WEBVTT - CASTING LEGEND JAN RUSS FAREWELLS NEIGHBOURS 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:01.720 It's in the news today, but it was actually on 0:00:01.800 --> 0:00:05.080 TV Reload the podcast last week. An welcome back to 0:00:05.160 --> 0:00:08.639 TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris and on this podcast 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:12.039 I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:15.240 Each episode you will get a front row seat with 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:20.560 content makers like executive producers, writers, editors, and casting agents, 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:24.280 plus the talent that we see on our screens. TV 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.760 Reload reloads the shows that you were currently watching and 0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:31.080 gives you a better insight at our television industry and 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:34.640 streaming services today. On the podcast, I have one of 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:37.640 the key ingredients to Neighbour's success over the last thirty 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:42.080 seven years. It is casting legend Jan Russ. Jen has 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:44.640 been at the top of the appreciation list when it 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:46.920 comes to many of the actors who have walked the 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:50.239 streets of Ramsey Street. The actors who were cast by 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:53.960 Jen loved her enthusiasm for the show and her undeniable 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:56.560 love of actors. If you had a meeting with Jan, 0:00:56.880 --> 0:00:59.360 you never forgot it, as she always found a way 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:01.520 to add somew you to the careers and the minds 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:05.120 of the hopefuls who stood before her. Responsible for the 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:08.800 initial cast and the ongoing series for decades. Her credits 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:13.199 include Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce, All Three Hemsworth, 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:16.760 Margo Robbie and that's just a handful of names who 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:21.120 found their career origin stories at Neighbors. We will talk casting, 0:01:21.280 --> 0:01:24.840 the backstory to Neighbors, early trials and tribulations, what Jen 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:27.959 would look for in casting, and what she thinks of 0:01:28.040 --> 0:01:31.400 the soap coming to an end. However, let's get started 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:35.320 with this celebration of Neighbors as it does conclude Thursday night, 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:38.959 I'd like to welcome Jan Russ to TV Reload. 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:43.080 TV Soapy axed. 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:46.120 It certainly feels like the end of venera. 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:47.840 You'll go so quickly. 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:52.960 Putting that whole cast together, that was really exciting. 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:55.400 Yeah, lots of our faces working there. 0:01:56.760 --> 0:01:59.920 It's strange seeing and lovely seeing some of the old cars. 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:02.880 Street is not going to be the same without you. 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:05.960 In these days, a lot of people think they can 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:06.520 be actors. 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:09.840 We might be leaving the street, but we're always going 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:11.520 to be in each other's life always. 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:15.800 That was part of my purpose to make sure that 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:20.880 the audience really believed these people were actually living maybe 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:22.200 in the television seat. 0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:24.120 Hi, Jan, how are you. 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:27.840 I've been I'm really good. Thank you. It's lovely to talk. 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:30.200 To you, so lovely to chat with you. And I 0:02:30.240 --> 0:02:33.079 guess we should start by asking, is this a strange 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:36.240 week for you to be so intrinsically connected to the 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:39.240 success of Neighbors. How are you feeling? 0:02:39.400 --> 0:02:43.600 Well, it's sort of I don't feel anything, and yet I. 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:50.840 Feel the end of an era really an interesting concept 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:54.440 because obviously I haven't been with Neighbors for involved with 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:57.799 them for a few a few years now, and so. 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:00.560 It's I don't know, it's a very weird feeling. 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:04.040 It's strange seeing and lovely seeing some of the old 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:07.800 cast obviously have come back, and that's wonderful, you know, 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:09.600 to have seen photos of them. I would have loved 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:13.919 to have been there to meet them all again, because 0:03:14.160 --> 0:03:16.440 you know, it was such an incredible time that we 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:19.440 had back then, back in the eighties, was an extraordinary 0:03:19.480 --> 0:03:22.800 time here in Australia with the show. It was phenomenal, 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:25.200 and so that would have been lovely. I mean, it's 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:28.840 sad that something after thirty seven years, which is quite 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:32.880 extraordinary here in Australia, that a show has finished. But 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:35.280 as I say to people, every good thing must come 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:35.839 to an end. 