Underbelly Badness

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

A SCREENTIME production for the NINE NETWORK

Des Monaghan, Greg Haddrick Jo Rooney & Andy Ryan EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Peter Gawler & Elisa Argenzio PRODUCERS

Peter Gawler, Felicity Packard, Jeff Truman & Niki Aken SERIES WRITERS

Tony Tilse, David Caesar & Ian Watson SERIES DIRECTORS

MEDIA ENQUIRIES Amanda Poulos: NINE NETWORK T: 02 9965 2489 / M: 0414 503 418 / E: [email protected]

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

PLEASE NOTE: By order of the Court the identity of some individuals and the circumstances surrounding certain events have been obscured.

Table of Contents

Synopsis Page 3 and 4

The Crook Page 5

The Cop Page 6

Production Information Pages 7 to 8

Production Interviews Pages 9 to 18

Select Cast Interviews Pages 19 to 37

Key Crew Biographies Pages 38 to 46

Principal & Select Supporting Cast List Page 47

Select Cast Biographies Pages 48 to 58

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

One of the most dangerous crooks in Australia would never have been caught if it wasn’t for a cop who wouldn’t quit. From the western suburbs to the bush, from three-hatted restaurants to the strip clubs of Surfers Paradise, riding Harleys, helicopters and muscle cars, their battle raged for a decade.

SYNOPSIS

ANTHONY JOHN MICHAEL PERISH lived according to his own rules. He was both charismatic and utterly ruthless. He had bikies terrified, women entranced, family beholden.

Yet, while crims, crooks and ex-cons spoke Perish’s name with fear, no-one in the legitimate world knew he even existed. He was so clever that despite his five star lifestyle and criminal reputation, he slipped completely under the radar. He left no trace. He had no identity. He was invisible. A ghost.

Anthony Perish only made one mistake in his criminal career - and it was just his bad luck a remarkable cop called GARY JUBELIN was watching…

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

ONE LINE SYNOPSES

Episode 1 Thy Will Be Done When a prisoner is abducted and murdered while on day-release, police embark on a massive man-hunt to find the killers. The 10-year investigation leads them to a ruthless underworld boss who is totally invisible to the police and the legitimate world.

Episode 2 Cut Snake & Crazy F*** Taskforce Tuno cultivates a dangerous and unpredictable informant in their hunt for Terry Falconer's killers.

Episode 3 The Loaded Dog The police get their first major break on locating Anthony Perish, after Frank agrees to go undercover. Perish arranges a chilling summit meeting with a bikie boss. One of Perish’s henchmen gets a lesson in obedience. Gary Jubelin’s obsession with catching Perish starts to affect his private life.

Episode 4 Year of The Rooster When Strikeforce Tuno is disbanded, Gary devises a new strategy solve the Falconer murder. The police finally track down Anthony Perish and arrest him, but Rooster proves more elusive than ever. Pam is stretched to breaking point in her relationship with Gary.

Episode 5 Troubleshooting A car dealer’s life becomes a nightmare when he befriends a charming new customer, Anthony Perish. Decker goes to extreme lengths to prove his loyalty to The Company. Camille comes face-to-face with Perish while undercover at the Mudgee vineyards.

Episode 6 Road To Nowhere Gary and Tim travel to Queensland in an attempt to stop an underworld execution. ‘Undies’ goes into business for himself, with disastrous consequences. Newlywed Decker is drawn back into working for Anthony Perish. Gary’s new girlfriend gets a surprise introduction to life with a busy detective.

Episode 7 Bang, Bang, Kill, Kill Unaware he is under police surveillance - Decker juggles two different hitman contracts with the impending birth of his baby. Police get a crucial breakthrough in the hunt for Anthony Perish when they catch the killer of a Melbourne underworld figure. Determined to capture Perish, police analyst Camille hides a major health problem from her colleagues.

Episode 8 Strike Force Tuno Nine years after the death of Terry Falconer, the case against the Perish brothers appears doomed when Decker refuses to co-operate. Frank O’Rourke risks his life to testify against Anthony Perish. Gary and his team are even more determined to get justice when they learn Camille is suffering from a terminal illness.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

THE CROOK

Early 1990s. A young bloke from the outer western suburbs of Sydney gets bitten by the private enterprise bug, cooking amphetamines in the family shed and selling to bikies and low level dealers. One of the dealers, however, turns out to be an undercover cop working with the local detectives. Police set up a sting to trap the young man but his fine-tuned instincts for trouble kick in at the last moment and he manages to make a fast getaway on his chopped down Harley.

And that’s the last the cops see of him. One brush with the law is enough. He goes underground, ceasing to exist as a normal citizen. He doesn’t vote, doesn’t pay tax, doesn’t pay a parking fine, never owns a single thing in his own name ever again.

Nine years later. ANTHONY JOHN MICHAEL PERISH has earned himself a reputation as an utterly fearless enemy. And yet the NSW police of 2001 (post Wood Royal Commission) have never even heard of him. Perish is truly master of his universe.

Except for one thing. Some years earlier his grandparents, honest, hard-working migrants from Yugoslavia, were murdered and no one has ever been charged. Their deaths are a permanent burr under his saddle. More than that, they’re a cancer eating at him.

And then one day a snitch passes on a tidbit of information that changes Anthony Perish’s life. He learns a low-life crim called TERRY FALCONER has been named as the hot suspect in the murders and is about to be questioned over the matter by the state coroner.

Perish directs three of his men to dress up as cops and “arrest” Terry Falconer so he can ask him a few questions of his own about his grandparents’ killings. Sadly Falconer doesn’t survive the interrogation. Perish cuts up his body and disposes of the pieces in garbage bags in a river. But he forgets to puncture those bags and a few days later Terry Falconer’s dismembered corpse floats to the surface in instalments …

It’s the first mistake Anthony Perish has made in a decade. It will eventually bring him undone. But not before he’s spent another decade inflicting his own particular type of BADNESS on the world.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

THE COP

DETECTIVE SERGEANT GARY JUBELIN of Homicide feels personally offended when he hears about the Terry Falconer murder. That the poor bastard was abducted by men masquerading as cops really gets his blood boiling. He’s delighted when he’s made Officer in Charge of the investigation, and then the computer spits out a name for his new team – “Strikeforce Tuno”. “Tuno”? “Tuna”? Whatever – you can’t argue with a computer. Though, truth be told, Gary argues with just about everybody…

Gary Jubelin is no ordinary copper. On the one hand, he’s a practising Buddhist who drinks green tea instead of coffee, who meditates regularly, and who stands on his head for fifteen minutes at a time to relieve stress (in his office!); while on the other, he’s a tightly coiled spring of passion and energy who runs marathons for the sheer pleasure of putting himself through the agony, who drives his team and himself relentlessly, who never backs down in a fight, who never gives up on a promise. Nicknamed “Crazy Fuck”, Gary has always been a square peg in a round hole, adored by his juniors, respected by his equals, loathed by his bosses. But one thing everyone agrees on, Gary Jubelin is like a dog with a bone when it comes to difficult cases, and the Falconer murder will prove to be just that and more.

When Anthony Perish’s name comes up as the prime suspect, Gary is nonplussed. How can this Perish bloke have flown under the radar for so many years? Who is he? Where is he? Why are so many tough men so fearful of him? And most importantly, how does Tuno catch him?

The hunt for Anthony Perish occupies the best part of ten years of Gary’s life. It’s a different sort of marathon. A normal policeman would give up. But no-one ever accused Gary Jubelin of being normal.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Title Underbelly: BADNESS Format 8 X 1 Hour Drama Series

Production Company Screentime Pty Ltd

Broadcaster Nine Network Australia

Worldwide Distribution Digital Rights Group Limited 62 - 65 Chandos Place London WC2N 4HG United Kingdom

(excluding Australia &New Zealand)

Principal Cast (in alphabetical order) Hollie Andrew Luke Bovino Joshua Brennan Angie Diaz Michael Dorman Jodi Gordon Michael Gorman Douglas Hansell Aaron Jeffery Sophie Katinis Jody Kennedy Goran D. Kleut P.J. Lane Jonathan LaPaglia J.R. Laveta Ella Scott Lynch Zara Michales James Monarski Jason Montgomery Matt Nable Luke Pegler Geordie Robinson Terry Serio Justin Smith Josh Quong Tart Steven Vidler Benedict Wall Leeanna Walsman Sophie Webb Rory Williamson Ben Winspear

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

Executive Producers Des Monaghan Greg Haddrick Jo Rooney Andy Ryan

Producers Peter Gawler Elisa Argenzio

Series Writers Felicity Packard (Episodes 1 & 2) Peter Gawler (Episodes 3 & 4) Jeff Truman (Episodes 6 & 7) Niki Aken (Episodes 5 & 8)

Directors Tony Tilse (Episodes 1, 2, 7 & 8) David Caesar (Episodes 3 & 4) Ian Watson (Episodes 5 & 6)

Director of Photography Joe Pickering

Production Designer Paddy Reardon

Costume Designer Louise Wakefield

Hair & Make-up Designer Angela Conte

Composer Burkhard Dallwitz

Nine Network Publicity Amanda Poulos Nine Network Australia T: 02 9965 2489 / M 0414 503 418 E: [email protected]

Unit Publicist Annette Smith Ned & Co. M: 0419 578 925 E: [email protected]

Filming Locations Filmed entirely on location in Sydney, Australia

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

PRODUCTION INTERVIEWS

with

PETER GAWLER Producer and Writer

TONY TILSE Director Episodes 1, 2, 7 & 8

PADDY REARDON Production Designer

ANGELA CONTE Hair & Make-up Designer

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

PETER GAWLER Producer & Writer of Episodes 3 & 4

Q. How did you come by the name BADNESS? Well, believe it or not, ‘Badness’ is a term used by police. I never heard it used like that, but police use it quite commonly. They describe villains as being out there ‘doing badness’, so it struck us as an unusual word, and eye-catching and ear-catching and that’s why we used it.

Q. Talk about the casting process for BADNESS. Did you try and physically match the actors to the characters? To some extent, but UNDERBELLY is not a dramatised documentary and for us the most important thing is that the actors capture the essence of the character, rather than be made-up or dressed to look exactly like the characters, and that’s assuming we know what they look like. And that’s easier in some stories than it is in others. For example, there are many photos that exist of Alphonse Gangitano from series one, so we could get our actor – who in that case was Vince Colosimo – to dress in suits to make him look very much like the man himself. But in the case of BADNESS, because a lot of the characters are not known to the public and kept a very low profile – in fact they conducted their business - their ‘badness’ - under the radar, what they looked like was not terribly important to the story. And there were very few images of most of them that existed. So what we sought were actors who had strength, intelligence and who somehow nailed the essence via their performance. That’s the critical thing for us.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

Q. Tell us about Kylie Keogh’s role in this story. Kylie Keogh is not a sworn police officer. She came from a journalistic background and joined the police media unit. But because of her connections in the press and the fact that she was very media savvy, the Tuno detectives, particularly Gary Jubelin, could see the advantage in presenting information to the public in a way that, if you like, advanced the investigation.

The Tuno Investigation falls into two stages – and they literally call it Tuno 1 and Tuno 2. Tuno 1 was a relatively small investigation. There was a dynamic hub of about four officers and they did all the legwork over a period of several years. And that was very, very hard work.

Gary Jubelin and his team liaised closely with Kylie Keogh and the police media unit, as they were trying to imply that the Tuno investigation team was much bigger than it actually was and that any second now they were going to be making arrests. It was factual, but it was a way of utilising the media and that was done through Kylie.

