It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reloaded podcast.
Last week Their Life.
Welcome back guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Underniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite
shows get made. So each episode I've been finding guests they want to dive just that little bit deeper into their shows they're currently making, so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. On today's podcast, I have Ossie actor Guidon Grantly here to talk about his time on The Traders, which launched its second series on Network ten
this week. Guiden is best known for his portrayal of convicted murderer and drug trafficker Carl Williams on the hit Australian television show under Belly, for which he was nominated for Most Outstanding Actor and a Drama Series and Most Popular Actor, winning the two thousand and nine Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor I found out today that he has over fifty four credits on IMDb for his work at Australian TV and film, one of my favorites being
House Husbands, for which he did five seasons. However, audiences were delighted to hear that Giton joined The Traders, which sees everyday Ossie's joined by some familiar faces. Taking on the popular reality series, The Traders features a group of twenty four contestants who move into a grand Heritage hotel who work as a team to uncover who is a
Trader and who is a faithful. The show picked up a cult following last year, with many incarnations over the world and plenty of people falling in love with this exciting new format. I will find out how Goton was asked to be on the show and if Roger Coursa had anything to do with it. We will unpack the first week's twists and turns, finding out what might have gone wrong for Guiden and how we might have been
better to play the game. Goten will share what the contestants really think of Ash Pollard, if Elias was the main reason for his demise, and what happened to Sam's blindside. Plus We will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of The Traders, which can take news next Monday night at seven thirty on Network ten and you can catch up on ten Play Now anyway, let's bring Gyton
into the podcast. And I'm also really excited to be sharing this with a lot of the Traders super fans who I know are out there.
Hey, Buddy Hawaii, I'm fine and dandy.
I am so shocked that you're already out of The Traders Series two, Episode two? Are you pissed off?
Are you? Are you really shocked? Did I ever stand a chance? As soon as everyone got savvy to the fact that I was an actor, I just didn't stand a chance. I reckon, you're.
Gonna hate this. No one likes to be given a compliment, but ver calming energy about yourself, like you want to be your friend, and so I just immediately thought you being on this show, your personality type with disarmed people, and they wouldn't be so quick to try and cut you.
That was my hope. I've been off and asked what was my strategy. If I were to say I had one, it would be the heart. My hope was that I would last at least a week so that I could gain people's affection and possibly trust, because obviously my biggest worry and handicap was that I was an actor, a professional wiar and no one would trust me. So in terms of my characteristics, if people got to know me a bit better, they'd feel, like you say, calm and feel safe around me. But I just didn't get the
time to do it. I throw it under the bus very early.
How did they approach you to do this show? Because the first season was all civilians and then this season we've been peppered with celebrities. How did you get casts? Maybe it's your favorite show. I don't know.
Well, that's an interesting term that you use, civilians. A certain contestant used that term and it didn't go down well amongst the quote unquote civilians. But look, I think that's actually the whole point of it is that we're all the same when it comes to telling lies. That's what I was trying to campaign to save myself, is that we all have the ability to see each other, doesn't matter what our profession. But the question was how
did I get involved? I was approached. I was a big fan of playing alien in my twenties at the dinner parties with a few bottles of wine and ten or so friends. I was pretty good at it and I really enjoyed it. So the opportunity competed in this situation is really exciting.
So do they hit you up on Instagram? Or did Roger pass over your phone number? I want to know, like, how did this happen?
Through my agent? Here the proper channels. I watched the first season, the Australian one, and did a little bit of googling of some of the other English speaking seasons around the world, and I was in. I was like, this is that one.
I haven't watched the Dutch version with the subtitles.
Does it translate with all their lies?
And yes, it was just as good. I think that's where I might be getting this wrong, but I think that's where the heritage of the show is. I think that's where it originated, so it might have been its first incarnation. But I really got involved with the lies, the deceit, and the ability to be good at this sort of a show.
Well, the Dutch have this personality kind of trait where they're very direct and you can come across as quite rude they're just being honest. So I can imagine that would make for very interesting situations in that show.
But even your character that you've played, you know because of Underbelly, which you know Carl Williams is a bad guy. But then I think of you more and this goes to show you the type of television I watch is from house Husbands. And my question on top of all of that is how does the general public usually see you? Do they normally see you more for the bad guys that you've played on television or for the good guys.
Yeah, well, like even Carl. The reason why Carl Williams got away with anything he did was because no one assumed that he was the evil person that he was, because he was appable, deepy, kind of blundering idiot. He was a pretty nice guy. Really was definitely not threatening. Sure he was a very evil person, but he didn't come across that way. I feel like when I act, when anyone acts, really you're just just emphasizing parts of yourself. All you can do is use who you are and
amplify parts of that. So maybe that is who I am and nice.