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:36.880 Life moves on. 0:03:37.160 --> 0:03:40.400 And nothing last for ever. You know what is interesting 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:43.360 about it is the amount of people that they have 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:45.800 been able to secure to come back and do this 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:48.720 send off for Neighbors. Are you surprised to have seen 0:03:48.960 --> 0:03:52.440 Guy pears, Kylie Minogue, you know, Margo, Robbie, Jesse Spencer, 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:55.560 all of these amazing names come back and take part 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:56.400 in the finale. 0:03:56.720 --> 0:03:59.720 Yes, I was, But then again that's where they will 0:03:59.720 --> 0:04:02.560 start and that's where they've got their big break. So 0:04:02.800 --> 0:04:05.160 I think it's lovely that they have come back and 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:08.800 they do appreciate that that's where it all basically sort 0:04:08.800 --> 0:04:11.640 of started for them really. I mean they had done 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:14.680 other things before, some of them, but Neighbors was their 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:18.120 real starting point that lifted them through to the success 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:20.080 that they've got now, which is fantastic. 0:04:20.200 --> 0:04:24.000 You know, we do like to pay homage, I guess 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:26.560 to where we get started. We don't forget our roots. 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:28.919 I think that to me that sounds Australian to me. 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:30.800 I don't know if it does to you. So I 0:04:30.800 --> 0:04:31.680 think it's a good thing. 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:34.800 Well, it certainly does, and it certainly has as far 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:37.359 as they're all concerned by coming back on the show. 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:41.480 But yeah, I don't think it's an all Australian thing. 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:44.120 I think sometimes we get that it's all about self 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:44.560 in a way. 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:46.680 Sometimes sometimes egos get. 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:50.560 In the way. What an industry an industry full of egos. 0:04:50.839 --> 0:04:53.720 I think you were involved with the show even before 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:57.479 it was called Neighbors. What was your first conversation that 0:04:57.520 --> 0:04:58.560 you had about the series. 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:02.000 My first conversation I had a call, a telephone call 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:06.200 from Reg Watson and he was, you know, the concept. 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:08.880 He had the concept of the show obviously, and he 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:11.600 rang me and I was casting prisoner at the time 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:14.440 for Grundies. And he rang and said, oh, Jane, we're 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:16.520 thinking of doing a new show. We'd like to do 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:18.640 this new show. And he said, I'll send you a 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:20.880 couple of scripts to read. I want you to read them, 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:24.279 and he said, start compiling, putting a list of cast together. 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:28.120 So he sent them down, these scripts down to me 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:31.000 and which were originally called Living Together. And so I 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:34.760 read them and started putting a cast together. And you know, 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:38.000 so we had a few conversations backwards and forwards. Then 0:05:38.040 --> 0:05:40.440 it came through that yes, we're going to do the show. 0:05:40.720 --> 0:05:43.159 So then a producer, John Holmes was brought on board, 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:46.279 and then a director was brought on board, and so 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:49.599 that's that's how the whole thing started. And Channel seven 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:52.360 were the ones that actually picked it up first. 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:54.800 And then Channel seven really only had it for a 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.480 short period of time before they kind of dusted their 0:05:57.480 --> 0:05:59.320 hands with it. And then it was Channel ten who 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:01.800 brought it back and sort of reimagined it a little bit. 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:04.479 But there was also a fire that may have happened 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:05.159 at some point. 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:09.719 It's funny, that, isn't it. It's funny how the steps 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:13.840 got burnt down. Absolutely, that was very strange. Yes, a 0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:17.279 few funny things happened when we changed over, but yes, 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:20.200 I think, you know, not knocking Channel seven. But at 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:23.960 that time they didn't really do a lot to publicize 0:06:24.000 --> 0:06:28.119 the show. And then I remember, you know, they asked 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:31.080 the show and on front of the Truth, which was 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:36.400 a newspaper back then, was big black headlines, TV soapy acted, 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:40.120 you know, it was it was an incredible thing, and 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:44.520 so fans were standing outside with black arm bands and 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:49.320 red carnations because even then we had a following, you know, 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:50.159 which was lovely. 