When Tuno was eventually wound down because time had passed and the results were not there and there was no option but for officers to go off and do other things, the core Tuno members decided that the only way they could reactivate and enhance Tuno by making it a bigger strike force, was if they all gained promotion. So they went off in different directions and held alternative jobs and gained promotions.

And when they reformed as Tuno 2 with an enhanced roster, and many more officers, they then decided that because they were genuinely getting closer to getting a result, they didn’t want a big public profile. So Kylie became influential in dampening stories, removing publicity and making it seem as though, in fact, Tuno didn’t exist. It became the invisible strike force.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

TONY TILSE Director, Episodes 1, 2, 7 & 8

Q. Tell us about your relationship with the franchise. I read the first, two early drafts of the very first UNDERBELLY – and they asked me if I was interested in directing the show and I went, “Oh yeah!!!” and from that point onwards I’ve worked on every season in some form.

Q. Do you have any formula? It’s played season by season in the sense that really it does come out of the scripts. We have a fantastic team of writers, so in a way as a director, you are informed by the scripts; the scripts give you a sense of tone, pace and energy. So from that point onwards, I layer that with my own particular style and that will depend on what the material suggests. And because it’s often across different time frames, that can vary in style.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

Q. How is BADNESS going to differ from its predecessors? Well BADNESS is very contemporary – it’s set sort of ‘now,’ so in a way we really wanted to give it a contemporary feel. But having said that, it does derive from the material – and the material has a lovely, brooding sense of menace - so it’s been important to capture that element and convey it. RAZOR, the last UNDERBELLY, took place in the 1920s and was a period piece set in Darlinghurst. With series three, THE GOLDEN MILE, we had King’s Cross, which had a kind of manic, crazy kind of night-time feel – and even series one, which was set in Melbourne, had a very different tone. So the subject matter of each series will largely dictate the feel.

Q. Does having a modern backdrop make it easier or more difficult? On a practical level, working with a modern story gives you access to a lot of locations and the practicality is that you can shoot on the street because it’s modern - whereas with RAZOR which was set in the 1920s, everything had to be built.

Q. How does UNDERBELLY compare with other projects that you work on? There’s nothing quite like it. The beauty of it was that after we finished season one, we had established quite a strong style and look, which gave us a licence to be quite brave and bold - both in story telling and visual terms. So the really great thing about UNDERBELLY is that we do have a lot of freedom when it comes to those factors.

Q. What can we expect in the first episode of BADNESS? Without giving anything away, it still has those, what we call UNDERBELLY moments, but we do start in a really dramatic way, which is quite different to what we’ve done before, so I think there’s a great surprise in there for a lot of people with regards to the tone of the series.

Q. Tell us about the main characters and how they were cast. The interesting thing about doing true crime is that you’ve got this wonderful situation where people know what people look like – there’s always a balance between getting close to a kind of physicality sometimes – sometimes some characters require a very definite physicality because people know who they are or what they look like, so sometimes you’re looking for actors who can deliver that physicality, but other times you’re looking for actors who can deliver the essence of the character. So you don’t want a caricature, you want an actual essence of character. The actor may not look like the actual person they’re portraying but can deliver the essence of that character. So in casting for UNDERBELLY, we’re always weighing those options, about how important is it that this person looks like this person, or this person conveys the character of this person, so that’s always a great challenge.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

Q. Do you think that this season is similar to the others in tone and style? In a way, the police are much more upfront in this series – there is a stronger, upfront police presence. In other series we’ve had the criminals going about their activity and the police playing ‘catch-ups’ whereas with this one it’s more of a face-off between good guy vs. bad guy. There are always nods to the UNDERBELLY heritage, but this one has its own particular tone. I think that all the series have their own particular tone. We always try to see how we can layer it differently, how can we add more to it – so, I guess, we’re always seeking that level of ‘value adding’.

Q. Are there any big action sequences in BADNESS? We have the usual gun play, people getting shot and lots of other kinds of stuff, which is all done with a lot of planning and organization. Action scenes are action scenes, in that they require many people and a lot of time - and you always try to make as much time as you can so that you can capture the best and also try to ‘top’ what you’ve done previously. Like all films, you say, “last season we did this - how can we make it more exciting? How can we make it more dynamic? How can we push it?” So I think that with BADNESS, we’ve a lot of exciting material to show audiences. Although with all the research that you undertake, you do delve into the darker side of humanity, which can take a lot out of you.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

PADDY REARDON Production Designer

Q. Is it easier to design for a contemporary backdrop? BADNESS was primarily a location piece, whereas when we did RAZOR, which was set in the 1920s, we shot primarily on a studio back-lot. I think that in seventy- seven days of filming on RAZOR, we only shot three or four days outside the confines of ‘our world’ and only accumulated four days worth of locations, whereas with BADNESS, we had a police station set in a building, which still only gave us around ten days of the shoot, off the streets. So we’ve been filming pretty much on the streets with up to ten locations per day, shooting on the run - and then you need to take into account that every location has to be treated and coloured, so it’s been a lot harder. It’s been somewhat akin to THE GOLDEN MILE in terms of the number of locations treated, which is in the vicinity of two hundred - and to apply a hard-edged look to them, you’ve really got to go over each one to tweak it and remove extraneous rubbish, i.e., background detail. So yes, it has been as hard as the first three series. For a Production Designer, control is everything, so give me another RAZOR, is I guess, what I’m saying!

Q. When you were choosing locations, were you more concerned with how they felt, or how accurate they were in terms of the story? The concept of BADNESS is based on reality. But of course, when selecting locations, you need to squeeze them into groups of ten to enable you to shoot them in real time with a crew. So at that point, my fallback position was to basically look at the proposed location to ascertain how it fit within the design treatment, as if it didn’t satisfy the realities of exactly how it appeared in the forensic photographs, it needed to look close. So ultimately, either one or the other won out and in most cases it was a happy blend of both.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

Q. Are there any particularly interesting locations or design features in BADNESS that we should be watching out for? I wanted to make the fringes of western and north-western Sydney, where much of our story occurs, visually accessible, without losing any of their menace - which is quite a tall order. You’ve got to be true to the realities and so we always sought the ‘strength’ of those suburbs, which have their own allure – but we also needed to avoid being ‘too romantic’. So essentially we’ve tried to convey the feel of those areas in an honest way without losing the ability for them to attract a commercial audience, which was probably one of the toughest things

So when you ask what audiences should look out for in BADNESS, it’s probably how the outer western suburbs have been portrayed - especially in a story like this which is a distilled tale of good and evil. We’ve travelled over a wide range of locations for BADNESS without leaving Sydney, so it will be interesting to see what people make of that.

Q. What’s been the most enjoyable part of the process so far? To actually start with a concept and see it build in the edit is probably the most satisfying point for me. I enjoy seeing the rough cuts turn into fine cuts as it’s wonderful to observe how they progress and witness the colours falling into place.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

ANGELA CONTE Hair & Make-Up Designer

Q. Tell us about your role. I’m very fortunate, because I get the opportunity to work with a lot of blood, a lot of guts and many similar elements that are great to incorporate. And because this particular job is ‘period’, I was able to create a couple of ‘westie mullets’ and a few ‘’bogun’ accessories, which isn’t often the case, but in this instance they worked really well.

Q. Tell us about the different types of blood that you’ve used. I’ve been fortunate to have travelled and attended many makeup conventions, so I’ve now learnt that there are numerous types of blood that work for many different things. With HD, because of the lighting, there’s a lot of blue, a lot of yellow and a lot of red. With blood, if there is a lot of yellow light, the red is neutralised, so I’ve now started using different types of blood for different sets, which is dictated by the lighting. It’s been extremely interesting and I’ve learnt a great deal.

Q. Talk about creating some of the tattoos. There’s a million different ways to create a tattoo and I like to ensure that the actor is comfortable. I enjoy using stencils because you can draw them by hand and airbrush them. I usually opt for the airbrushing more than anything else, as it’s quick and extremely effective and the finished product looks beautiful. Because the action in this series is mainly set ten years ago, some of the tattoos on our bikers – which they supposedly got when they were around twenty – would now be over twenty years old. So, I decided to stencil and then draw some of them by hand – which is what we ultimately did with Aaron Jeffery who plays Frank O’Rourke. The bikers generally have pretty good tattoos, but they’re usually old tattoos, which is why I decided to hand draw and stencil most of them.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

Q. Tell us how you create gun shot wounds. Well, it’s not that different to creating scars. It’s the same sort of commodity. You make a paste, you mix it – I add fibres to the mix so that it has a bit of colour – and then start moulding it onto the skin to create the gunshot wound. You need to do it very quickly as the mixtures dries within around three minutes. But once you ‘blend it out’ and start adding blood and paste, it really does look like a gunshot wound.

Q. What do you find the most difficult injury to recreate and why? I don’t find any of them difficult – I love them all! Once I’ve done it, I can only improve the second time – and when I do it for a third time, it’s even better. I suppose what is most difficult to recreate is blood splattering. I generally find that the hardest, so normally I just put blood on my hands and throw it on the actor.

Q. Tell us about the hair designs for this series. I was very fortunate, because when I met with Jonathan LaPaglia, I’d already had in mind that he should have a mullet but didn’t know whether it would be decided that his character should have one. But when Jonathan walked in the door, he said, “I want a mullet.” And I replied, “music to my ears.” So we went down that road and I think it was a great choice. We also designed one for Aaron Jeffery as Frank, and funnily enough, we had a biker come to set the other day, and he had one too – the real deal – and I thought, “this is great!”

But with the rest of the hairstyles, I’ve largely taken them back to the early 90s because even though our series doesn’t start quite that far back, as it’s largely set in the western suburbs and people do tend to be ‘stuck in a rut’ stylistically, I thought the early 90s would be more apt. And to be honest, I’m pleased that I did, because aesthetically I think that it does look better.

Q. What has been the most challenging aspect of this series for you? Even though a lot of cast appear to have had minimal hair and makeup, every single person that has sat in our chair has been through a full process. We’ve created things like dirty fingernails, added glue and red dye to people’s knuckles to make them look roughened, plus we’ve applied dirt around many necks to make it seem as though it’s crept into all of their creases, plus we’ve added stubble. We’ve had to work really hard to keep so many of them looking dirty.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

SELECT CAST INTERVIEWS

with

MATT NABLE Detective Sergeant Gary Jubelin

JONATHAN LaPAGLIA Anthony Perish

AARON JEFFERY Frank O’Rourke

JOSH QUONG TART Andrew Perish

JODI GORDON Kylie Keogh

ELLA SCOTT LYNCH Senior Constable Camille Alavoine

LEEANNA WALSMAN Detective Sergeant Pam Young

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

MATT NABLE Detective Sergeant Gary Jubelin

Q. Gary is quite a different role for you. How you have enjoyed portraying somebody on the right side of the law? It’s been a really nice departure from the last couple of roles that I’ve played, who have not necessarily been ‘bad guys’, but probably on the other side of the ledger, if you want to put it that way. One of the appealing things about doing the job was to get to play a man who, more than anything, has a really strong moral compass. He’s very impressive in that way, and I’m really enjoying playing a very good person for once.