Well, it's funny. I remember night going out with So a friend of mine was in the first season of Underbelly and after filming one day we all went out. Well I got invited to come along, not we and so I went to a nightclub on Grevell Street in Melbourne and people responded to Vince Colossimo like a gangster already. And then I ran into him years later, and it had sort of accentuated itself because of that character of
Alphonse Gandritano that he played. So that's why I was curious, because it seems like the general public has an idea of who you are without really ever knowing who you are, because you're an actor.
I guess, So I guess. I mean, that's what we do when we put ourselves out there, isn't it. We throw ourselves over to perception and misconception to the public. Look, Vince is actually really lovely guy. You know. I've known him for quite a long time now, and you know he's had his troubles and he comes through over the time. But at the heart he's a sweetheart. And we're all got our public faces, don't we, even whether we're in
the media or not. And you've got to spend the time we really get to know, people, I think you know.
What I also think is really interesting about your elimination is what do you think of this? I think the show would be cool if the viewers maybe didn't know who the traders were, so it was a bit like the Mole where we had to try and guess who the traders were. Or what would be good is imagine if it was live and so you filmed all of it up until that last part each week, and then the public would eliminate someone that night and then you
go back into production. I know that's a very expensive show, but I think that would be an even better version of this show, and I think you would survive a lot longer with the public's vote.
Both are great ideas. I think they've both got a lot of tent I think I guess there's the idea of reality TV and the audience just gets to yell at the TV like basically they can spend the whole hour every night you eat it. These people they're morons. But yeah, definitely works the way you're proposing as well. It would certainly make it more intriguing and exciting to wait and see who who it is, And yeah, maybe it might have helped my chances quite a lot. You know.
I had a friend who had a very similar hairstyle to you in this series, and he loved the man Bun and wore it on the show, and then once he watched it back, he was not as big a fan of the hair Bun and the Man Bun, I should say anymore? Were there any details? Now it sounds like I'm onto your hair Man Bun as though that's a regret, and it's not. But it was there anything? But was there anything watching it back that made you think, Oh, I wish I would have prepared that differently.
No, you're right. It's a good point because it's a first time I've done reality TV. I've done plenty of interviews, but everything's prepared. I guess in that respect, he's got the time to make sure everything's in his right place and looking good or all bad however you want it to be. Yeah, when you're throwing yourself out there just to be you know, with twenty or so cameras hiding behind bushes trying to catch you, it's a bit different. But I was. In terms of the man Bun, I've
never had long hands. The first time I grew to have a COVID and I was like, this is great. I'm going to rock this for a while.
I want to know about this relationship with you and Roger. We've talked a bit about Underbelly. Both of you were co stars. Did you get a chance to catch up during filming or did you try and distance yourself from that.
Oh, he was very well behaved. It wouldn't have been fair, I guess, or seemed there if we had little chats here and there. So the only kind of interaction we had was he gave me a wink at the very beginning, and I gave him a wink back. But afterwards, after my banishment, he came and picked me up from the room and took me down to the local village and we had to be had a good old catch up there and talked it all over.
I just was assuming that he'd give you some tips. I mean, he was there hosting the first series, so I thought when he found out that you were going to be on it, he would have wrung you up and given you some tips on how to do it, or helped you with the research.
He's a consummate professional. He kept his lips sealed, and you know, wish me well, and that was that.
What did you think of Annabelle's breakdown at the end of your well, just as you've been eliminated? Was that genuine? I mean it seemed very over the top.
Yeah, so look, everything's different when it comes down to the edit. Sometimes those banishments can go on for over an hour, so everyone was very tired. But her breakdown had occurred earlier, when it seemed like everyone had turned on me or they'd given up on blindsighting Ash, and I guess she felt like she betrayed me, but she still voted for me as well. So at the time I was positive that she was a sociopath because because
she clearly voted for me and was clearly crying. So it just didn't make sense.
How can you be like vote someone off the competition and then burst into tears, but the mind boggles.
I think maybe she felt like, at the very very last second, she had to go with the go with the group, otherwise it would seem it would make her put her in a precarious situation. If she voted for Ash and she was the only one or one of two or three, then it would put her out in the open and so maybe at the very last minute
she realized she had to switch and that broke her heart. Perhaps, Look, Adabelle and I have chatted quite a lot since the show's finished, and she's she's a sweetheart and there's no hard feelings.
But she also referred to as her dad. She was like, he's like my dad, and I was like, I don't know if that was the right way to describe the relationship.
I'm not ready for that yet. And I mean, I've got kids, but they're all under the age of six. So maybe maybe Keith Keith could play you play that part. Yeah, Look, a lot of us have have kept kept in contact. We don't actually know the results, but that's been kept in the dark from us. But we've been able to communicate on a WhatsApp group and stuff like that, so and there's been little catch ups and stuff. So yeah, look, at the end of the day, it's just a game and no.
