1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: John Francis Spiteri is back. Spit is in. 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 2: Cinemas tomorrow, and Johnny Spiteri himself is joining us now, David, 3 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 2: when I'm good morning. 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 3: Made welcome in, Lisa, good morning. 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: It's so lovely to talk to you now. 6 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 2: Spit is a follow on, of course, from the two 7 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 2: thousand and three blockbuster Getting Square. It's been over twenty years, wow, 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 2: and yeah today time you just slipped straight back into 9 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 2: the role. 10 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was pretty good. We looking, to be honest, 11 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 3: we didn't realize that we were going to make a 12 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 3: film twenty two years later. Yeah, But to kind of 13 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 3: very long story, She's sure we did. And it was 14 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 3: sort of relatively effortless. I hadn't worn thongs in twenty 15 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 3: two years, but it so as I put them on 16 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 3: and the feet went in there, the characters sort of 17 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 3: started to emerge again, and it was as though he 18 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 3: had been within me in twenty two years, wanting to 19 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 3: disbust out again. 20 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: I was going to mention how impressed I am at 21 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: how fast you can run in thongs. 22 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 3: It's a skill, a skill. Yeah, I don't know. If 23 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 3: I did it myself, I'd probably want to go a 24 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 3: few meters and then fall over. But as Johnny, for 25 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:10,119 Speaker 3: whatever reason, he ripped and then he nearly it nearly 26 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 3: becomes airborne. 27 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 4: You do your own stunts. 28 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 3: I do. 29 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 4: Did you need to be surgically removed from those skinny 30 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 4: leg jeans? 31 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 3: No, A bit of a Stanley knife at the end 32 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 3: of it. Yeah, they were nearly painted on. 33 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 4: Yeah, absolutely down the back. 34 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 3: Well, I'll tell you what, there is a secret. There 35 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 3: is a secret to them. I picked them up in 36 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 3: London the year before I did the film. I got 37 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,759 Speaker 3: them from a charity store. And when I actually bought them, 38 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 3: the lady said, you do realize their pregnancy pants, don't you? 39 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 3: And that's that's why, that's why I can squeeze in. 40 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 3: There's a little bit more give than what you'd think. 41 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 2: Gotcha, you do realize, of course, I. 42 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 3: Said, of course I was on the hunt. 43 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: It's so good to see us. 44 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: So many of the cast from Getting Getting Square back together, 45 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: including of course not just the cast, but writer Chris 46 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,079 Speaker 2: and I and director Jonathan Timminsky are back for the project. 47 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: Would you have would you have made it without either 48 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: of them? 49 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 3: No? No, no, no, without a doubt, no no, no no. 50 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 3: And the thing is as well, you're right. You know 51 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 3: some of the cast to back as well, and not 52 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 3: just you know Chris who wrote the script, Jonathan and director. 53 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 3: We've got exactly the same cinematographer who shot at the 54 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 3: same head of design, head of hair and maker. All 55 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 3: these people were so desperate to come back together and 56 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 3: work on this, and they had offers to go and 57 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 3: do big American films, and but they just held off 58 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 3: so we could all get back together and do something 59 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 3: that we absolutely adore in Love, which is the world 60 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 3: of Johnny. 61 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 4: Spatteria, absolutely in that cast mate. I mean I picked 62 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 4: Gary Sweet just from the shape of the back of 63 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 4: his head when he was a silhouette first came on. 64 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, it's a very shiny head. It's incredible. 65 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 3: At the moment they saw him the other night, it 66 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 3: as greening and he's swimming ten k's does he It's like, 67 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 3: oh my god, I think he wants to go for 68 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 3: the seniors game. 69 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 4: Right, big business spit is? 70 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 2: You know, he's so damn lovable. Did you base him 71 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: on anyone in particular? 72 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 3: An amalgamation of a few people I knew most of 73 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 3: the inspiration came from I lived in We're just down 74 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 3: from King's cross for thirty years. So you know, I've 75 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 3: said lots of Johnny's materials in my time, and Johnny's 76 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 3: relatives and friends, and I've really got a soft spot 77 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 3: for them, and so does Chris, who wrote the film. 78 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 3: His whole sort of outlook on life is he he 79 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 3: believes everybody is good, everybody is born good. But some 80 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 3: people along the way, some events might occur and happen 81 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 3: to them. They just push them down, you know, an 82 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 3: alley or a street that they probably wouldn't have gone 83 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 3: down other wise. But that's you know, what, what what 84 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 3: he thinks with Johnny's bacteria, and in this film a 85 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 3: spit we get we get to see his backstory and 86 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 3: we understand a little bit as to why he has 87 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 3: turned out the way he has. 88 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 4: That's right, And people can certain actions when you're get 89 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 4: a bit desperate or yourself in a spot of bother 90 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 4: or whatever. And that happens quite a bit with Yeah. 91 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 3: And the fact is, you know, we all have our 92 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 3: faults and flaws as well. 93 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Maybe we're just talking about the incredible 94 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 4: number of roles of you know, the roles you've done. 95 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 4: I just want to un lista and I sat there 96 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 4: and watched the movie Elvis and thank you for Hank 97 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 4: because that was that was just brilliant to see you 98 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 4: bring Hank Snow to the screen. 99 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was a bit of a legend. 100 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 3: I got to bed. I hadn't really been aware of 101 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 3: how big that guy was back in the day. Yeah, 102 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 3: he was a legend. 