Q. What sort of research have you undertaken in order to portray Gary Jubelin in this dramatised version of events? Obviously a lot of this story is on public record and although I was aware of it, I didn’t know the details. So once I had the role, it was a matter of researching the source material that we were given and searching the internet to find the timeline of what had happened, where it had started, and where it was finishing. There was a lot of material from which to draw upon and so in that regard, it wasn’t a hard place to start looking.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

Q. In a dramatic sense, how are you approaching your characterisation of Gary? Characterisations are very different for every character you play. Outside of working and actually being on set, one of the things that I tried to hang onto was the way that Gary talks, as a lot of his ‘t’s’ become ‘d’s’ and that was something that was really important for me, as I’d just come from another job, so there was a quick turnaround. His speech was an aesthetic that I hung onto. Outside of that, it was trying to find a balance between, I guess, the work and then finding something to take pressure off it - which I believe Gary made reference to as ‘something outside of his work’. So in between working, I’ve tried to go to gym as much as I can, which has been hard - but again, it’s something that helps build the character, because I’m aware that it’s something that Gary used to do. It’s the little things that seem to keep you in the space in which you need to be.

Q. What aspects of your character’s approach to his work, do you most admire? Gary’s approach to work is a brave one. He’s dealing with a part of society that is very confronting and would have an effect upon him but he tackles it in a single-minded way and does it without fear, which I think is an innate approach – I don’t think that it’s something that you learn, but something that lends itself to the type of person that he is. He also strikes me as a guy who doesn’t tolerate bullies, which is reflected in his approach and is, I think, at the core of who he is.

Q. As depicted in the dramatisation of these events, what do you think drives Gary to persist in trying to solve the murder of Terry Falconer, when many other people would have given up? With regards to the Falconer case, I think it was because it was such a brazen act and that Gary took offence to the fact that they had impersonated police officers, which he regarded as a personal affront. I think that Gary has a real problem with bullies and this was a bullying type of act, so it was very hard for him to ignore.

Q. Given that your character has to frequently deal with life’s darker side, how does he mentally distance himself from his work? It’s important for Gary to distance himself from work, because of the nature of the situations that he’s dealing with. So Gary balances his life with exercise and also has a spiritual side. I don’t think that it’s a profound or overriding thing on his part, but something that he finds balance with. He practices a martial art called Chi Kung and I think that provides him with a space where he can get away from work and his day-to-day dealings with the environment that he’s in – he needs a balance.

Q. In terms of the dramatised storyline for UNDERBELLY: BADNESS, how would you describe the relationship that Gary Jubelin forms with Frank O’Rourke? The relationship between Gary and Frank O’Rourke is a wonderful relationship – it’s something that’s built – at the beginning - on no trust. It’s a blind sort of relationship that is forged through necessity. Gary’s overriding desire to find out what’s has happened, leads him to Frank and over a period of time both Gary and Frank come to trust each other. It’s very unlikely, but it’s a wonderful type of relationship that has been spawned by two people who are polar opposites. It’s also been fun playing opposite Aaron Jeffery – that has been really good.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

Q. How do you clear your headspace after an intense day of filming? Some days are really intense, so I guess just coming home and trying to switch off, by watching TV or speaking with my wife - or if the kids are awake, trying to wrestle with them. But it’s not always ideal, as you work long hours and do find yourself going to bed and waking up still in that headspace, so it is important to try and find some clear space for yourself.

Q. Has the experience of portraying a member of the police force, changed your perception or opinion of police in any way? My perception of the police hasn’t changed through my experience on BADNESS, but it has made me aware of how important they are. When you look at guys like Gary Jubelin and what he and his colleagues on Strikeforce Tuno went through, you appreciate how selfless they were. We need the police and when you realise how good some of these people are and how committed they are to their jobs, it’s a source of comfort.

Q. What have you enjoyed most about the experience of working on UNDERBELLY: BADNESS? The most enjoyable part is always working with other actors and particularly the directors we’ve had on this – getting the opportunity to play and be creative – it’s always a privilege to be on set and involved in a story that you want to tell.

Q. Why do you think that crime dramas have proven so popular with audiences? I think the fascination with crime has been a long one – it’s throughout history, and now we have it on TV and in cinema. It’s the fascination of gaining insight into how the ‘other side’ live, which everybody seems interested in. I think it’s just the fascination that we have for a different type of life.

Q. What do you think that audiences are going to enjoy most about this series of UNDERBELLY? The most compelling part of BADNESS is the story. It’s a really, really interesting tale, which I don’t think a lot of people know about, and as it unfolds, they’ll be asking ‘why?’ It’s an extraordinary story with extraordinary people on both sides – whether they’re good or bad. It’s just riveting. The first time I spoke with Peter Gawler about it, I was ‘blown’ away. I thought, “How the hell did this happen?” I also think that because this element exists side by side with ordinary life – with these people walking around – a story like this basically illustrates how close it can be.

Q. How did you enjoy working with Jonathan LaPaglia? Jonno’s a good man. We saw each other almost every day because we were sort of crossing paths from scene to scene – and we did get to do one scene together, which was great fun. I like him – he’s a good guy. He’s a ‘guy’s guy’. He’s very honest - we discuss our roles and the story and he’s very serious about it too. He’s extremely committed, which as an actor, makes you feel safe as you’re only as good the other person is doing. So to know that he’s equally committed is very comforting.

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JONATHAN LaPAGLIA Anthony Perish

Q. As an actor, how does it feel to be portraying somebody who’s on the wrong side of the law? It’s always exciting to be able to create a character that is so far removed from who you are. You get to explore these other dark areas, so it’s been exciting, but on a challenging level. I’ve been given an opportunity to do something that I wouldn’t normally do and I’ve been loving it!

Q. What sort of research did you undertake in order to prepare for the role? It was difficult because there was really no public information available about Anthony – there’s no video footage, there’s no audio – I couldn’t meet with anybody who knew him, nor could I meet with his legal counsel, so the information that I had really came from the court transcripts. We have information about the basic events that happened in Anthony’s life, but we don’t really know who he is, so it was kind of left up to us to basically fill in the gaps and dramatise who Anthony is.

Q. Prior to being cast, what perception, if any, did you have regarding the UNDERBELLY series? I haven’t seen all of them because I live in America, but I saw the first one and thought it was brilliant – I loved it. My agent sent me the complete set several years ago and I couldn’t stop watching it – I was shooting something at the time and kept carrying it around in my laptop. Every break that I had, I was watching the show – it was infectious.

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Q. As Anthony, you sport a very fetching mullet, can you tell us about it? Fortunately I had long hair when I started, so they just had to cut a ‘work day’ on top and left the’ weekend out the back’ - so it was all good. But I was cast so quickly, that I would have liked to have perhaps gained some weight – I tried, but I think it went all to my backside and didn’t go anywhere else, so I gave up!

Q. In between filming, what sort of reaction has your mullet provoked? The mullet has curbed my social existence in Sydney somewhat – people definitely want to cross the street whenever I’m approaching – I definitely get treated a little differently!

Q. Given that there was not a lot of information available on Anthony Perish, how did you decide to approach your characterisation? Well, I guess I picked out things that we did know about him – where he grew up, his education level - we knew something about the family and the family dynamics, so I used those things to try and shape who I thought he might be. Maybe I’ve got it completely wrong, I don’t know – I guess only Anthony can tell, along with people who know him.

Q. In a sense, is it liberating to be able to portray somebody who is on the wrong side of the law? You get the chance to explore things that are outside of who you think you are. There has to be a little of something in you, to go there, I guess. Obviously, we’re very different, but there have to be some dark places that you can access, and that can be a little scary too. They’ve been a couple of days after shooting where I’ve felt completely exhausted and frazzled – not because of the workload – but because I’ve had to access that character. I’ve felt that I need to go home and jump in the surf and cleanse myself. So, from a creative viewpoint, it’s a double-edged sword. It is rewarding, but you do have to go to places that are sometimes not that pleasant.

Q. Dramatically speaking, how would you describe the relationship between Anthony and his brother, Andrew? Josh (who played Andrew) and I talked about it quite a lot and the impression that we gained was that there was probably a tension between the brothers. I think that they loved and cared for each other and wanted to look out for each other, but there was this underlying tension. We kind of decided that it stemmed from childhood resentment. We speculated that the grandparents favoured Andrew more than they did Anthony and that there was a lot of tough love for Anthony whereas they maybe coddled Andrew. Therefore, I think that established - maybe on Anthony’s part – resentment towards his brother and their grandparents for treating them that way. So there was definitely an early tension that possibly stayed with them until adulthood.

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Q. As an actor who has spent most of his working life in the US, how have you found the experience of working with an Australian film crew? I think that it largely comes down to the budget. In the US they have four or more times the budget that they have here, per episode, and what that really translates into is available time in which to shoot something. So the Australian crews have a lot less time to shoot the material. When I worked here on THE SLAP for the first time last year, I remember getting the schedule and thinking that there was just no way that they could possibly achieve it – but they did – every day – so it’s really a testament to Australian crews. They’re incredibly skilled and work at a pace that I still can’t get my head around - but they pull it off every day. There are times when I think that everyone wishes that they maybe had a little more time to finesse things, but for the most part, they get it done. They’re just an incredibly talented group of people and always a great bunch of guys as well. I really enjoy working here – it’s terrific.

Q. How would you describe UNDERBELL: BADNESS? At the end of the day, I think it’s like an old-fashioned, cold war, good versus evil story. It has a ‘basic’ feel to it that appeals to me and hopefully will also appeal to the audience. It’s essentially a cat and mouse story about how the evil forces are constantly ducking and weaving and avoiding the good forces – but eventually the good prevails – which I think is maybe what audiences will respond to.

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AARON JEFFERY Frank O’Rourke

Q. Frank is quite a different role to many you’ve played previously. How have you enjoyed portraying somebody with such a chequered past? He’s ferocious, engaging, charismatic, funny, scary, explosive – it’s been an absolute joy to play him. I’ve loved portraying Frank, because as an actor, you very seldom get to play characters like him, so when you do, you really jump on them. He’s been a ball – a hoot! The writing is also fantastic, which always helps. He’s very different to anybody whom I’ve portrayed, but I’ve had the best time of my life.

Q. Tell us about some of the research you undertook in order to portray Frank. Frank is a fictional character so it was a very organic process. A lot of it happened when we were in make-up and wardrobe and I was playing around. Then, I sort of based him on a silver-back gorilla, mixed with my nephew, who has a little bit of Frank in him, as well as a heavyweight kickboxing champion. So I sort of based Frank on a combination of those two people and that gorilla, along with elements from where, I don’t know – they just sort of came!

Q. Mentally, how do you prepare yourself to portray such an intense character? The great thing about Frank is that it’s a journey for him. It’s the journey of a hero, as out of out of everybody, he makes the biggest sacrifice of his life. He comes from a background that he grew up in and then has to do a complete turnaround and leave that family and join the police – who, in turn, become his family. His father died when he was young, and he has trust issues with men – so it’s really a journey of trust, whereby he walks towards his heart and makes a sacrifice – possibly his life – for the future of his family, which is really important to him.

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Q. What do you think drives Frank to risk his life by becoming a police informant? It’s his desire to change. He’s inhabited this world since he was a teenager and has been stabbed in the back by those he thought were his family. From that point on, he feels his father’s presence, encouraging him to walk a different path, to change his life and do something right - no matter how much it hurts. Frank knows that in order to have the family and the future that he wants, he has to do this. So what drives him is a journey of redemption. He wants to be redeemed and he wants to see what’s on the other side of that.

Q. In terms of the dramatised storyline for UNDERBELLY: BADNESS, how would you describe the relationship that Frank forms with Gary Jubelin? Frank’s relationship with Gary is a ‘bromance’. There are massive difficulties with trust because they each come from different sides of the fence - and trust is a big thing for Frank. But they’re very similar beings, so despite being from different backgrounds they see the truth in each other. But it’s basically a journey of ‘can Frank trust this man.’ However, I think that eventually they form a deep respect and love for each other.