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:52.640 And then I remember was all in my. 0:06:52.640 --> 0:06:57.480 Office, the producer and the assistant producer and myself and 0:06:57.520 --> 0:07:00.600 my assistant sitting in my office waiting for that phone 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:03.800 call to see if it had been picked up by 0:07:03.839 --> 0:07:07.240 another network. We were just waiting. Then the Champagne of course, 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:09.280 was sitting on the desk, ready to go, ready to 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:13.040 be popped. And so the phone call came through and 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:15.200 they said, yes, Channel ten have picked it up. Well 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:19.200 that was it, and then Channel ten were absolutely fantastic 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:22.120 with their you know Brian Walsh, he's now with Fox, 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:26.840 and just the publicity that they did was just extraordinary. 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:29.160 And I mean they had you know, Kylie and Jason 0:07:29.200 --> 0:07:32.680 others flying into State on weekends giving away television sets. 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:36.680 I was doing lots of traveling all around Australia with 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:39.600 the big shopping centers, with some of the cast doing 0:07:40.200 --> 0:07:42.920 auditions and all that sort of thing. So the publicity 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:47.720 was fantastic. And then of course we heard that Reg 0:07:47.880 --> 0:07:50.520 was going to the UK to see if he could 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:54.720 sell the show, and then it came back that he'd 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:57.560 sold the show to the BBC, so we thought, oh, 0:07:57.680 --> 0:07:59.320 this is lovely. 0:07:59.400 --> 0:07:59.640 You know. 0:08:00.120 --> 0:08:02.280 Well then of course, you know, it aired on the 0:08:02.320 --> 0:08:07.720 BBC and then everything went wow, it really went crazy, 0:08:08.080 --> 0:08:12.440 and I mean, we had journalists flying in from overseas 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:16.120 during that early eighties period, you know, from News of 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:18.600 the World and all of that from the UK. 0:08:19.160 --> 0:08:20.840 But they were all trying to sort of. 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:24.640 Find negative things about the cast, you know, and it 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:27.440 was an extraordinary time because we'd never experienced that here 0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:30.400 in Australia. They're all trying to find out after you know, 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:32.280 we've got to dig the dirt on any of the 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:36.040 actors and they were interviewing you know, their family and 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:39.240 friends and you know, I mean we were getting having 0:08:39.320 --> 0:08:42.080 to get you know, they were paying money to people 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:44.240 to say anything and we were having to get sort 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:47.400 of declarations. I was sitting in on interviews with these 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:50.320 journalists because you know, I was there sort of saying well, no, 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:52.160 you can't ask that, or you know, all of that 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:54.680 sort of thing. So it was a really amazing time 0:08:54.720 --> 0:08:56.600 and it was for us it was sort of we'd 0:08:56.600 --> 0:08:59.320 never experienced that here in Australia before. You know, it 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:03.280 was quite quite extraordinary the publicity that came from the 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:06.160 UK when it really hit the ground running over there. 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:10.319 Why do you think that the UK became so obsessed 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:12.439 with neighbors? I mean, what do you think the connection 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:15.600 was that made the UK audiences just resonate with this 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:18.120 show being made so far away from where they lived. 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:20.520 Well, I think a lot of it was, you know, 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:24.320 the outdoors, the blue skies, the sunshine, the swimming pools 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:27.280 and you know, I mean get dark over there at 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:28.720 four o'clock or something like that. 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:29.480 You know, where is that? 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:34.800 And I think seeing these wonderful, fresh faced young people 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:38.760 and very importantly the older generation as well. 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.240 I think that's a really key point that you're making 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:44.679 about the successive neighbors, and that was the diversity of 0:09:44.760 --> 0:09:48.320 the cast. And absolutely, you know when you looked and 0:09:48.360 --> 0:09:51.040 even still today do we have the correct representation of 0:09:51.080 --> 0:09:54.520 the invisible older woman. And they were so intrinsic to 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:57.240 the story and they were so beautifully written in and 0:09:57.280 --> 0:09:58.760 it felt very seamless, you. 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:02.880 Know exactly exactly and what it also does, and this 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:04.720 is something that was taught to me by a lady 0:10:04.720 --> 0:10:07.079 called Betty Pounder when I was in musical theater with J. C. 