12 SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015 HERALDSUN.COM.AU Not just the usual suspects — here’s a legendary line-up Andrew McFarlane Aaron Jeffery Vince Colosimo AILORS, preschoolers, ROWING up in New INCE Colosimo’s fate was grannies and German Zealand Aaron Jeffery sealed in the school Sbackpackers — Andrew Gused to race home from Vplayground in the late McFarlane boasts a motley crew school hoping to catch a glimpse 1970s. The actor wasn’t much of fans after 40-odd years on TV. of the final moments of Prisoner older than 12 when he was spotted Although initially cast as the before Play School began. by a director with an ambitious boy next door, McFarlane’s Little did he realise he would plan to make a film about a young concerted effort to play a variety one day find himself going toe to Italian-Australian adolescent in of roles on the small screen has toe with The Freak in Melbourne. enamoured him to people from Wentworth, a critically Its title was Moving Out but it many walks of life. acclaimed reimagining of the took some years before the “It can be a generational cult series from the 1980s. would-be moviemaker raised thing,” he says. “The under 60s, insisted on reading a scene Playing an embittered prison enabled me to move beyond just the finance and young Colosimo the role of Joe when his mate Eric their mums and grandparents intended for two players, without guard has been a dream job for playing the love interest and was finally cast in the lead role. Bana abandoned the ABC drama know me from Play School, realising it lost some of its impact. Jeffery, 45, who is relishing really try some more challenging From then on Colosimo to head for Hollywood on the which I have been doing for 16 Nevertheless the school was being part of a series that doesn’t characters.” never really considered any back of his success in Chopper, the years. Anyone in the armed impressed enough to sign him up. portray him as a sex symbol. Fame, and in particular the other career path. When he film they starred in together. forces seems to like Patrol Boat. Mountains of experience later In his early days on the small notion he was a sex symbol, never finished school he auditioned for “I’ve never laughed so much in “The Germans and Dutch you would be hard pressed to find screen, Jeffery set pulses racing sat comfortably with Jeffery. So the Victorian College of the Arts my life,” Colosimo recalls about love Flying Doctors because it a more accomplished performer first as a muscled fireman on after leaving Water Rats in 1998, and became one of the youngest working with Bana in Chopper. really made an impact there and in Australia than McFarlane. Fire, a roguish diver on Water he walked away from his career to pupils in its history. “I’d get home at night and my then, of course, there’s The He jokes that while his Rats and then a brooding farmer work as a farmhand. Having begun his career as a cheeks would be hurting from all Sullivans. “I guess you are going decision to drop university ended on McLeod’s Daughters. “It was horrible,” he says of his lead actor in a movie, Colosimo the laughing. That film is still one to find that (people know you for any ambition to be a lawyer, his He credits his AACTA early fame. “I have been through made his mark on the small that people talk about.” different roles) after four acting has enabled him to play a award-winning turn in some really nasty things and it got screen later with parts in After Something in the Air, decades on TV.” legal eagle in several productions. Underbelly: Badness for quite upsetting (to read about his critically acclaimed series such Colosimo then cemented his place McFarlane was studying arts/ “One of the great joys of being providing him with the chance personal life in magazines). as Halifax f.p, A Country Practice as a sex symbol with his role as law at university when he an actor is you get to try all sorts to break free from his pin-up “But you do develop a pretty and Good Guys, Bad Guys. Claudia Karvan’s love interest on auditioned at NIDA. He smiles of different professions and then years. thick skin. And I think most He then landed the roles on The Secret Life of Us. as he recalls his audition for the walk away and do something “It was brilliant, I got to put people are intelligent enough to the big and small screens that Now 48, Colosimo says one of prestigious drama school, where else,” he says. on 25kg, get a T-shirt tan, some realise