Q. You’ve undergone quite a major physical transformation to portray Frank. Tell us about the steps you’ve taken in order to look so different to how audiences are accustomed to seeing you. I wanted to try and find a really nice physical transformation for Frank, to do something very different. So once I found the animal – the silver-backed gorilla – I just needed the belly and the walk. I needed Frank to be big – not necessarily ripped - just big. So I did plenty of eating and let it all hang out – and boy, it felt good! You don’t often get to do that, so it felt great!

But evolving into Frank was a layered thing. I’d sit in the make-up chair for several hours to get the tattoos and scars applied. Our head make-up artist, Angela Conte, and her team, have been wonderful – we sort of created the character together. It was a joint effort and it got to the point where something would happen – they’d apply a scar somewhere or do something and I’d drop into Frank. They say to me, “Frank’s here,” and I’d go, “Yeah, he’s back,” and we’d have a giggle and then move on. So it’s been lovely. I never knew when he was going to drop in, but he would – it was hard for me to get rid of him sometimes. I’d be wrapped, and sitting there, and they’d want me out of my costume, and I’d say, “I’m going, but I’d like to hang onto Frank for a bit, if that’s alright.”

The physical process of becoming Frank, would usually take the make-up department a couple of hours. The amazing thing was, that they would hand paint the tattoos onto me and then use a special process to apply the scars. My ear also looked as though it had a little bit cut from it. And the scars and tattoos, etc., were never something that they would just ‘slap on’. Everything was intricately calculated. Angela and her team are incredibly talented, and as an artist, it was a joy to be around that level of talent, because you know that you’re being looked after.

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Q. How do you clear your headspace after portraying Frank? After I had an intense day of Frank – I would pull myself out of his character. There’s a process that I do – all actors have to do it – and for me, it’s a pretty gentle thing. Once you’ve been doing it for a while, you just kind of feel yourself drifting out of it. It might be a good hot bath, training at gym, doing meditation – but Frank has been a joy. I never felt like I’ve taken Frank home at all. I think, that because I loved the character and adored playing him, that it was very easy for me to slip in and out. There’s no judgement whatsoever. He’s your classic anti-hero, looking for redemption, and as a storyteller, it’s been a great gift to play him.

Q. Why do you think audiences are drawn to crime drama? I think audiences around the world - and very much so in Australia, too – have always been fascinated by the darker side of the human spirit. I think that we all have a shadow self and that at the end of the day, we’d quite often prefer to watch a documentary about some bad dude over, say Mother Teresa. We’re interested in what drives people to do things that we would never think of doing. There’s a fascination there, which I think is a very human quality. Maybe that’s why reality TV is so huge, because we like to sit back and find ourselves in those characters. What would we do, were we placed in that situation?

Q. Tell us about your working relationship with Matt Nable. I’ve absolutely loved working with Matt. He has an incredible ability to pull the scene to its real truth – its beautiful, crystal clear, essence, which is a wonderful gift that as a storyteller, he as. There’s no ego - he’s fantastic. I’ve really loved working with him and our two characters have shared a wonderful journey. I’d do anything with Matt, anywhere – he’s great and I think that together we found a beautiful little partnership on screen, which has been a lot of fun.

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JOSH QUONG TART Andrew Perish

Q. As an actor, what appealed to you most about playing a character on the wrong side of the law? Playing Andrew was a departure from what I’ve done previously on television. I was little bit excited about playing a character that was ‘out there’ emotionally. Plus I liked the psychology of the role and the cast, so that, together with a really great story, made me want to do it.

Q. What was your awareness, if any, of this case, prior to be cast in the series? I really didn’t know anything about it, but when we started, there were trickles of info that I received about the case - about the brothers and about Andrew specifically. And I think that when you’re in a rush to create a role you have to make some big decisions very quickly, so I basically grabbed bits of information that I thought would work well with creating a character and then off I went. And also, getting together with Jonathan and discussing the essence of our journey, was very important too – that basically made the job a lot easier for us.

Q. What sort of research did you undertake for the role? By comparison, I recently did a telemovie called THE GREAT MINT SWINDLE, where I played another real-life character. This was a completely different process, as I tended to get into it in a different way - basically because there was very little research available. So I took what I could. It was more a case of how I was going to approach the character physically and internally – and I think it has served him well, because I’ve certainly had fun playing him.

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Q. There’s not a lot of information available on Andrew Perish. Did you find that this hampered your characterisation or, in a dramatic sense, proved liberating? In this case, I did find it liberating not to have too much information about the character because it allowed me to have free reign and a lot of fun. Basically when, I did my make-up test, I asked Angela Conte, our hair/make-up designer, whether I could have my hair in a certain way and whether we could do ‘this or that’ - and she concurred - so there was a bit of an alchemy going on physically – which was fun because you feel as though you’re playing dress-ups. So this has certainly been an inventive process for everyone involved.

Q. Physically, how have you transformed yourself to portray Andrew Perish? I came up with a concept re the physicality and emotional context of the character. I knew that his speech patterns had to be different that they couldn’t be mine – he’s from another place – I just knew that something had to change. So by extending my jaw slightly, it allowed me to make my speech pattern a little different and also brought the eyes to life a bit. It made him easier to play and just click into another place, and because we filmed at a fast pace, it was great to have ways of just putting yourself into a character quickly – and it was fun!

Q. In this dramatised version of events, how would you describe the dynamics in the relationship between the two brothers? The dynamics between Anthony and Andrew were really interesting – probably one of the most satisfying parts of this process was getting together with Jonathan. We met quite a few times – he’d came over, we’d have coffee and would sit in the park for hours talking about the dynamics of the characters - and what it is was Anthony has and Andrew hasn’t and visa versa - and what each envies in the other, etc.

This process really helped us, very quickly, to obtain a very clear insight into these people and, in a dramatic sense, form some assumptions about what they are and who they are. We just had to make those decisions for ourselves – so we made the decision that the killing of their grandparents was a massive turning point, it was a catalyst for where they were at in our story. We approached it by deciding that Andrew is incredibly emotional and Anthony is incredibly internal - bordering on narcissism perhaps - and that worked really well for us. I also think that my character envies the fact that Anthony is very respected and Anthony envies the fact that Andrew can feel something. And that was a human way for us to approach them.

We wanted to find any way to approach it other than we’re just ‘bad’ people, and I think that the more you try to find a human side to people’s plights, regardless of whether they result in bad things, the more successful a time you have in telling the story.

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Q. How would you describe the overall tone of this particular series of UNDERBELLY? There’s a kind of a horror element to it that I love. I’m a massive horror fan and I think that the horror element exists in the psychological world just as much as in the violent world, and for me that was really interesting. I find that extremely intriguing, as far as following the psychological violence of a piece

Q. What do you think drives Andrew? I really used his grandparents’ death as a driving force for Andrew’s journey, which came at the top of every objective list, because I found that to be a really good way for me to build his emotional graph. I made the decision that he was desperate to be loved, which I think may have stemmed from his grandparents. I also gave him a fictional back-story where he was perhaps bullied at school and so the importance of the grandparents was vital to his happiness. When he was with them, he felt complete love. Then they were killed and his life collapsed. I think that it really impacted upon him emotionally – so that became his obsession – who killed his grandparents – and the thing that made him toss and turn at night.

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ELLA SCOTT LYNCH Senior Constable Camille Alavoine

Q. What, if any, was your awareness of this case, prior to being cast in the series? I’m actually very interested in true crime and I watch the Crime Channel a lot, but I hadn’t heard anything about this case. Some of it sounded familiar, but it was pretty fresh to me. I hadn’t really read any information and wasn’t familiar with the characters.

Q. What sort of research have you undertaken in order to portray Camille Alavoine in this dramatised version of events? I was able to access some information about Camille – her background and where she came from - and there was quite a lot of research material about her and her involvement in the case. And last year I actually went into court as part of research for another job that I did, so it was very helpful to have a basic understanding of how a court works and to observe police in that environment. There was also a lot of information on the internet, which was very useful.

Q. Tell us about your character’s role in Strike Force Tuno. Camille was an analyst in Strike Force Tuno. She started as a normal beat cop in, I think, Campbelltown, but by the time she came to work with Gary she had become involved with data analysis. So this meant that she did many things. For example, when they tapped people’s phones, Camille would analyse the patterns in the phone records – it’s like getting a million little clues and then forming a broader picture about what the people they were looking for, were like. And this was an unusual case because they didn’t have any information about the suspect they were seeking, so in the beginning, her role was really pivotal. She did things like trying to find photographs of him and looking for credit card and housing information. It’s a lot of information to sift through so it’s a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but it’s necessary to give you the ‘way in’.

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Q. What aspects of Camille’s approach to her work, do you most admire? I think that Camille took her job incredibly seriously. When I was researching the role, I listened to a lot of radio podcasts of interviews – particularly with policewomen - because although I never wanted to be one, I really wanted to find out what makes somebody want to do that job. And in listening to the women, one of the main things that came out, was that they wanted to make the world a safer place for people to live in – it was quite idealistic – and I think that, although I never met Camille, from what I’ve gathered about her, she really did feel as though it was a very important and necessary job. I think that it’s incredibly admirable to devote your life to doing something like that for society. She had a very strict work ethic – and seemed to live for her work, which I really found interesting and admirable too.

Q. Has the experience of portraying a member of the police force, changed your perception or opinion of police in any way? Being in UNDERBELLY has changed my perception. It’s made me appreciate that people frequently join the force for really valiant reasons. Being in the series has also changed my view of what women bring to the profession – particularly as they can be very sympathetic to other women, that they’re dealing with, who have been victims. They’ve definitely got a far more important role than I’d previously realized.

Q. What do you think that audiences are going to enjoy most about this series of UNDERBELLY? I think that it’s going to prove popular with audiences because it’s very frightening in its darkness and realism. This time around, they’ve really gone for something gritty and scary. For me, it’s reminiscent of the first series of UNDERBELLY. I also think that the scripts have been incredibly strong. Reading them has been like reading a fascinating novel. It’s been a great pleasure to work through these scripts and to try and understand the psychology of these people and the things that they did.

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JODI GORDON Kylie Keogh

Q. What, if any, was your awareness of this case, prior to being cast in the series? To be honest, I didn’t have much prior perception of the case. I’d seen little things here and there, but this has been an entire learning experience for me and I guess it’s been an amazing way to learn about the case itself.

Q. What appealed to you most about portraying Kylie Keogh? Kylie is an incredible, powerful woman - she’s one of the boys. She’s been a dream character to play and actually been my favourite character to play to date. I’ve only heard good things about her and she seems like an amazing person.

Q. Tell us about your character, and how she interacts with Strike Force Tuno? Kylie Keogh started as a journalist with the Daily Telegraph for five years and then over the period of 2003 to 2010, slowly worked her way to becoming the police force’s Senior Media Officer. She had a lot to do with Strikeforce Tuno and helped that team over the span of a decade, so it was an incredible time for her. She’s very passionate about what she did, and I feel that a lot of what Kylie had to say and do helped, the Strikeforce.

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Q. As an actor, how have you approached your characterisation of Kylie? I feel as though I’ve been very lucky with Kylie. She’s fun, she’s loquacious, she has a lot of energy, she’s a little bit of a tomboy and intelligent, so I got to incorporate all those elements into my daily scenes and have fun with her. So it hasn’t been a struggle, just a lot of fun.