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:11.079 Williamson's that you have your older actors there. You must 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:14.280 have those for the younger ones and they give support 0:10:14.320 --> 0:10:18.520 to the younger ones. So the level of experience and 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:21.200 knowledge that the younger ones learned from the older ones 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:24.880 help them and the older wonderful experienced actors and they 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:28.640 learning from them and they don't do that these days. 0:10:28.800 --> 0:10:31.560 It frustrates me so much when I watch a lot 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:34.720 of Australian television that they don't have that where they 0:10:34.760 --> 0:10:36.720 have in America, they have it in England. 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:37.480 We don't have it here. 0:10:37.520 --> 0:10:40.800 We do not respect our older performers and we've lost 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:44.559 so many of them and some of the wonderful, wonderful actors. 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:46.160 We still have some of them, and they're not used 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:47.959 to their full ability, which is really sad. 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:51.440 Well. Anne Hattie, who played Helen Daniels on the show, 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:55.000 everyone knew that she was kind of the mother hen 0:10:55.080 --> 0:10:58.120 on set and people loved to work with her because 0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:00.200 she was able to teach them so much. And then 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:03.720 Jackie Woodburn also sort of took over that for so 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:05.959 many years. And if I spoke to anyone that was 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:09.080 working on Neighbors, whether it was Jesse Spencer or Nalie Bassingthwaite, 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.840 not to name drop a few, but they always talked 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:15.240 about how generous Jackie was, and the older cast always 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:17.760 talked about how generous, you know, Anne Hattie was. 0:11:18.000 --> 0:11:21.280 Absolutely, and well, you had Anne Hattie, you had Anne. 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:25.400 Charleston, you had Mara de Grout, and you had all 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:27.440 of them back then, you know, you had a big 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:30.520 group of the older ones, which gave strength to everyone 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:33.040 and really helped the younger ones. And I mean, I 0:11:33.120 --> 0:11:37.080 think I remember a night of the Logis that Jason 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:40.160 won Best New Talent and Mara at that time had 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:43.320 been in hospital because she had cancer, and so she 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:45.760 was allowed to out of hospital that night in a wheelchair. 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:48.920 So she arrived at the Logis in the wheelchair and 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:50.400 she was there for a while and then she had 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:53.600 to leave, but she missed out on Jason getting his 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:57.600 LOGI and he dedicated it to her, which was the 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:01.800 most beautiful thing. You know, he dedicated his BLOGI to 0:12:01.880 --> 0:12:05.160 Mara because you know, she had given them so much. 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:08.000 And I think that was you know, that was very 0:12:08.120 --> 0:12:08.760 very special. 0:12:09.080 --> 0:12:12.240 When people in the industry thought of neighbors, they thought 0:12:12.280 --> 0:12:14.640 of you, Jan Russ, it was the first thing they 0:12:14.720 --> 0:12:18.440 thought of. And I've been around the industry for so 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:21.680 long and your name is still so heralded with the success, 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:24.520 you know, of the casting of such amazing legends. Is 0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:27.360 that an amazing thing to know that you've sort of 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:30.920 in the zeichgeist of Australian television forever for such an achievement. 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:34.120 Yes, it is because it was. It was not anything 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:36.840 that any of us expected. But you know, I've always 0:12:36.960 --> 0:12:39.040 felt I had an eye for that, having been a 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:42.280 performer myself, you know, and I think that has made 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:46.160 a big difference in my knowledge of actors and knowing 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:47.959 what they can they're capable of doing. 0:12:48.120 --> 0:12:50.040 And because I've been an actor. 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:54.120 And done a lot of you know, I've done theater, film, television, stage, 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:56.560 I've done it all, so I sort of really understood 0:12:56.559 --> 0:12:58.520 actors and I think that helped me. And it is 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:02.079 it is quite humbling actually to know that. 0:13:02.640 --> 0:13:04.480 What do you think, really, I mean, apart from having 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:07.160 your background of acting, what made you so successful in 0:13:07.200 --> 0:13:10.120 the role of casting? What does casting mean to you 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:13.720 when it comes to finding the right person for the role. 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:18.080 My love of actors, having been there myself, I've understood 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:20.360 all of that, as I said before, but to me, 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:23.720 it was important that I actually worked with the actor 0:13:23.960 --> 0:13:26.440 and auditioned them and then I would I needed to 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:29.120 see if they could take direction and see if if 0:13:29.120 --> 0:13:30.240 they would listen to me. 