One actually died, which I thought was perfectly said.
How that comes in just the right moment. There's no bullshit. We had her and she's not ashamed or afraid to be her. She is and she is the first person I met, and we spent quite a long tom. That's what made me get so terrified that I was suspicious of her because she kind of shied away from me for a while, and so I got to start throwing out accusations. Otherwise people don't think you're trying. And I was adamant, but she was a trader. But I was wrong. My tradar was very off.
How does this thing happen? So you know, when they write down your names, So they were going to blindside Ash Pollard, right, and so it looked like that was what was going to happen. But all of a sudden, that's not how it unfolded. But didn't everyone have to write their names down before they started flipping them? Or when you get your time to say who you're going to you know, eliminate? Is that when you write down
the name? Because I couldn't work that out because I was like, all of these people that are about to blindside Ash Pollard, all of a sudden they didn't. I don't understand. There was something not adding up for me.
Yeah, look, Ben, I didn't understand either, which is by the end of the day, it's just what I'm talking to you now. I'm not in a few weeks from now. Look, you're right. Look you've got to remember that there's a law of time condensed into a short period. So I didn't really have any choice. It was my only lifeline. When it was the idea was brought to me, I was like, that sounds great, as long as it's not me.
And I guess in the discussions that happened before people write down someone's name, there was a lot of heat coming towards them away. I did my best to defend myself, and I still can't think of any other way of how I could have convinced people that I was faithful. At the end of the day, it was very early on, so people are just happy to save their neck make a sacrifice. I honestly think a lot of people believed I was faithful, but they just went with the group.
I agree, I really do.
In terms of what happened with Ash, I'm not sure. I'm not sure why they all switched, which did make me feel quite received, but also made me wonder why they needed to go to that extravagant kind of ruse to ease my anxiety or something, because I already knew I was going to go, So I don't know why they created this. I this pretend story that they're all going to vote for Ash. But now having watched the show, I could see that sam Ra actually was trying to
organize that. So I don't know what happened, Ben, Honestly, I don't know how all of a sudden everyone wrote my name down, not Ashes.
But when do you write does the name right get written down before everyone reveals, or do they write get the name down as you.
Yes, yes, we all write them down at the same time. So we all sit down and we all have a big argument about all sorts of things. Everyone throws silly accusations out and recaps things with wrong, wrong recollections. There's a lot of defending going on, and we're going but I didn't say that, And then eventually Roger were saying, okay, everyone time to write the name down, and so we all do it at the exact same time. So it's not like you're going to get to see, oh, ship
five people have written down Gun's name. I better too, So I guess the vibe was out there. I mean there's there's there's like looks that you can prow across at each other. Sam kept looking at me saying mouthing the word weight like again, I feel like he was just trying to ease my pain and wait for what mate, wait for my desk? So yeah, that can happen. But yeah, to answer your question, yeah, Roger just says time to do it, and we all do it at the same time.
Ash Pollard is getting a hard ride already. Episode two. We can start to see that, and we were just briefly talking about that blindside that never happened, you know. And it seems like from what we're about to see next week that Sam and Blake, who are her two traders are after her? Are we not seeing everything here? Is Ash a bit of a complicated character? I mean, is she hard to get along with? Or what thread has been pulled on her story for both other traders to now be turning on her.
Look, I'd say the reason why they're turning well, Sam's turning on her is just purely tactical. Ash certainly did have some discrepancies with other players. She didn't get off to a great start with some people. But I don't know of anything huge that went down. I was unaware of it. I think it was purely tactical. Sam can see the potential, and just it's better to manage if it's just him and Blake. And I'm sure Blake's down
with that too. It's like, we're great, it's just you and me now, buddy, let's let's manage it this way. And there's always the chance that you can come in every official term, but you can bring someone in later on in the season to join you as a trader. Yeah. Maybe they didn't trust her, you know, maybe they just thought that she was too much allowed now, or she did have a fish slip up. Didn't she like she wasn't as safe as they were. I guess you could say.
Another question I had for you was about a Lias because you know, in that first episode, he really gave people enough of a reason to go after you. He kind of put a hole in your boat which was too hard to fix for the second episode. Do you think that if he hadn't brought your name up so hard in the first elimination that you might have been able to survive a few more episodes?
Yeah, I do. Like I said earlier, my hope was to survive at least a week or for four or five days, to gain people's affection, you know, so they then hopefullly a bit of trust, and it really did, really did hamper my chances, and gosh, I've thought back on a lot, and I don't think there's much else I could have done to defend myself or convince people
of my innocence. Gosh, I've had thoughts of that. Maybe I should have just gone in full evil and just started making up stories about people and just really rocked the boat. It's not in my nature, but I think maybe if I had a second chance, i'd try that. I'd actually mentally prepare for that and go in just full evil and you know, just enjoy really messing with people. But I thought it would be best to keep honest and be myself. It's probably a lot easier and safer
to do that. And then kind of midway then you really have to start the strategy of alliances and grouping together to just knock people out and find out who's who.