Q. Has the experience of portraying somebody who worked so closely with the police force, changed your perception or opinion of police in any way? My experience in understanding what Kylie did, and her work involvement with Strikeforce Tuno, has been an incredible eye-opener for me. I’ve learnt so much about the police force, about the media liaison. Some people may just think that it’s a matter of being the ‘PR chick’ but it certainly wasn’t. The experience of learning about what each and every one of the characters does has just been phenomenal for me.

Q. What have you enjoyed most about the experience of working on UNDERBELLY: BADNESS? I’ve enjoyed the experience in itself, working with the cast, the crew and the directors, combined with an amazing script. It’s been above and beyond anything that I’ve done, and it’s good to be part of the UNDERBELLY family.

Q. Why do you think that crime dramas have proven so popular with audiences? I think that audiences are fascinated by crime shows because crime is all around us - it’s everywhere. We read about it in the media and see it on television but to view it on an in-depth level via a show like UNDERBELLY, gives you an insight into a world that you don’t normally witness, which is why I like it.

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LEEANNA WALSMAN Detective Sergeant Pam Young

Q. As an actor, what appealed to you about being accepting a role in UNDERBELLY? It was appealing, because every time a new UNDERBELLY appears, it’s in such a different genre you never know what to expect, other than it being quite hard hitting and dramatic and colourful in all sorts of ways. But for me it was also the different directors and actors that I was going to be working with. It’s been a really lovely company.

Q. What sort of research have you undertaken in order to portray Pam Young in this dramatised version of events? I didn’t meet the character that I’m playing, but I did research, as far as her position and what she does for a living and read some documents of interviews and conversations that she’s had. But my character was more romantically based, so it was just a personal identification. At the end of the day, it was how Matt’s character and I interacted with each other, and as an actress you just go with the flow. I made some decisions, but on the day, everything changes.

Q. As depicted in this dramatisation, why do you think your character is attracted to Detective Sergeant Gary Jubelin. Ultimately, they’re very similar – they’re very strong characters. But he pursued her, and I don’t think that she ‘jumped’ straight away. She was working in a man’s domain, so I think that he would have had a lot of respect for her and that’s attractive. I think she also had a lot of respect for him.

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Q. Dramatically speaking, what difficulties do Gary and Pam encounter in trying to maintain a relationship? Their work consumed them. If one had some time off, the other one didn’t and it was constant. And I’m assuming that within that sort of job, there can’t be much switching off, especially for Gary. But they were both in similar positions and you don’t know when somebody is going to be murdered or a body is going to turn up, so it’s really about being on call all the time.

Q. Has the experience of portraying a member of the police force, changed your perception or opinion of police in any way? I have respect for Pamela Young. She has uncovered many cases - she’s an incredibly strong woman who works very hard. And doing what they do must be very isolating, because it’s so constant. There’s no, “Oh, I don’t feel like going to work today,” you just have to soldier through it. I’m also guessing that there must be many occasions when cases have to be left, so I can only assume that it must be very unsatisfying to be unable to finish something. But for sure, I have respect for these characters.

Q. What have you enjoyed most about the experience of working on UNDERBELLY: BADNESS? Matt Nable is an amazing person and an amazing actor. He’s been a joy to work with and I felt incredibly comfortable. He’s just a fantastic person, so that made it very easy.

Q. What did you enjoy most about the experience? I loved the crew, the people - there was nothing about it that wasn’t a joy. What is given to an audience later is an ‘overall’ that has been put together by a lot of people. But when you’re inside it and you’re on a set, you’re moving fast. You’ve got a crew and it’s not as glamorous as it seems - but that’s fun and it’s kind of ‘blokey’ and immediate, and as an actor, I really enjoy that interaction. Sometimes you forget the end result because your heart is in the immediate, but it’s all exciting. So for me, it’s about the people and my relationship with them.

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KEY CREW BIOGRAPHIES

DES MONAGHAN Executive Producer Des Monaghan is a multi award-winning Producer who became the Controller of Programming and subsequently Director of Program and Production for Television New Zealand (TVNZ) Networks 1 and 2.

In the late 1980s, Monaghan set up South Pacific Pictures Limited before being headhunted to take on the position of Network Director of Production and Program Development at the Seven Network in Australia.

In the mid-1990s he joined forces with Bob Campbell, then Managing Director of the Seven Network, to found Screentime, an independent production company with operations in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Screentime has produced programs in all genres – telemovies, mini-series, long form drama, comedy, serial drama and infotainment/reality. It produces formats owned by the group in over 40 countries.

Screentime has produced many of Australia’s most celebrated dramas with Monaghan as Executive Producer, including THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF MARY BRYANT, THE INFORMANT, A MODEL DAUGHTER: THE KILLING OF CAROLINE BYRNE, UNDERBELLY, UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES, UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, the UNDERBELLY: FILES, UNDERBELLY: RAZOR, CLOUDSTREET, CROWNIES, TRICKY BUSINESS and BROTHERS IN ARMS.

GREG HADDRICK Executive Producer Greg Haddrick, seven-time AWGIE (Australian Writers’ Guild) winner and international Emmy nominee, is Head of Drama for Screentime. He produced Australia’s epic mini-series, THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF MARY BRYANT, co-wrote and co-produced the ABC production MDA (series 1 and 2) and was Executive Producer and Co-Writer of the show’s third series. He also co-wrote and co- produced Network Ten’s critically acclaimed telemovie THE SOCIETY MURDERS, associate produced the mini-series of Bryce Courtenay’s JESSICA, wrote the award-winning telemovie MY HUSBAND MY KILLER, and script-edited the mini- series of Bryce Courtenay’s THE POTATO FACTORY.

Early in his career, Haddrick spent four years as a Story-liner, Writer and Script Editor for the Grundy Organisation. Then in 1987, he wrote episodes 1 to 5 of the internationally successful Australian series HOME AND AWAY. He co-wrote and script-edited Millenium Pictures’ children’s mini-series ELLY & JOOLS and in the early 1990s wrote for E-STREET, G.P., BLUE HEELERS and FLYING DOCTORS.

With Brenda Pam, Haddrick produced the first series of UNDERBELLY and UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES, in addition to writing episodes for both, and executive produced UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE for which he also wrote episodes 3 and 13. In 2009 he produced the iconic mini-series Tim Winton’s CLOUDSTREET (again with Brenda Pam), and most recently executive produced the UNDERBELLY: FILES, UNDERBELLY: RAZOR for the Nine Network, CROWNIES for ABC TV, TRICKY BUSINESS for Nine Network and BROTHERS IN ARMS for Network Ten. Under his tenure as Screentime’s Head of Drama, four productions have won Logie Awards for the ‘Most Outstanding Drama’ of the year.

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JO ROONEY Executive Producer Jo Rooney has been involved in many of Australia's major television dramas.

Since joining Nine in 2006 as Network Drama Executive and Executive Producer of Children's Drama, Jo has been involved in the development, production and commissioning of such groundbreaking projects as the UNDERBELLY series, SEA PATROL, RESCUE SPECIAL OPS and THE STRIP. Recently, she served as Executive Producer on GREAT MINT SWINDLE and TRICKY BUSINESS. She has also commissioned many new Australian children’s dramas including LOCKIE LEONARD and DOGSTAR.

As an Associate Producer with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation during its golden years, Rooney was involved on a number of award-winning productions including BRIDES OF CHRIST, LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL, POLICE RESCUE, WILDSIDE, SEVEN DEADLY SINS in addition to numerous hours of quality drama.

Following her stretch at the ABC, Rooney worked at Southern Star for several years where she was Producer on WATER RATS, YOUNG LIONS, and THE ALICE, and Co-Producer with John Edwards on FIREFLIES and MARKING TIME. Rooney was also part of the team that put together the critically acclaimed series, LOVE MY WAY.

ANDY RYAN Executive Producer Andy has worked as Writer, Script Producer and Network Executive on some of Australia’s most successful dramas for adults and children.

After graduating from AFTRS in 1997, Andy’s television career began as Script Editor and Writer on Seven’s then-new ALL SAINTS. Following a period as a Freelance Scriptwriter, he moved to HOME AND AWAY as Story Editor, before branching into children’s animation as Script Producer on the Australian/German co-productions THE ADVENTURES OF BLINKY BILL and FLIPPER & LOPAKA.

After two years as Script Producer on the top-rating McLEOD’S DAUGHTERS, Ryan joined Nine as Network Executive in 2006.

At Nine, Ryan oversees the development, commissioning and production of Australian drama for adults and children. Recent series include UNDERBELLY series 1-4, SEA PATROL series 1-5, THE STRIP and RESCUE: SPECIAL OPS series 1-3. Telemovies include SCORCHED, WICKED LOVE, BLOOD BROTHERS, three UNDERBELLY: FILES telemovies and BEACONSFIELD.

Children’s dramas include LOCKIE LEONARD, DOGSTAR, STORMWORLD, GASP! and DENNIS & GNASHER.

During 2012, Ryan has served as Executive Producer on THE GREAT MINT SWINDLE, TRICKY BUSINESS and UNDERBELLY: BADNESS. Upcoming projects include HOWZAT! KERRY PACKER’S WAR and HOUSE HUSBANDS.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

PETER GAWLER Producer & Writer: Episodes 3 & 4

Without a doubt, Peter Gawler is one of Australia’s most talented and sought- after screenwriters. His gift with words has seen him write and edit an extraordinary number of TV productions throughout the last three decades.

He is the recipient of the 2003 Centenary Medal for ‘Service to Australian Society in Writing for Television’ and the winner of eight Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) AWGIE Awards for his work on the television series WATER RATS and the telemovies HALIFAX F.P., THE POSTCARD BANDIT, LITTLE OBERON, and of course the original series of UNDERBELLY and UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE.

Since graduating in 1975 with a Diploma in Film and Television from Melbourne’s Swinburne Institute of Technology, Gawler’s career has been hectic. One of his early credits was THE SULLIVANS, Australia’s landmark drama series that depicted an ordinary family coping with life during World War II, on which he served as Unit Manager, 1st Assistant Director, Acting Producer and Script Editor.

His writing credits, which are too lengthy to list in their entirety, include the feature film PLAYING BEATIE BOW (1984) and for television, G.P. (1993), LAW OF THE LAND (1993), BLUE HEELERS (1994-1996), WATER RATS (1995-1996), THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER (1994-1996), MURDER CALL (1996-1998), GOOD GUYS, BAD GUYS (1996), THE VIOLENT EARTH (1997), WATER RATS (1998-2001, HALIFAX FP (1999- 2001), STINGERS (2001), THE POSTCARD BANDIT (2002), LITTLE OBERON (2005), MDA III (2004-2005) and A MODEL DAUGHTER (2009). Gawler was also a Script Editor on Director Andrew Dominick’s feature film CHOPPER, which launched actor Eric Bana’s international career.

Gawler was Script Editor/Writer on Episodes 1, 2, 5, 8, 11 and 13 of the first series of UNDERBELLY and wrote episodes 1, 2, 12 and 13 of UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES. He also wrote episodes 6, 7 and 11) of UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, wrote the screenplay for TELL THEM LUCIFER WAS HERE, one of the three telemovies that formed the UNDERBELLY: FILES and episodes 1 & 2 of UNDERBELLY: RAZOR.

In conjunction with Elisa Argenzio, Gawler also produced UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, the UNDERBELLY: FILES and UNDERBELLY: RAZOR. He is currently serving as Screentime’s Senior Producer – Drama.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

ELISA ARGENZIO Producer

Elisa Argenzio’s experience in film and television production is extensive. Encompassing a range of senior production roles, Argenzio’s career to date includes many seminal feature films and television programs of the last two decades, including Director Lawrence Johnston’s multi-award winning film LIFE, which she produced.