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:33.480 What I was saying and that they could change. 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:35.920 And I could, you know, I could see if they 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:40.160 had that talent and ability to extend into something else. 0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:43.200 They weren't just a pretty face that could spout words 0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:45.920 and not fall over the furniture. And I think that 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:49.520 comes from and I think it's probably an maybe it's 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:51.840 an inner instinct as well that I had that I have, 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:53.640 I still have. I can still pick them, you know. 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:57.560 You know, casting was I loved doing my job. I 0:13:57.640 --> 0:13:59.959 loved it, and I loved being able to give back. 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:04.040 Does that opportunity to fly, to take that opportunity to fly? 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:06.200 And if they did that, good on them. Some of 0:14:06.240 --> 0:14:07.800 them did, some of them didn't. Some of them went 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.320 into other things and they flew, you know. But that 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:12.600 to me was the most exciting part. 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:12.760 Of it all. 0:14:12.840 --> 0:14:15.600 And because I loved actors, I think that was that 0:14:15.720 --> 0:14:16.559 was my biggest thing. 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:19.520 What happened in the way in which you, as an 0:14:19.520 --> 0:14:22.960 actor decide to cross the floor in a way, so 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:25.760 to speak, and decide to work on casting? I mean, 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:29.160 was there something that made you make that career decision? 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:33.400 Well, in another I've had a few lives. In another life, 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:36.520 I did a bit of I did do some directing 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:40.360 and of plays. So I had that idea. But I 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:42.720 was in a show called Godspell and we do in 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.160 New Zealand, and we were playing in Melbourne and there 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:47.680 was another friend of mine in the show called Chrishiel, 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:50.720 who has passed away, but he became a television director 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.880 on the ABC. And we used to sit between shows 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:57.160 and eat our dinner before the next show, and we'd 0:14:57.160 --> 0:14:59.600 sort of say what we'd like to do, and he 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:01.640 wanted to to be a TV director and I said, well, 0:15:01.680 --> 0:15:03.240 you know, I think i'd like to sort of, you know, 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:04.200 get into casting. 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:06.960 I feel that I have that right instinct. 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:09.680 And so when that, you know, I mean, after that 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:13.480 all happened a while later, obviously, and I knew there 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:16.640 was a vacancy coming up at Crawford Productions because someone 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:19.680 I knew had just left. So I applied to that 0:15:19.720 --> 0:15:21.680 and got the job, and that was working with Bunny 0:15:21.680 --> 0:15:24.760 Brook and so I was at Crawford's and then and 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:27.440 then I had a phone call from in Smith and 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:29.320 he rang me and said, oh, you know, do you 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:31.200 want to go for lunch? And I thought, oh, hello, 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:33.960 free lunch, Yeah, I'll go. So I went to this 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:37.600 lunch and it was actually with the producer of Prisoner, 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:40.360 who at that time was a guy called Lex van Oz, 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:43.680 who I had known when I'd worked in New Zealand 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:46.240 because I worked in New Zealand in television, film and 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:49.360 all that over there as well. And he said to me, 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:53.000 we'd like you to come in and cast Prisoner and 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:55.280 I said, oh, oh my god, no. 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:56.320 I don't know if I can do it. 0:15:56.360 --> 0:15:59.000 I've been working with Bunny, but you know, and he said, no, no, 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:04.160 we believe you. And so I went to Crawfords and said, look, 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:05.480 I've been off of this job. And I went to 0:16:05.480 --> 0:16:07.360 Bunny and said, you know, I've been off of this job. 0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:09.640 And she said, you have stolen my brain? 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:13.560 How dare you? How dare you? 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:17.400 They should have offered me the job. I took the 0:16:17.520 --> 0:16:20.440 job and so I cast, you know, I cast a 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:23.640 prisoner for the last couple of years. And then that's 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:26.120 during that time was when Neighbors. 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:28.520 Popped up as well. So yes, that's how it all 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:29.000 came about. 