Interviews
Interview: Charlotte George and Miriam Glaser on their dark comedy short series Buried; “It’s challenging that idea of “the perfect mother” and really flipping it on its head.”
A five-part short form black comedy series presented by Screen Australia, Buried is a mum-noir comedy thriller created and written by Miriam Glaser & Charlotte George, directed by George, produced by Fran Derham and starring Glaser as Abi, a single mum who accidentally kills a stranger on her morning school run. With this violent incident,…
Interview: Celia Pacquola on the return of Thank God You’re Here; “Everyone accepts that what they are about to do is brave and silly and very scary, and none of us want to do it.”
After a 14 year hiatus, Australian improv series Thank God You’re Here was rejuvenated in 2023 for a whole new generation to bask in the unpredictable comedy stylings of some of Australia’s (and the world’s) most loved comedians. Hosted by national treasure Celia Pacquola, the series is back in 2024 for a brand new round…
Interview: Jennifer Lopez and director Dave Meyers on the superstar’s passion project This Is Me…Now: A Love Story
This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is like nothing you’ve ever seen from Jennifer Lopez. Alongside director Dave Meyers, Jennifer has created a narrative-driven cinematic odyssey, steeped in mythological storytelling and personal healing. Dropping in tandem with her first studio album in a decade, this genre-bending Amazon original showcases her journey to love through her own…
Interview: Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton and the cast of the Netflix adaptation at the Brisbane red carpet premiere
A lost father, a mute brother, a recovering addict mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather, and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. Eli Bell is just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to become a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way. Based on Brisbane author Trent…
Interview: Ben Miller on the new series of famed crime drama Professor T.
Quickly rising to fame as one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller in the late 90s alongside fellow English talent Alexander Armstrong, Ben Miller has amassed a plethora of famed and acclaimed credits, including the Johnny English films, Paddington 2, and as Lord Featherington in Bridgerton. Currently on our screens in Professor T….
Interview: Alex Bain on what she’s learned as the Prime Video Buff, streaming recommendations, and her goals moving forward
The last time Peter Gray spoke with Alex Bain, the Queensland-born film fan had secured the job of her (and, let’s face it, mostly everyone else’s) dreams; that of the Prime Video Buff. Working under the Prime Video Australia banner, Bain was the voice of recommendation and reason as she took over their social media…
Interview: The cast and creators of Stan’s thrilling new Australian crime series Black Snow
The biggest challenge with cold cases is finding out who people were back then. Who killed Isabel Baker? Such is the logline for Stan Australia’s thrilling new limited series, Black Snow. In 1994, seventeen-year-old Isabel Baker was murdered. The crime shocked the small town of Ashford and devastated Isabel’s Australian South Sea Islander community. The…
Interview: Alex Bain on becoming the Prime Video Buff; “I can’t be authentic about something if I don’t love something.”
Following a nation-wide search, Prime Video Australia have secured their “Buff”. Queensland-born Alex Bain has secured the illustrious Prime Video couch for the next three months, where she will be the streaming service’s voice of recommendations and reason – all the while being paid $40,000. As she settles into her first month of catalogue shuffling,…
Interview: Hushidar Kharas, head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand, on searching for “the Prime Video Buff”
Australians are obsessed with content, with new research from Prime Video Australia revealing the average Australian has watched 67 movies and TV series this year alone. With tens of thousands of titles to choose from on Prime Video, choosing what to watch can be hard. And let’s be honest, sometimes you just want to leave…
Interview: Casting director Jill Anthony Thomas on assembling Apple TV+ series Loot; “My favourite thing is finding and fostering new talent”
As casting director Jill Anthony Thomas states herself, those involved in the casting process are “the unsung heroes of the industry”. Actors aren’t always handed a role. And two performers on paper doesn’t equate to them working well in person. So, thank the movie and television Gods that we have people like Jill to steer…
Interview: Queer For Fear producer Bryan Fuller on uncovering the history of queer subtext within the horror genre
From its literary origins with queer authors Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde to the pansy craze of the 1920s that influenced Universal Monsters and Hitchcock; from the “lavender scare” alien invasion films of the mid-20th century to the AIDS obsessed bloodletting of 80s vampire films; through genre-bending horrors from a new generation of queer creators; Queer for Fear re-examines genre stories through a queer lens, seeing them not as violent, murderous…
Interview: Zahn McClarnon on the importance of Native representation in his new series Dark Winds
Executive produced by George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford, Dark Winds is set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, and follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) of the Tribal Police as he is besieged by a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. The closer Leaphorn digs to the truth, the more he…
Interview: The cast of The Boys on the “messed up” third season at Prime Video’s exclusive fan screening
The Boys hasn’t had to do much to announce itself as the dirty, profane, narcissistic, misogynistic, black sheep of the comic book world…but it doesn’t mean it won’t keep on trying. Following its three-episode premiere on Prime Video on June 3rd, cast members Jack Quaid (Hughie), Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), Chace Crawford (The Deep), Karen…
Interview: 61st Street star Tosin Cole on finding the truth in his character and the show’s topical relevance
Streaming on AMC+, 61st Street is a propulsive thriller coursing through the dark heart of the infamous Chicago criminal justice system as police and prosecutors investigate a deadly drug bust that threatens to unravel the police department’s code of silence. To coincide with the show streaming, Peter Gray spoke with star Tosin Cole, discussing the…
Interview: Dominic Cooper on playing a villain in That Dirty Black Bag and injecting his own essence into a vile character