As Production Manager, Argenzio worked with director Geoffrey Wright on his features LOVER BOY and ROMPER STOMPER. Around that time, she also worked on director Ray Argall’s acclaimed feature RETURN HOME. Additional Production Manager credits include director Sue Brooks’ ROAD TO NHILL, Robert Connolly’s THE BANK, which starred David Wenham and Anthony LaPaglia, and notable television shows such as GOOD GUYS, BAD GUYS.

Argenzio’s Line Producer credits are equally substantial and include the four-part ABC series QUEEN KAT, CARMEL & ST JUDE, SOMETHING IN THE AIR (series 2), Network Ten’s telemovie LIFE, the 13-part children’s series NOAH & SASKIA and four of Australian television’s most acclaimed mini-series of recent times – SOCIETY MURDERS, THE KING, the first series of UNDERBELLY and UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES. She has also served as Line Producer on several feature films including METAL SKIN, YOLNGU BOY, THE WANNABES, THREE DOLLARS, OPAL DREAM and the 2005 movie IRRESISTIBLE which starred Susan Sarandon.

Her credits as producer encompass CARLA CAMETTI P.D., a six-part television series starring Diana Glenn and Vince Colosimo that aired in Australia on SBS Television along with UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE the UNDERBELLY: FILES and UNDERBELLY: RAZOR.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

TONY TILSE Director: Episodes 1,2, 7 & 8

Tilse is one of Australia’s most respected directors of television whose flair for drama and keen eye for detail have ensured that his talents are keenly sought- after.

Throughout the nineties, Tilse directed several landmark productions for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) such as G.P., CORELLI, CLOSE-UPS, FALLEN ANGELS, A DIFFICULT WOMAN and LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD. Other assignments during this period included seasons 1 and 2 of BIG SKY and the cult sci-fi series FARSCAPE (seasons 1 and 2). He went on to direct episodes for season 3 and 4 of FARSCAPE in 2001 and 2002.

In 2002, Tilse directed the TV pilot of CRASHBURN which aired on Australia’s Network Ten, which he followed with THE POSTCARD BANDIT, one of the year’s most lauded telemovies. His next assignment, GO BIG (2003), was a finalist at the UK’s Manchester Film Festival in 2004. The same year, Tilse directed BLUE WATER HIGH (ABC Television), ALL SAINTS (Seven Network) and was the initial director for the Ten Network’s drama series, THE COOKS.

Additional television credits include SMALL CLAIMS – THE REUNION (2005), TO CATCH A KILLER (2006), LOCKIE LEONARD (2006), CITY HOMICIDE (2007), SCORCHED (2008), A MODEL DAUGHTER: THE KILLING OF CAROLINE BYRNE (2009), the telemovie PANIC AT ROCK ISLAND (2011) along with episodes of EAST OF EVERYTHING (2009), CROWNIES (2011) and MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES (2012).

Tilse has been with the UNDERBELLY franchise from the outset, having directed episodes 1, 2, 11, 12 and 13 of the first series of UNDERBELLY, episodes 5, 6, 7, 12, and 13 of UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE and episodes 1 & 2 of UNDERBELLY: RAZOR.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

DAVID CAESAR Director: Episodes 3 & 4

Caesar was raised on his grandparents’ dairy farm on the New South Wales south coast. The entertainment bug was evident at an early age when he started making animated Super-8mm films whilst still at school.

Before moving to Sydney, Caesar worked as a truck driver and played rugby. During this period he produced his first film on 16mm, NO MORE HEROES. Soon thereafter, he was accepted as a student into the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS), where his first major work, SHOPPINGTOWN, was awarded Best Film in its category at the 1987 Greater Union Awards for Australian Short Films, which led to a limited theatrical release in Sydney.

On graduating from AFTRS, Caesar worked on several productions for ABC, SBS, the Nine Network and BBC. His first feature credit was GREENKEEPING, which was followed in 1996 by the break-out hit IDIOT BOX starring Ben Mendelsohn and Jeremy Sims. Additional feature credits include the critically acclaimed feature MULLETT and the black crime caper, DIRTY DEEDS, which starred Bryan Brown, Sam Neil, Toni Colette and John Goodman.

For the small screen, Caesar has worked on a host of respected television shows including WILDSIDE, WATER RATS, STINGERS, CRASHBURN, FIREFLIES, RAN: REMOTE AREA NURSE, DANGEROUS, K9, RUSH, COPS LAC, RESCUE SPECIAL OPS, MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES. UNDERBELLY RAZOR and TRICKY BUSINESS.

IAN WATSON Director: Episodes 5 & 6

Watson spent the first ten years of his career working in theatre before turning his attention to film and television.

As a television director, Watson’s credits include HEARTBREAK HIGH, STATE CORONER, WILDSIDE, FARSCAPE, SEACHANGE, THE SECRET LIFE OF US, BLACKJACK 2, LOVE MY WAY, THE ALICE, TRIPPING OVER, MCCLEOD’S DAUGHTERS, CANAL ROAD, ALL SAINTS, CARLA CAMETTI PD, EAST OF EVERYTHING, SATISFACTION, WICKED LOVE: THE MARIA KORP STORY, PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, RESCUE SPECIAL OPS, KILLING TIME, WILD BOYS and DANCE ACADEMY.

He has twice been nominated for AFI Awards for television direction and was the inaugural winner of the Directors Guild of Australian Award for ‘Best Direction in a Television Miniseries’. He is also a sought-after lecturer and has worked with students at Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) and NIDA.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

FELICITY PACKARD Writer: Episodes 1 & 2

Based in Canberra, Packard, has written for theatre, film and television and is also a resident teacher at the University of Canberra where she lectures on Scriptwriting and Literary Studies

Packard was one of the series writers on UNDERBELLY (episodes 3, 7 9 & 12), UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES (episodes 3, 4, 9 & 10), on UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE (episodes 1, 2, 8 & 12) and UNDERBELLY: RAZOR (episodes 3, 4, 10 & 13)

Packard’s television credits include G.P. (series 5, 6, & 7) for ABC Television, the dramatic mini-series TRACKERS (1996) which aired on the Seven Network and more than seventy episodes (including three series finales) of the long-running family drama HOME AND AWAY. She has also written for MDA (series 3) and wrote the telemovie INJUSTICE for Screentime and Network Ten.

JEFF TRUMAN Writer: Episodes: 6 & 7

For the past two decades, Truman has been accumulating a formidable slate of writing credits, having penned episodes for some of Australia’s top-rating and critically acclaimed television dramas.

To date, his credits include A COUNTRY PRACTICE, ABOVE THE LAW, MCLEOD’S DAUGHTERS, STINGERS, LAST MAN STANDING, BLUE HEELERS, THE ALICE, THE STRIP, ALL SAINTS, RESCUE SPECIAL OPS, SEA PATROL, RUSH, PACKED TO THE RAFTERS CITY HOMICIDE, UNDERBELLY: RAZOR and TRICKY BUSINESS.

NIKI AKEN Writer: Episodes 5 & 8

After graduating with first-class honours at University of Canberra in 2007, Niki Aken has spent the past four years cutting her teeth in the drama department of Screentime, the television production company behind UNDERBELLY.

Aken’s television credits include Script Assistant on UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES and Principal Researcher on UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, UNDERBELLY: RAZOR as well as this season of the series.

Episodes 5 and 8 of UNDERBELLY: BADNESS mark Aken’s television screenplay debut.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

JOE PICKERING Director of Photography

After honing his craft on a variety of productions across the 80s including the feature films WINDRIDER, which starred a very young Nicole Kidman, and SHAME, Pickering spent much of the 90s working on two diverse, but extremely popular, television series; HEARTBREAK HIGH and WILDSIDE. From 1995 until 1997 he shot 70 episodes of the former, and during 1997 and 1998 he filmed 60 episodes of the latter. Throughout this decade he also worked on director David Caesar’s feature film IDIOT BOX, plus several telemovies such as THE FEDS, FIRST DAUGHTER and the award-winning drama WATING AT THE ROYAL.

Over the last decade, Pickering has brought his keen eye to some of Australia’s most prestigious television productions including the telemovie HEROES’ MOUNTAIN – THE THREDBO STORY, the landmark mini-series CHANGI and THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF MARY BRYANT along with notable shows such as BEASTMASTER, GRASSROOTS, WHITE COLLAR BLUE, FIREFLIES, McLEOD’S DAUGHTERS, EAST WEST 101, 30 SECONDS, THE CIRCUIT, WILD BOYS, THE STRAITS and BIKIE WARS: BROTHERS IN ARMS. Pickering also shot the original series of UNDERBELLY, along with series 3, UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, and the UNDERBELLY telemovie, THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY.

PADDY REARDON Production Designer

A consummate professional, Reardon has lent his visual flair to many major Australian features including JAPANESE STORY, HORSEPLAY, THE HARD WORD, CHOPPER, NOISE, MURIEL’S WEDDING, THE HEARTBREAK KID, PROOF and THE BIG STEAL, receiving five AFI nominations for production design in the process. In 2007 Reardon won the AFI Award for Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft for his work on BASTARD BOYS, CALL ME MUM and THE KING.

Reardon’s television portfolio ranges from the telemovie CALL ME MUM, the children’s shows HOLLY’S HEROES, FERGUS MCPHAIL, THE SADDLE CLUB and HORACE AND TINA to the acclaimed drama WAITING AT THE ROYAL. Additional TV credits include LAST OF THE RYANS, THE FEDS, ONE WAY TICKET, BOYS FROM THE BUSH, CARLA CAMETTI P.D., and THE KING: THE STORY OF GRAHAM KENNEDY.

To date, Reardon has been in charge of Production Design for the entire UNDERBELLY franchise, encompassing UNDERBELLY, UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES, UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, the UNDERBELLY: FILES telemovies and UNDERBELLY: RAZOR. His most recent credit is the anticipated big-screen cricket comedy, SAVE YOUR LEGS.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

LOUISE WAKEFIELD Costume Designer Born in England, Wakefield has worked steadily in costume design for film, television and theatre since 1981. Early assignments included several period mini-series; FOR THE TERM OF HIS NATURAL LIFE, UNDER CAPRICORN plus the features PHAR LAP and HIGH TIDE, the latter directed by Gillian Armstrong.

Wakefield’s talent was responsible for the costumes throughout the internationally acclaimed film, SHINE. Other feature credits include DAYDREAM BELIEVER, THE LAST DAYS OF CHEZ NOUS, THE NOSTRADAMUS KID, BABE, FISTFUL OF FLIES, DOING TIME FOR PATSY CLINE, PAPERBACK HERO, SIAM SUNSET, WALK THE TALK, THE NUGGET, STEALTH and GUESTS. In 2001 Wakefield also took charge of costume design on SOUTH PACIFIC, the lavish telemovie adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which starred Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jnr.

Wakefield’s television credits include THE FERALS, MISSION TOP SECRET 2, THE WHIPPING BOY, THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF MARY BRYANT, UNDERBELLY, UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITES, UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, the UNDERBELLY: FILES telemovies and UNDERBELLY: RAZOR.

BURKHARD DALLWITZ Composer Born in Germany, award-winning composer Burkhard Dallwitz was studying classical piano by the age of eight. At thirteen, he was composing, and from fifteen, wrote, arranged and performed for various musical groups.

In 1979 Dallwitz relocated to Australia, where he continued his music studies. Since 1984, he has worked as a composer for feature films, television and commercials, rapidly gaining an international reputation as a composer of note, and in 1996 he released his first CD of original instrument works, WORLDS APART.

