmed in Boggo Road prison and he was telling me how ironic it was for him to be in a fighting scene in the same prison yard where he used to fight for survival during his time. He never thought he’d be back there getting paid to fight!
TFM: How did you find your recurring role on the television show ‘The Strip’ to day to day life on a film set?
OD: In terms of professionalism and respect shown, television was pretty much the same as any big production. TV works much faster because time is such a crucial factor. There isn’t much time to stand around. In film more time is spent on props, lighting and different angles so there is more time waiting for the set up to be right, locations can vary significantly from one shot to the next so there can be a lot of travel involved and of course everything is so much bigger. For example I was a featured pirate in PJ Hogan’s Peter Pan. The ship there took the up the entire studio at Warner Brothers and had intricate details that TV shows just don’t have time to consider - even bolt heads on the ship had a printed stamp logo on them!
TFM: How do you approach a characters personality even if you have very little dialogue?
OD: A character is much more than the words he or she speaks and dialogue is only a part of the whole picture. If the eyes and the body language don’t tell the right story the character will look wooden and unbelievable. You have to stay in the role and believe in it – I have seen actors for example who are looking around the minute they think the camera isn’t on them – it really diminishes the quality of the scene, and the quality of their acting when they step back into the scene. When I get a script I dissect my character so I know everything about him – what he is thinking, feeling, how he reacts, why he reacts, and then I am that man from the moment filming starts until the moment the Director makes it a wrap.
TFM: What’s your current opinion of how the Australian film industry is performing, I know of quite a few friends that haven’t worked in months, if not years.
OD: The film industry is very much neglected by the Australian Government. There are no real incentives for overseas film-makers to film here, despite the fact that it brings huge dollars into all sectors of the economy. Even a series like The Strip created 6 million in revenue and significantly boosted income for local businesses. The only thing holding the Australian Film Industry together at all is the small group of independent film-makers who will take the risk and go ahead in spite of the lack of support, rather than because of it. Ironically, Australian Film Distributors also neglect the market so when there is a great independent film made it inevitable ends up being sold overseas first and we are the last to see it. It really needs a shake-up.
TFM: ‘The Dark Lurking’ looks amazing, how many days were you shooting that for?
OD: The Dark Lurking had a small budget, so had to be filmed in blocks of 2 or 3 weeks over a 2 year time frame. The total filming time would have been around 10 days.
TFM: Can you run us through a typical day on the sets of ‘The Dark Lurking’?
OD: Everyone had to be ready for costume and make-up by around 6am each morning. Fortunately I was the only character that didn't have blood on me, so make-up wasn’t as time consuming as it was for some of the other actors so I’d spend the time getting a feel for the set and for whatever scenes were scheduled for shooting that day. After that was the Director’s briefing, a cold read of the day’s scenes with the actors, and then reading my script and getting into character whilst waiting for my call. Once make-up was done and everyone was comfortable with the upcoming scene then the fun began, crawling through tunnels, and battling creatures! By the time we got out of costume again it was usually a 10 to 12 hour day.
TFM: Currently in post-production is the new Chronicles of Narnia film, how did you feel the first time you walked on set?
OD: The Narnia set just took my breath away. It was very much the same ‘alternate world’ feeling as Peter Pan - if you were blind folded and put in the middle of the set you would feel like you were in a different place at a different time. Everything was so professional and so realistic – truckloads of dirt were brought in to give it the medieval feel and even the tiniest details were thought of. I can’t say much more about it at this point without breaking confidentiality, but it is going to be a really impressive movie. If you ever want to be on a natural high, a set like Narnia & other big productions is the place to be.
TFM: Maybe its unfair to compare, but what was your experience on the Narnia set like compared with something like The Dark Lurking?
OD: Obviously Narnia had a much bigger budget than The Dark Lurking, so they could have a level of efficiency that is just not possible on a small independent production. Narnia had approx 800 people involved, from all nations, and everything was expected to be the highest level of professionalism – set, make-up, costumes, lighting, continuity...nothing was overlooked. There was a buzz in the air at all times and I loved every minute of it. The Dark Lurking had around 20 - 30 people involved, many doing more than one job, and just couldn’t afford to bring in people with the same level of expertise. I guess it can best be compared to dinner with the family versus dinner at Versace’s – you wouldn’t miss dinner with the family for the world, but occasionally you are going to have to cover the hole in the top of the cake with extra icing - you know dinner at Versace’s is going to be perfect and the ultimate culinary experience. Both have a place.
TFM: Can you let us in on what is next for you?
OD: I have just finished the feature film "Loyalty" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCEnY8roHa8 and have a cameo in “Just Like U” which is currently filming. There is also a film in Canada under discussion, and another in the United States that is taking longer than first envisioned to get going, but I will be able to announce details once contracts are signed (both have US A list actors, so I am very excited about those) so things are happening, albeit slowly.
TFM: What would be your best tip for someone wanting to get a foot in the door for acting?
OD: Persistence & belief are the key words ! Get a good acting coach – I was very fortunate to start my acting career under the guidance of the legendary John Dommett, who was a great inspiration and a brilliant teacher. A good acting coach will not only teach you how to act, but will also teach you the other skills it takes to make it to the top – John not only taught me a tonne of invaluable acting skills but he also taught me the other skills necessary to be successful, like networking, finding a good agent but also seeking your own work, and how to set small achievable goals that get you from where you are to where you want to be.
OD: My pleasure thank you
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