103 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 2: Seeing as we're going to see as we're going to 104 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: start naming characters that you played. I absolutely loved you 105 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,679 Speaker 2: playing Andrew Fraser in Killing Time. 106 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: Well, I mean the starters. I just I think his story. 107 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 2: He is so interesting and you did an amazing, amazing, 108 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 2: amazing job. Do you have any favorite characters you've played, 109 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 2: you know, favorite roles yourself. 110 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 3: I have a lot. There was an interesting one, yeh 111 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 3: playing Andrew Fraser. People I don't know if he represented 112 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 3: somebody over this part of the world. He represented Alan Bond, 113 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 3: and he was he was the first person to come 114 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 3: out whether he basically gave Alan Bond that I don't 115 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 3: remember defense and he actually had got god Alan Bond 116 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 3: to have a brain scan and there was some little 117 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 3: dot in the brain and he basically said, yep, that's 118 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 3: the part of the brain where it affect the memory, 119 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 3: blah blah blah blah blah. Incredible. It was a very 120 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 3: shifty person. But as characters, oh look, I've been lucky 121 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 3: to play a lot of you know, amazing characters. Johnny Spatiri, 122 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 3: I'm going to say, is probably up at the top 123 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 3: of the tree. 124 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah, what a tree. 125 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 3: I love him. I love him. 126 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 4: Of course. In the last couple of days, we've been 127 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 4: talking about the aftermath of the OS because it's Lisa. 128 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 4: Lisa calls it her grand final week, actually loves it. 129 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: So like a film better than sports? 130 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 4: Do you pay much attention when the award season is on? 131 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 3: And I know it's a dreadful thing to say, but 132 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 3: I don't. You know, it's not a snobby thing or anything. Honestly, don't. 133 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 3: It doesn't interest me. It's like they're lucky dips. It's like, 134 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 3: you know, whoever wins the best film, is that really 135 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 3: the best film of the year. Probably not. There's not 136 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 3: probably a hundred films around the year that all around 137 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 3: the world that are equally good or better. It maybe 138 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 3: less people I've seen them. It's yeah, it's a wonderful 139 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 3: publicity sort of machine. But no, I don't take any 140 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 3: of that seriously. But people who are nominated and win whatever, 141 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 3: good luck to them. 142 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 2: Nonetheless, it's nice to have been in a movie that 143 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 2: won as many Oscars as any other movie has ever won. 144 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 3: Lord of And if I do, that's right, yeah, and 145 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 3: if I do, look through my filmography, Yeah, I've been 146 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 3: in a number of films that have been up for 147 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 3: Best Film at the Oscars, or I've worked with people 148 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 3: who have, you know, won awards on films that have 149 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 3: been in Yeah. So yeah, it's pretty nice. 150 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:05,359 Speaker 4: But yeah, it's just your feeling on it. 151 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it's a little bit of fluff and bubbles. 152 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 2: Yes, Yeah, it was nice to see Guy Pierce there 153 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 2: this year. 154 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: Probably no guy quite well, I imagine. 155 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think the week before an awards 156 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 3: ceremony on the Gold Coast actually the Actor Awards. Yes, yeah, 157 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 3: he's terrific and it's yeah, that's fantastic watching his career brilliant. 158 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 4: We're hoping with this new studio set up being built 159 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 4: here in Perth, in northern suburbs in Malaga, that we're 160 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 4: having to see you over here more for a fair 161 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 4: chance of that, because it's going to be a pretty yeah. 162 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, without doubt, I'd love to work over here again. 163 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 3: And I'm also a patron actually of a film festival 164 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 3: down south Sydney Festival. I haven't been for a few years, 165 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 3: and so I think hopefully i'll have a little bit 166 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 3: clear air later this year and I'll be able to 167 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 3: go back down there bustled. 168 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 2: And well, you know full well how many wonderful locations 169 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 2: we haven't And I always talk about the light. 170 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: The light in w A is different, it's. 171 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 3: Very special, special. Yeah, I've been lucky. I've shot a 172 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 3: few combs over here, and it's like it is a 173 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 3: pretty magic place. And you know, you know, I shot 174 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 3: up in Cannenaro, shot up in you know, near Bremen, 175 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 3: and I've shot down Southwest. It is so bloody beautiful 176 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 3: over here. Yeah, it's an amazing part of the world, 177 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 3: not just astraight of the world. It's yeah, it's incredible. 178 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 2: So can we ask you your first accredited role, I 179 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 2: think was debt collector in Sons and Daughters in nineteen 180 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 2: eighty seven. 181 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: Do you remember when? 182 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:35,079 Speaker 3: Did you remember that? 183 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 2: Do you remember where you were when you got the 184 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 2: call that just changed the trajectory of your life? 185 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 3: The debt collector, I don't. I don't, but but I 186 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 3: can remember back then how you'd get the wages or 187 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 3: the money from those things. It was great. I used 188 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 3: to get a bit of a an eighthol piece of paper. 189 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 3: It was typed on it. You know, one day work 190 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 3: on whatever Sons and Daughters produced by Rech Grundy, and 191 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 3: then your wage for the day, which was probably like 192 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 3: about thirty two dollars. The test. Yeah, I love those those. 193 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 3: Maybe I'll bring back that character. Yeah, collector, now you're talking, 194 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 3: yeah number I love the number two. Yeah, all right, 195 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 3: I played ambulance Man number one. 196 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 4: Another thirty two bucks you invested, David, it all. 197 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 3: Went downhill from there. 198 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 2: No, I think it all augured pretty well, and right 199 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 2: up to this point that we get John Francis Ptiri 200 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: back again. Spit is in cinemas tomorrow. David Wenham, thank 201 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 2: you so much for joining us. 202 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 3: Pleasure great chatting with you.