Dallwitz’s feature film scores include the sci-fi drama ZONE 39, the romantic comedy PAPERBACK HERO, starring Hugh Jackman, and director Peter Weir’s futuristic drama THE TRUMAN SHOW. His score for THE TRUMAN SHOW went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Original Score in a Motion Picture, along with the The Chicago Film Critics’ Award, the ASCAP Film and Television Award. The soundtrack reached number two on the Billboard chart.

Dallwitz has also won two Screen Music Awards from the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (1993 & 1996) and in 2001 won the APRA Award for Best Television Theme for the Sydney Olympics 2000. In 2002 the renowned 385-voice Tabernacle Choir performed and recorded his theme for the Salt Lake Winter Olympics.

Dallwitz has several soundtracks out on general release and continues to work on local, European and US film and television productions. Additional credits include feature films such as CATERPILLAR WISH, the German production MANIPULATION, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer and Sebastian Koch, and THE WAY BACK, directed by Peter Weir and starring Colin Farrell. Dallwitz has also scored the music for the entire UNDERBELLY franchise.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

PRINCIPAL & SELECT SUPPORTING CAST (In alphabetical order)

Mark ALEXANDER-ERBER Kenny Hollie ANDREW Dr. Tracy Shepherd Luke BOVINO Vito Russo Joshua BRENNAN James Falconer Christian BYERS Jase Falconer Angie DIAZ Tahnee Michael DORMAN Crown Prosecutor Paul Leask Abby EARL Karina Anni FINSTERER Dianne Erlich John GADEN Crown Prosecutor Merv Grogan Jodi GORDON Kylie Keogh Douglas HANSELL Det. Snr. Constable Glen Moorfoot Aaron JEFFERY Frank O’Rourke Sophie KATINIS Jody Jody KENNEDY Paulina Erlich Goran D. KLEUT Jasper Pengilly P.J. LANE Michael Christiansen Jonathan LAPAGLIA Anthony Perish J.R. LAVETA Little Willy Strong Ella Scott LYNCH Snr. Constable Camille Alavoine Zara MICHALES Pippa Jason MONTGOMERY ”Decker” James MONARSKI Det. Snr. Constable Kaan McGregor Matt NABLE Det. Sergeant Gary Jubelin Luke PEGLER Det. Snr. Constable Luke Rankin Geordie ROBINSON Craig Bottin Terry SERIO Terry Falconer Justin SMITH Muzz Josh Quong TART Andrew Perish Bruce VENABLES Alan Morcombe Steven VIDLER Police Commander Benedict WALL Ben Dokic Leeanna WALSMAN Det. Sergeant Pam Young Sophie WEBB Lauren Perish Rory WILLIAMSON Det. Snr. Constable Jason Evers Ben WINSPEAR Det. Snr. Constable Tim Browne Petra YARED Joanne, FOCA Analyst

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

SELECT CAST BIOGRAPHIES (in alphabetical order) HOLLIE ANDREW Dr. Tracy Shepherd

Andrew graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts (Musical Theatre) after completing an Honours Degree in Drama at Adelaide’s Flinders University in 1999.

Television credits include CNNNN, LIFE SUPPORT, HOME AND AWAY, ALL SAINTS, SUPERNOVA SERIES 1 & 2 (BBC & UKTV), the second series of DOUBLE THE FIST (ABC) and DOUBLE TAKE.

Her stage credits range from THE RUBY SUNRISE (Ensemble Theatre), THE ADVENTURES OF SNUGGLEPOT AND CUDDLEPIE (Company B), WRONG TURN AT LUNGFISH (Ensemble Theatre), HAIR! (Production Company), JUMPING THE Q and 5th AT RANDWICK (Naked Theatre Company) to THE LAST FIVE YEARS (Echelon Productions), and MUSIC BY MOONLIGHT CONCERT SERIES at Sydney Olympic Park.

In 2004 Andrew was nominated for an AFI Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for her performance in director Cate Shortland’s feature SOMERSAULT and in 2009 was awarded the prized theatrical GLUG Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ in Ensemble Theatre’s production of THE RUBY SUNRISE.

More recently, Andrew performed in a 6-month Australian & Korean tour of the play/musical THE SAPPHIRES staged by Company B and Black Swan.

JOSHUA BRENNAN James Falconer

Joshua Brennan graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2011.

His television credits include OCEAN STAR, CASTAWAY and the ABC telemovie THE SHARK NET, alongside William McInnes and Angie Milliken.

On stage for WAAPA, Brennan has appeared in NANA, RUBEN GUTHRIE, SUMMER OF THE ALIENS, THE KID, A CHEERY SOUL and MACBETH along with TENDER NAPALM for Perth Theatre Company; and the HEATH LEDGER THEATRE GALA OPENING for WA State Theatre Company.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

LUKE BOVINO Vito Russo

In addition to studying his craft at NIDA, Bovino has participated in several acting workshops in Canada and United States.

To date, this young actor has enjoyed lead roles in over a dozen short films, featured in commercials and music videos and provided the voice for the lead character in the web series, REIGN CITY for Blackhole Entertainment.

MICHAEL DORMAN Crown Prosecutor Paul Leask

Born in Auckland, Dorman moved to Bundaberg, Queensland with his family at the age of ten. After dabbling in music throughout his teens, he relocated to Brisbane in the late 1990s to study drama at Queensland University of Technology.

One of his first breaks, post-graduation, was performing at Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre in 48 SHADES OF BROWN for which he received the 2001 ‘Matilda’ and the Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance ‘Best Emerging Artist’ Awards. In 2002, he joined the regular cast of the hit television series, THE SECRET LIFE OF US until 2005. Additional TV credits over the last few years include SMALL CLAIMS: WHITE WEDDING, THE SILENCE, RESCUE SPECIAL OPS, the telemovie, BLOOD BROTHERS, SEA PATROL and WILD BOYS.

Dorman has also starred in several feature films, ranging from the independent New Zealand production, 50 WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS, to SUBURBAN MAYHEM, WEST, ACOLYTES, TRIANGLE, DAYBREAKERS, NEEDLE, SLEEPING BEAUTY and THE KILLER ELITE.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

JODI GORDON Kylie Keogh

Jodi Gordon’s career commenced in her early teens after she won a modelling competition, which secured her a contract with Vivien’s – one of Australia’s most renowned modeling agencies.

This led Gordon to travel overseas, where she secured work in editorial, advertorial & commercial campaigns throughout Europe and Asia. In 2003 she relocated to Europe, living between London and Milan, where her success in the modelling arena continued.

In 2004 Gordon returned to Australia and was cast in the long-running TV series, HOME AND AWAY, where she stayed for four years, becoming a household name. For her work in HOME AND AWAY, Gordon was honoured with a 2006 TV Week Logie Award for ‘Most Popular New Female Talent’ and was nominated for ‘Most Popular Actress’ at the 2009 Awards.

In 2011 Gordon starred in two feature films, THE CUP and ANY QUESTIONS FOR BEN? and most recently was seen in the telemovie, BLOOD BROTHERS, which aired on the Nine Network.

AARON JEFFERY Frank O’Rourke

Thanks to his long-running role as Alex Ryan in the hit TV series, McLEOD’S DAUGHTERS, Jeffery is one of Australia’s most recognised actors. His portrayal earned him two TV Week Silver Logie Awards for ‘Most Popular Male Actor’ and won him legions of fans worldwide.

A NIDA graduate, Jeffery has enjoyed a busy career with many roles across film, theatre and television. Additional TV credits include THE DAMNATION OF HARVEY McHUGH, BLUE MURDER, WATER RATS, WILDSIDE, MURDER CALL, OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE, THE STRIP, CANERMAN: THE SIR JOHN SCOTT STORY. EAST WEST 101, UNDERBELLY FILES: THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY, WILD BOYS and MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES.

In 1999 he starred opposite Naomi Watts in Emma Kate Croghan’s romantic comedy STRANGE PLANET. Additional feature film credits include THE INTERVIEW, BEAUTIFUL and WOLVERINE.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

JODY KENNEDY Paulina Erlich

Since graduating from NIDA, Kennedy has been steadily accumulating solid experience on stage and screen.

Theatrically speaking, she has appeared in productions for Melbourne Theatre Company, Belvoir Street Theatre, Bell Shakespeare and Sydney Theatre Company. Audiences, however, will most likely recognise this versatile young actor from her regular role in the TV drama series, HEADLAND. Kennedy was also a series regular in Nine Network’s MONSTER HOUSE and recently starred in BROTHERS IN ARMS. She has also enjoyed guest roles in such TV shows as BREAKERS, HOME AND AWAY WATER RATS and LOVE MY WAY and also starred in the feature film, THREE BLIND MICE, alongside Brendan Cowell, Matthew Newton and Alex Dimitriades.

PJ LANE Michael Christiansen

At 11 years of age Lane attained a Performing Arts Scholarship at The Scots College, Sydney. Lane also studied classical piano for 11 years and was later tutored for another 2 years by Mike Meros, the keyboard player for the Beach Boys.

Lane went on to minor in music at college in Connecticut, where he received a full basketball scholarship. With a Dean’s List distinction (straight A’s) he became a leading light of the college’s music and drama productions, laying the groundwork for his future career. Although Lane turned to professional basketball after college (Greece 2005 – 2008) he has now embraced a career in the music and entertainment industries.

On his return to Australia and in a relatively short time in the business, Lane has appeared on numerous TV talk shows, been the subject of a featured story on A CURRENT AFFAIR, performed in front of 90,000 people at the 2009 Woolworths Carols In The Domain and was a presenter and performed at the 2010 TV Week Logie Awards.

Lane has also been a presenter on SYDNEY WEEKENDER, had a featured guest role on NEIGHBOURS and will next be seen in the feature thriller 6 PLOTS

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

JONATHAN LaPAGLIA Anthony Perish

Prior to starring in UNDERBELLY: BADNESS, Los Angeles based LaPaglia received much critical acclaim for his role in THE SLAP, the lauded Australian television adaptation of Christos Tsolkas’ best-selling novel of the same name. His performance earned him a 2011 AACTA (Australian Academy Cinema Television & Arts) Award nomination for ‘Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama.’

Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, LaPaglia spent three years as an emergency physician after graduating from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. However, bitten by the acting bug, he moved to New York in the mid-nineties to study acting. He received his first major career break in 1996 when he joined the cast of the hit television show, NEW YORK UNDERCOVER. From there, he went on to star as ‘Lt. Frank B. Parker’ in the cult science fiction series, SEVEN DAYS from 1998 to 2001, which he followed by joining the regular cast of police drama, THE DISTRICT until 2004.

Since that time, LaPaglia has guest-starred in many of America’s most notable television dramas including LAW & ORDER, THE AGENCY, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, THE SOPRANOS, MOONLIGHT, NCIS, BONES, DARK BLUE, CASTLE and BURN NOTICE. He also had a recurring role on the CBS drama COLD CASE.

Feature film credits include ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES, Woody Allen’s DECONSTRUCTING HARRY, A BEAUTIFUL LIFE, FINAL SALE and THE HIT LIST.

J.R. LAVETA Little Willy Strong

Originally born in Fiji, J.R. Laveta moved to Australia at the age of 6. Laveta began his career in 1995 when he was accepted into the Queensland Screen Performance Academy (QSPA) to study Acting Technique and Movement for Film. He then furthered his training at the Actors Centre of Australia.