I just don't understand why. If I was there and I was a part of the series, I would get rid of Luke straight away, regardless of anything he said or did, because he's one big brother the IP. He's been on two seasons of survivor. We know he's a dog like no matter what I would what he said or did, I would go around to make sure we got rid of him. Episode one.
Yeah, Well, like he said in one of his little interviews, is like he was quick off the mark to go and form friendships, kind of like I hope to do. I think he just give him a lot faster. He's such a good gra areous, tall, handsome, lovable kind of character. And hey, he's he's a reality TV star, so a lot of these people are big fans of him. Half of the guys and they didn't even know who I was because they're quite young, and so it did take a Lias to calling me out as an actor for
them to realize that I was a potential threat. And that's why I went for him. I wasn't positively positive, but he was a trader, but I thought he's going to be my best chance of knocking someone else out or at least taking the heat off me. But it did work, you know.
Pam Miranda said that it's important to get work now in both scripted and unscorted reality. Is that you know, will we see more of you doing some reality and following peer Miranda's sort of I guess opening up both doors because I mean, she was saying, when you're an actor, it's hard you're as waiting for those calls and there's not as much work in Australia as we would like. So she's like, why wouldn't I now lean into unscripted reality as well as doing her scripted dramas. You know
what about you? Has this been a good taste of your reality experience? Will you do more? Or you kind of burnt out?
Had Anthony's The Australian industry is in a huge kind of evolution. I'd say streaming TV is affecting it. Really, a lot of local content has really stopped being made, and if it is being made as a co production with Britain or America and so then only huge stars are kind of wanted. You're always Greeners and you're all Saints and you kind of your house husbands. Those local shows they're just not really being made anymore. So for the Australian actor, it's getting really tough to get work.
So reality TV is starting to look very you know, appealing, and so that's one of the reasons why I did this was for the work, Like for the opportunity to keep my profile out there. That being said, I had a ball. I had an absolute ball. So if any other opportunity comes up, like Survivor or you know.
What's really funny was that Pam Miranda was doing an interview with the wildly successful TV tonight, which is like you know, hello, Well, so she had this interview she said I'd love Survivor, and they rang her the next day and put her on the show. So maybe we'll have that kind of effect.
Yeah, I'd love to race around the world or something like that. That would be fun, amazing race or maybe even there's a new one waiting for me. I'm a keen cook, love to do Master Chef. Look, it's it's it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. And look, we're really well treated when people are kind, and you know, it's a lot of due diligence and care taking for our mental health, and you know, it was a safe place. So looking a it's fun TV.
So I'm definitely uput for more experiences like that.
I think you're going to be a trendsetter with this because with what's happened with the writer strike, I think there's going to be more of a need to lean on the unscripted reality for a couple of years whilst that all sort of while we get over that hump, I think a lot more people are going to be open to doing unscripted reality during this time.
Absolutely, yeah. Look, and it's got potential to evolve as well and to change its format lens. Look, if you even think about it, we were using the word unscripted. You know. Skip shows were fantastic, like thank god you're here. There's potential for all sorts of stuff to come out in the future and slid and see where it goes.
Well, I'm always in your audience. I can't wait for that. The last question I have for you is the same thing I ask everyone who joins the podcast, and what is something from behind the scenes, something that we didn't see, kind of like a behind the scenes secret about what it's like to make the Traders.
You might notice there's a difference between this season and last season. There's a lot less drinking, So we're basically allowed one drink a glass of wine or a glass of beer at the end of the evening, and Roger's favorite thee would be to sip behind the wall, watching the screens and with no other producers to see who would double fished? Who would walk up and grab two drinks quickly, quickly down one as fast as they could, and then hold the other one and take that one
up to bed. It's a very stressful game and been long days, and you know sometimes you just need that second glass of wine to take to bed.
Are you the double dipper?
Oh? I tried. Yeah, I wasn't as skilled at it. I didn't want am aware of the technique until I was informed about it going on. But I definitely would have given him a shot because I thought about it.
As such a big fan of your work. I have seen nearly all of your work on all of your shows many times, so this is a real honor to be able to sit here and have this conversation with him.
Thanks Ben, I do remember you on the Red Carpet. Yeah, You've always been quite a colorful character on the carpet. Compare data interviewers and some of the more better questions. Hopefully I'll do some more work and I'll see you here on the path again.
Yeah. Absolutely, I really appreciate your generosity with your time and chatting. It was amazing pleasure.
Ben, thank you, good luck with it all, and hope you speak