that not everything they really made people sit up and the greatest sources of pride for he performed some Shakespeare Now, at 64, he has an agent in tatts and dirty up my teeth,” he read about actors is true.” take notice — Chopper’s Neville him about his career so far has with “a lot of swashbuckling Los Angeles and is open to the recalls. Now older and wiser, Jeffery is Bartos, Lantana’s Nik, and Joe in been the roles he has chosen. flourish”. idea he may have a career beyond “In some ways getting older no longer magazine fodder. And Something in the Air. “I think I have chosen pretty Then, for his monologue, he Australia. has been a relief because it has he couldn’t be happier. Funnily enough he landed well. I have no regrets.” - V1 HERALDSUN.COM.AU SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015 13 Not just the usual suspects — here’s a legendary line-up John Wood (Rafferty’s Rules, Vince Colosimo Michael Caton John Wood Blue Heelers); Aaron Jeffery (Water Rats, HERE was one phrase ROM Russell Crowe to McLeod’s Daughters, Michael Caton dreaded David Wenham, almost Wentworth); Vince Twhen reading his scripts for Fevery working actor in Colosimo The Sullivans: “Uncle Harry Australia has probably been (Something in the finishes his beer.” locked up by John Wood at some Air, The Secret Life In the good ol’ days of TV, stage in their career. of Us, Underbelly); Caton and his co-stars didn’t swig As a judge on Rafferty’s Rules John Howard make-believe cups of tea or jugs and a sergeant on Blue Heelers, (Always Greener, All of ale for a scene. They had to Wood spent almost two decades Saints); Peter Phelps drink the real stuff. pursuing fictional crims on the (Sons & Daughters, And when they made toast small screen. GP, Stingers); Lachy they used a real toaster with real Wood thanks Heelers for Hulme (The the role of Joe when his mate Eric bread. The only problem was that life. His role as Darryl Kerrigan in some of his happiest days in the initially less than impressed with Hollowmen, Bana abandoned the ABC drama on the set of The Sullivans the The Castle, which Caton credits industry — 13 years of work his chosen career as an actor but Beaconsfield, to head for Hollywood on the toaster in question would give with reinvigorating his career, has topped by a Gold Logie in 2006. later embraced his son’s decision Howzat! Kerry back of his success in Chopper, the the actors electric shocks. become a cult classic. And he also credits the show with after Wood found success on Packer’s War); film they starred in together. Actor Lorraine Bayly, Caton He’s often confronted by fans providing a great training ground stage and the small screen. Michael Caton (The “I’ve never laughed so much in recalls, was shocked so badly in the street shouting lines from for many up-and-coming actors. “Thankfully he lived long Sullivans, Packed to my life,” Colosimo recalls about making toast for her screen the movie such as: “Tell him he’s “When we started Heelers I enough to see my success in the Rafters); Erik working with Bana in Chopper. family that she had to go home. dreamin’.” probably had the biggest profile Rafferty’s Rules,” he explains. Thomson (All Saints, “I’d get home at night and my Asked if he lived in fear of the After The Castle Caton joined on TV but within a few years the While Rafferty’s Rules won Packed to the cheeks would be hurting from all temperamental toaster, Caton Packed to the Rafters, a show rest of the cast had become far him his first Logie awards, it was Rafters); Ian Smith the laughing. That film is still one admits there was always a far where the cast became almost more famous than me. And Heelers that really made him a (Bellbird, that people talk about.” worse proposition. like a real family behind the probably considerably better household name. Prisoner, After Something in the Air, “I hated seeing the words, scenes. Working on the series was actors too when you consider we After Heelers wound up, Neighbours); Colosimo then cemented his place ‘Harry finishes his beer,’ when I so enjoyable Caton, 71, admits had the likes of Tasma Walton, Wood appeared in Offspring, Andrew McFarlane as a sex symbol with his role as had an 8am call,” he says. “By feeling some “withdrawal”. Lisa McCune, Martin Sacks, Neighbours and most recently (The Sullivans, Play Claudia Karvan’s love interest on 11am, after doing several takes, I He recently finished a film William McInnes, Grant Bowler The Dr Blake Mysteries.