Laveta’s love of theatre has seen him star in several productions such as ANMAL FARM, AS YOU LIKE IT and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. He has also appeared on Australian television shows such as A COUNTRY PRACTISE, CHANCES and HOME AND AWAY and enjoyed his feature film debut in the box office hit, TWO HANDS.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

ELLA SCOTT LYNCH Snr. Constable Camille Alavoine

Lynch had her first taste of acting at any early age, when she appeared in the Academy Award-winning film SHINE, alongside Geoffrey Rush.

Since graduating from NIDA in 2004, Lynch has featured in many television shows. She was a regular cast member in both ALL SAINTS and HOME AND AWAY, and played alongside Vince Colosimo in the telemovie, EMERALD FALLS. She also featured in THE SILENCE, which aired on ABC Television and guest- starred in CITY HOMICIDE. Most recently, Lynch starred as ‘Erin O’Shaughnessy’ in the television series, CROWNIES, which followed the lives of five, newly graduated, young solicitors.

ZARA MICHALES Pippa

Michales completed the two-year Screen Actors course at NIDA in 2009 whilst simultaneously studying for a degree in Media Communications and Journalism at University of New South Wales. Michales then went on to study with Australian Institute for Performing Arts (AIPA) as part of their 2010 Kick Performance Group. She was then selected to attend the AIPA Intensive Acting program in Los Angeles, training at the Young Actors Space. On returning to Sydney Michales was handpicked to study with the Professional Actors Workshop touring Los Angeles.

To date, Michales has played a supporting lead in the pilot episode for the television series, FAMOUS and guest-starred in the legal TV drama, CROWNIES.

JASON MONTGOMERY “Decker”

Montgomery graduated from NIDA in the mid-nineties. Over the last decade he has starred in a range of stage shows for prestigious companies such as Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Theatre Company and New Theatre, in productions ranging from THE LIFE OF GALILEO and MERCHANT OF VENICE to MOGADISHU and SINGING THE LONELY HEART.

Most recently, he guest-starred in the Seven Network television series, WILD BOYS. Additional television credits include WILDSIDE, ALL SAINTS, WHITE COLLAR BLUE, HOME AND AWAY, OUT OF THE BLUE, THE STRIP and RAKE.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

MATT NABLE Det. Sergeant Gary Jubelin

Matt Nable is an Australian actor and writer. Catapulted in to the film world in 2007 when Paramount Pictures Australia made their first Australian acquisition of the critically acclaimed THE FINAL WINTER, Nable wrote the screenplay and played the lead.

In 2008 he was the lead in Sony’s $7MM pilot for Spike TV called SIS: SPECIAL INVESTIGATION SECTION. In 2009 his first novel, We Don’t Live Here Anymore, was published by Penguin and in 2011 he starred opposite Clive Owen in THE KILLER ELITE, Guy Pearce in 33 POSTCARDS and was a lead in the third season of the International award winning Australian drama, EAST WEST 101. That same year Penguin published his second novel, Faces In The Clouds.

Most recently, Nable starred in the mini-series, BIKIE WARS: BROTHERS IN ARMS, for Australia’s Ten Network and will next be seen in the US film, K-11 and as the lead opposite Vin Diesel in the third instalment of the CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK franchise, DEAD MAN STALKING. His third novel, It Happened To Us, also to be published by Penguin, is due for release at the end of 2013.

LUKE PEGLER Det. Snr Constable Luke Rankin

Pegler’s television credits include PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, RESCUE: SPECIAL OPS. ALL SAINTS, THE STRIP, SEA PATROL, WILD KAT, COPS LAC, NEIGHBOURS and most recently, SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE for the Starz Network.

Pegler has also starred in several feature films including John Dahl’s THE GREAT RAID, with Sam Worthington and James Franco, Gregory Dark’s SEE NO EVIL, FOOL’S GOLD and THE CONDEMNED and writer/director Jonathan Teplitzky’s GETTIN’ SQUARE.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

TERRY SERIO Terry Falconer

Serio is an accomplished and versatile performer. His film roles include the break-out lead in 1982’s RUNNING ON EMPTY, HE DIED WITH A FELAFEL IN HIS HAND and DIRTY DEEDS. To date, he has appeared in over fifty of Australia’s most notable television productions, including SHOUT! THE STORY OF JOHNNY O’KEEFE (in which he played the title role), POLICE RESCUE, BLUE HEELERS, WATER RATS, WILDSIDE, STINGERS, BLACKJACK, STUPID STUPID MAN and the telemovie, A MODEL DAUGHTER: THE KILLING OF CAROLINE BYRNE.

Serio’s theatre accomplishments cross comedy, drama and musical genres in independent theatre and national and international touring productions. Credits include RASPUTIN, HAIR, THE THREEPENNY OPERA, BLASTED, 4.48 PSYCHOSIS, SUMMER RAIN, CONCUSSION and UNDER ICE. Most recently Serio appeared in the acclaimed WAY TO HEAVEN at Griffin Theatre and played the roles of ‘Bob Hawke’ and ‘John Howard’ in KEATING!, the runaway theatrical success of 2006-08, which earned him the 2007 Helpmann Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Musical’. Serio is also an accomplished musician singer/songwriter and can be seen frequently playing in his band Ministry of Truth.

JUSTIN SMITH Muzz

Smith’s television credits include SPIRITED, MY PLACE, QUEEN KAT CARMEL AND ST JUDE, WHITE COLLAR BLUE, BACKBERNER, STINGERS, THE STRAITS, TRICKY BUSINESS and BASTARD BOYS, for which he was nominated for an AFI Award for ‘Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama’.

Smith made his feature film debut in director Daniel Nettheim’s 2000 comedy/romance, ANGST. In 2011 he appeared in Fred Schepisi’s THE EYE OF THE STORM, Jonathan Teplitsky’s BURNING MAN and Julia Leigh’s SLEEPING BEAUTY, which was in Official Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. He has also performed extensively on stage in productions mounted by Bell Shakespeare, Company B, Griffin Independent, Railway Street Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company, whilst his musical theatre credits include BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, RENT and TICK TICK BOOM.

He will next been seen in Miro Bilbrough’s feature film, BEING VENICE and in the Nine Network mini-series, HOWZAT!

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

JOSH QUONG TART Andrew Perish

Most recently, this versatile NIDA graduate starred in the Nine Network telemovie, THE GREAT MIND SWINDLE. He is also known for his role as ‘Miles’ on the Network Seven’s long running drama, HOME AND AWAY and as ‘Matt Horner’ on ALL SAINTS. Additional television credits include HEADLAND, NBC’s THE STARTER WIFE, McLEOD’S DAUGHTERS, YOUNG LIONS, WATER RATS, WILDSIDE, THE LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL and CHAMELEON II. He was also the original host of Nickelodeon’s SARVO program.

Theatrically Josh has appeared in TROOPERS, THE MISER, MOTHER COURAGE & HER CHILDREN and OUR TOWN for the Sydney Theatre Company; THIS LIME TREE BOWER for Ensemble Theatre; ROMEO AND JULIET for Bell Shakespeare; OLD WICKED SONGS for Marian Street; KILLER SHARP for B Sharp; and ROPE at the Bondi Theatre.

As a highly regarded vocalist, he also took part in ELVIS – THE MUSICAL for John Frost organisation and BAD BOY JOHNNY for Enmore Theatre, and toured extensively as a back- up vocalist for Jenny Morris. In 2007, Josh Quong Tart starred alongside Genevieve Lemon in their acclaimed original cabaret show, LEMON TART.

BENEDICT WALL Ben Dokic Sydney-based Wall has largely worked in New Zealand, starring in such shows as OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE and the long-running hospital drama, SHORTLAND STREET. Additional television credits include A THOUSAND APOLOGIES and JOHN SAFRAN’S RACE RELATIONS.

He has also worked extensively with New Zealand’s Basement Theatre and starred in the US feature film RECKLESS BEHAVIOUR and the New Zealand movie, JINX SISTER.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

LEEANNA WALSMAN Det. Sergeant Pam Young

Walsman has acted in many plays and TV dramas over the last fifteen years, including the mini-series JESSICA, based on Bryce Courtenay’s novel, in which she took the lead role. Her big screen credits include STAR WARS: EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES, LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI and ONE PERFECT DAY for which received both AFI and IF Award nominations in the category of ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role.’

Since embarking upon her career, Walsman has divided her time between stage and screen. On stage she had worked predominantly with Sydney Theatre Company and in recent times has starred as ‘Stella’ in a STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, ‘Desdemona’ in OTHELLO and ‘Kali’ in STOCKHOLM. Walsman has also starred in a diverse slate of television productions, including WILDSIDE, LOVE IS A FOUR-LETTER WORLD, FARSCAPE, BEATMASTER, YOUNG LIONS, THE SHARK NET, WHITE COLLAR BLUE, HERCULES, THE INFORMANT, THE STARTER WIFE, and THE PACIFIC

SOPHIE WEBB Lauren Perish

Webb is a performer, writer and filmmaker who holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts in Theatre Studies and Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong.

She has worked extensively in professional theatre and has toured Australia with many live shows, including WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF, CAPTURE THE FLAT and A DAY IN THE DEATH OF JOE EGG. A classically trained singer, Webb has also performed in many musicals including the world premiere of OPEN FOR INSPECTION – THE REAL ESTATE MUSICAL, where she played the lead female role. She also starred in New Theatre’s production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.

In addition to her acting, Webb writes and performs cabaret and comedy and was a grand finalist at the Annual Sydney Cabaret Showcase at renowned Sydney cabaret venue, The Basement.

Webb divides her time between Sydney and Los Angeles where she is studying improvisational comedy with The Upright Citizens Brigade and also performing with her all-girl comedy group, PRETTY FUNNY.

UNDERBELLY BADNESS

RORY WILLIAMSON Det. Snr. Constable Jason Evers

Prior to graduating from NIDA, Williamson also studied acting at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama.

His extensive television credits include POLICE RESCUE, SHORTLAND STREET, WATER RATS, ALL SAINTS, and THE PAPER GIANTS: THE BIRTH OF CLEO along with the US telemovie, DYNASTY: THE MAKING OF A GUILTY PLEASURE.

Feature film credits range from UNDER THE RADAR, LA NOIRE and DECADENT EVIL II to THE LAST ONE and director John Duigan’s CARELESS LOVE.

This talented young actor is equally comfortable on the other side of the camera, having worked as a writer on television shows as PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, HOME AND AWAY and WINNERS AND LOSERS. He has also written and directed several short films and is currently developing a feature film screenplay.

BEN WINSPEAR Det. Snr. Constable Tim Browne

In addition to his acting skills, Winspear is a theatrical director of some renown, who has helmed productions such as KING LEAR and THE TEMPEST for Sydney Theatre Company, as well as working as assistant director with artists ranging from Robyn Nevin, Jean-Pierre Mignon and Judy Davis to Garry McDonald and Barrie Kosky.

Although he has starred in several television dramas such as MY PLACE, PANIC AT ROCK ISLAND and CROWNIES, the theatre is this NIDA trained actor’s first love. Accordingly, Winspear has starred in numerous productions including SAME, SAME BUT DIFFERENT, GREAT EXPECTATIONS, NOW THAT COMMUNISM IS DEAD MY LIFE FEELS EMPTY, LOVE LIES BLEEDING, FRANKENSTEIN, BAGHDAD WEDDING, FAUSTUS and THIS UNCHARTERED HOUR for companies including Bell Shakespeare, Queensland Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre company, Playbox Malthouse and many more.

Winspear has also received several critical accolades, including a 2010 AFI Nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama’ for MY PLACE and the 2009 Helpmann Award for ‘Best Male Actor in a Play’ for his performance in BAGHDAD WEDDING.