Streaming on AMC+, That Dirty Black Bag is a raw, epic and romantic eight-part series about the dark side of the Far West. Starring Douglas Booth as bounty hunter Red Bill and Dominic Cooper as the savage Sheriff McCoy, the series follows their eight-day clash as blood, bullets and bodies fly in the wake of…
Interview: Comedienne Emma Zammit on Waltzing Jimeoin; “He was the reason I wanted to do stand-up”
After 30 years of doing comedy all around Australia, famed comedian Jimeoin is finally embarking on a tour on his own terms. With his new program Waltzing Jimeoin (screening now on the Ten network), the loveable larrikin is surrounding himself with some of the industry’s funniest performers and performing stand-up wherever the roads of Australia…
Interview: Rosehaven‘s Celia Pacquola on the final season and embracing being a “nice” comedian
It’s never easy to say goodbye, and Australian comedians Celia Pacquola and Luke McGregor are making sure the sentiment is felt even more so as they debut the final season of Rosehaven. The number one comedy show across all ABC for 2020, the fifth and final season of Rosehaven premiered last night on the ABC…
Interview: Natalie Holt on composing Loki and pushing the Marvel sound in a new direction
As fans across the globe gear up for the anticipated final episode of Loki this week, Disney put our own Peter Gray in touch with the show’s lauded composer, Natalie Holt. After expressing his appreciation for her contribution to the Paddington score, Peter and Natalie discussed the audition process in securing her role, if any…
Interview: RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under winner Kita Mean on snatching the crown and learning about herself
You’re a winner, baby! The anticipated first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under has sashayed away but not before crowning its rightful winner – New Zealand drag queen, Kita Mean. Along with the crown, Kita Mean secured herself a one year’s supply of Revolutions Beauty Cosmetics and a cash prize of $30,000. Having victoriously…
Interview: Melanie Bracewell on Season 3 of Wellington Paranormal and how no idea is ever too crazy to pitch
As season 3 of Wellington Paranormal arrives on screens (February 24th at 8:30pm on SBS VICELAND), we chatted with writer and producer (and all around funny girl) Melanie Bracewell to discuss the process of pitching outlines for such a show and how no idea is ever too crazy. The episodes I caught were hilarious, I…
Interview: Irish actor Michael Smiley on his macabre new role in Acorn TV’s Dead Still
After an enormously successful launch in the United States and Canada, Acorn TV has arrived in Australia and New Zealand. A predominantly British-centric service that showcases the best drama the UK has to offer, one of the instantly accessible series on the “Netflix for Anglophiles” is Dead Still. Set in 1880’s Ireland, the comedically macabre…
Interview: Michael Eklund on complex characters, Wynonna Earp, Dirk Gently, and his first Oz Comic Con
There are actors who make their career out of being “that guy”, able to drop in and out of inhabiting a character and then moving on to the next. Sometimes they’ll snag a role that will last a few seasons and they’ll get to leave a longer lasting impression. Michael Eklund is one of those…
Interview: NOS4A2 stars Ashleigh Cummings and Zachary Quinto on why good horror wins you over with compassion
The new AMC supernatural horror series NO4SA2, based on the novel of the same name by Joe Hill (fun fact: he’s Stephen King’s son!), is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Starring Australia’s Ashleigh Cummings and Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek), the show is about “Vic McQueen (Cummings), a gifted young woman who discovers she…
Interview: Tricia Helfer on Battlestar Galactica‘s legacy, voiceover work, and pretend running and driving.
Canadian actress, Tricia Helfer is best known for her roles as Number Six in Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series and Charlotte Richards/Mom in the newly-renewed series, Lucifer. She can also currently be seen playing Dracula in Syfy’s Van Helsing. I spoke to the former model-turned-actress while she was in Melbourne for Australia’s Ultimate Pop…
Interview: Osric Chau on conventions, cosplay and individualism
Canadian actor and filmmaker, Osric Chau is best known for his roles as Kevin Tran in Supernatural and Vogel in Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, as well as starring in The Walking Dead, Sherlock and 2012. Also, a seasoned con-goer and cosplayer, he returns to our shores this weekend for Melbourne’s Oz Comic Con.
Kim Dickens and the crew behind The Highwaymen talk about the 15 years it took to bring this story to our screens
We hit the red carpet earlier this month to meet the cast and crew behind the brand new Netflix original film The Highwaymen. Some 15 years in the making, the film’s writer John Fusco, actress Kim Dickens (Fear The Walking Dead), Producer Casey Silver and Director John Lee Hancock, reflect on the journey to bring the film to our…
Watch Grammy winner Brandi Carlile and Handmaid’s Tale‘s Elisabeth Moss fan over each other at SXSW
Watching Grammy winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile interview Emmy Award-winning actress Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) earlier this month at SXSW was like watching two fans gush over each other in front of a packed auditorium. These are two artists who have immense respect and adoration for each other, and they came together on this stage after…
SXSW Interview: Kevin Costner talks about playing Texas Ranger Frank Hamer in Netflix’s The Highwaymen
We caught up with legendary actor Kevin Costner at SXSW last week to chat about his role in the new Netflix film The Highwaymen, in which he plays Texas Ranger Frank Haymer as he chases down Bonnie & Clyde alongside Woody Harrelson. The Highwaymen streams worldwide on Netflix from 29th March 2019.
Supanova Interview: Ryan Potter talks DCU Titans and making his Australian convention debut
You’re probably more likely to recognise Ryan Potter’s voice first before recollecting the young actor for his film and television credits. Potter voiced the character of Hiro Hamada in Big Hero 6, both the film and the television series, as well as in a variety of Disney Infinity War games. But soon that’s all about…
Interview: Nathaniel Buzolic on The Originals, cosplay, channelling Tom Hardy and Oz Comic Con
When Oz Comic Con rolls in to Sydney, a wide variety of film and television stars get the chance to visit Australia as part of the convention line-up. More often than not they’re international stars, but funnily enough for the Brisbane and Sydney Oz Comic Con dates this September, Australian actor Nathaniel Buzolic got to…