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:31.240 Was there a person that you placed in a role 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:35.280 at the beginning where you thought to yourself, Wow, I'm 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:36.200 really good at this. 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:38.040 Yeah, I don't I don't know. 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:42.400 I just loved at the beginning putting that whole cast together, 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:46.800 that was really exciting because you're putting families together and 0:16:46.880 --> 0:16:52.160 trying to make them believable as families, but still getting 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.720 good performance. And what I had in my mind was 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:59.760 I wanted to find good actors who really weren't terribly 0:16:59.800 --> 0:17:02.680 well known. That makes it all believable for the viewer, 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:05.840 you know, otherwise that you were seeing, oh there's so 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:09.520 and so playing a role, Well, that's not making it believable. 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:12.480 That was always in my head for neighbors as well. 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:16.200 And so that to me was is the exciting part. 0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:19.280 And yeah, there were times that I sort of thought, 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:22.240 oh my god. I mean Kylie was one. I mean, 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:24.040 it's all the ones that have been successful. I mean 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:28.280 it's Kylie and Margo Robbie and Chris Hemsworth and you know, 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:31.359 Liam Hemsworth, and I mean all of those guys you know, 0:17:31.520 --> 0:17:36.520 to me had that extra power, they had that X 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:39.600 something and it's I mean, but I used to I'm 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:41.320 not like today they sit around and wait for the 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:45.680 phone to ring. I mean I was out all the time, looking, searching, 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:50.800 traveling for talent, looking for it, you know, And that 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:53.479 to me is what you have to do. I mean, 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:55.280 you can't sit on your bum and wait for the 0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:57.360 phone to ring or wait for someone to come into 0:17:57.359 --> 0:17:59.439 your office. You've just got to get out there and 0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:02.560 look for and know every actor that you possibly can. 0:18:02.640 --> 0:18:03.600 That's what it's all about. 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:06.199 I love those stories about you because I heard that 0:18:06.280 --> 0:18:09.320 for years that you were just so passionate about what 0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:11.280 it is that you were doing, that you were tapping 0:18:11.280 --> 0:18:15.240 into so many different resources and continuously meeting people and 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:18.280 sort of shifting around your vision board. I think that, 0:18:18.440 --> 0:18:21.480 to me is the ultimate passion of television, you know, 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:25.399 and so you really tried to do very different things 0:18:25.440 --> 0:18:27.119 to make that show always sing. 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:31.639 Yeah, it is important because that's that, to me, is 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:34.919 what a casting person is all about. You need to 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:38.080 be out there, you know. I'd go to local shows, 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:40.760 not just professional. I'd go to local shows. I'd go 0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:43.600 to local schools. I'd go to drama classes, I'd go 0:18:43.640 --> 0:18:44.800 to anything possible. 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:46.240 And that's why I love. 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:48.879 Sort of traveling around, you know, because you're going to 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:51.160 different states. I even went to New Zealand and brought 0:18:51.200 --> 0:18:53.719 three actors back from there from New Zealand. At one stage, 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:56.480 you know, therefore, that wasn't good I suppose taking work 0:18:56.520 --> 0:19:00.439 away from Australians, but you had to You've got to 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:04.560 expand you can't live in that little bubble because what 0:19:04.680 --> 0:19:07.359 I see a lot now is you see same faces. 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:09.600 A lot of the same faces are popping up all 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:12.040 the time, and you gok, God, there's so much talent 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:14.480 out there, and I see so much talent. I still 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:15.840 try and get out as much as I can. I 0:19:15.840 --> 0:19:16.959 don't see it being wasted. 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:20.760 There's a delightful story on TV tonight regarding the casting 0:19:20.760 --> 0:19:23.879 of Kylie Mino. You mentioned how shy she was, you know, 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:25.800 but was right for the role that you thought she 0:19:25.920 --> 0:19:29.359 was right. What does that say about actors? Do you think? 0:19:29.920 --> 0:19:34.600 That's an interesting questions? It's something that to me, they've 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:38.760 got that inequality. For a start, there's something that's in there, well, 0:19:38.800 --> 0:19:41.360 they have the passion, a true act that has the passion, 0:19:41.840 --> 0:19:46.280 and that's an inequality. And it's also what happens between 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:50.440 the actor and the camera. Where is that graordinary something 0:19:51.000 --> 0:19:54.240 that happens. You know, people have called it all sorts 0:19:54.280 --> 0:19:56.480