It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload.
The podcast Past Deep Aline. 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 all the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are still a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little
is note about how our favorite shows get made. So each week I've been finding guests the wanna dive just that little bit deeper into the shows they're currently making so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this podcast however you found it. I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave a review or a comment
on your chosen podcast platform. This chat, I'm joined by Australian actor Lochlan Buchanan, who is currently in the smash hit series well Mania, which is now available on Netflix Australia. Lockie takes on the role of actress comedians Celeste Barber's brother and he is actually very funny in this series, which has actually been out for a few weeks now and has been ranking extremely high across Netflix around the world.
Well Mania is an Australian comedy drama streaming television series co created by Bridget Delaney and Benjamin Law for Netflix. The series is based on Delaney's memoir Repertoire Hybrid Wellmania Misadventures in the Search for Wellness, and it follows live herely Celes Barber, a thirty nine year old woman who struggles with a major health crisis as she tries various methods to reclaim her wellbeing. I will talk to Locke about his life in Los Angeles and how he has
survived for fourteen years trying to crack the biz. Lockie will also explain if the show was scripted or if they had to improvise a lot of the comedy. We will talk about gay culture in television and film, and why he thinks this show offers an alternative to some of the stereotypes that we've seen over the years. Plus, we will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of Wellmania, which you can now binge the whole thing
on Netflix. Anyway, let's bring Lockie into the podcast and I really hope you enjoy this chat.
Hi Lockie, how are you?
Hi? Good? Thanks man, how are you.
The worst part of ever talking to anyone I've worked out in my real life is ever saying hello to someone or saying goodbye, Like I have no authentic way of doing it.
This is like my two hundred.
And fiftieth podcast, And I still when I say to say when I go to say hello, I'm like, hello, I'm right there with you.
I'm as awkward as they come, like I And then goodbye. It's like that, and then the weird handshake thing happens.
Yeah, that's story of my life. So I hear you know it's.
Really weird as well as like when I leave parties, I don't say goodbye to anyone.
I do a runner and it's so it's so rude, Like who does that to.
People have invited you to their house, You're having a great time and all you're out with them socializing and then you don't even say goodbye to them, and you think in your mind at the time, that's better than actually going up and having to depart from them properly.
Do you know what I'm so with you on that.
I think It depends on the situation, because sometimes it can be there are too many people to say goodbye to, and it's like I'm going to spend the next thirty minutes saying goodbye to people, or I can just duck out now, and like are they really going to notice? I have this one friend, though, who and I think what I've discovered is that he tracks me on his phone, like my location and so because within five minutes of just disappearing out of a party, I'll get a message
but you left, like what how does he? How does he notice this stuff? But it depends like there's sometimes where I'm like, oh that was that was probably a bit rude, like genius, a bit a bit rude, and then there's other times where I'm like, I'm fine with it.
So I think it depends. So don't don't be too hard with yourself.
People love to make you feel better and say no, stay stay. I don't think they want you to stay either. They just am like they're being polite, no you can't go, And I hate having to be like, well, you know now, I'm looking for some bad reason to leave when actual fact, it's as simple as this, I'm done. I'm done, You're just done?
Yeah, well, and then to flip it around though, are you then the person that when someone says they leave and you go okay.
I say get out. I say get out. I don't want to see you anymore. I'm so weird.
Even with these pasts, I get so excited about talking to people, but it's like food for me, and I get so excited about doing the podcast, but then as soon as it's done, I just push the plate away like I never want to see it again. And like with these people, they'll then try and stay friends with you afterwards. You know, they'll chat to you on Instagram forever or do.
You want to catch up for coffee? And I'm like, oh, I don't ever want to see you again.
We already talk like.
I mean, that's how I feel about most of my friends after I hang out with them, like okay, we're gone for a while, right.
But it's also because I get so like I'm I'm not. I don't know.
When it comes to being in a podcast, I get the license to ask all the questions that you want to know, like from these people, and then to sort of move from that stage of being able to ask all those questions to being social where it's actually kind of really intrusive to say, you know, you just one Master Chef and you've won two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, how are you going to spend it? Like I can ask that in a podcast, right, but socially no.
Yeah, it's a different thing.
Yeah, with you, all I want to talk to you about is how do you look this good?
Like?
You are one of the best looking men I've ever seen in my entire life. When I was going to do this podcast, I looked at your Instagram and I basically felt like shutting my Instagram down.
I was like, I can't throw my face anyway.
Oh so it must be early there. You must have sleeping your eyes still or something.
No, this is the end of day. I know who you are.
But when the interview came across my desk, I then went to the Instagram as the first point of call, and I just was like, wow, and I feel like this is on brand. It's not me being creepy because you know we're talking about the show.
Wellness, Well, thank you, that's really kind.
You've made my day. I'm in LA at the moment. So it's Monday, afternoon. I was the week's already. This is the high point in the week already, so it's downhill from here.
How are you going in Los Angeles? Because I went there in two thousand and seven and I have had the best time while I was there, and people would come from Australia over to see me, and I worked out that not a lot of other Rossies loved Los Angeles, where I've had a great time, Like, I've really seem to find quite easy for me.
What about yourself, Yeah, that's funny.
It's you either love it or you hate it. I think there's kind of very few reasons to be in between. I'm used to it because I've been here for about fourteen years now and I just got back a week ago.
I was in Australia for a while. It's like a home for me. But I love getting out of here. You know.
There's a lot of things about it that I love. There's a lot of things about it that I kind of hate. But it's weird because it's one of those cities where everything happens here in the world first, and so that can get a little bit addictive sometimes, and I think that's what some people can really love about it.
But you've just got to remind yourself.
And as time goes on, you realize more and more that's that's not the real world, and that it's not how all things go. So yeah, it's good to escape. But I'm very happy here. I'm very happy to leave here now.
I had a great time, and I just recommended a fellow journalist to go and have ale. Well, he was already going there, and I said, look, these are the things you've got to do. Run run in canyon every day, go to the grove, to the farmers market, get the sushi, keep your head on, you know, don't get sort of lure it into traps, keep socializing, keep meeting new people, and you know, have like a whole schematic. And he's there at the moment. He just thinks it's the best
thing in the world. He's like, Ben, you're so right. Los Angeles is the bomb.
Yeah, because there is, because there's everything at your fingertips, and so that's just it's so easy. And it's funny when I go back to Australia and you know, even Sydney, and Sydney you know it's an international city, but you know,
everything's fairly easy. But LA is just a different kind of easy where there's just everything's there and it's just so simple, and you kind of get used to that, and then you can kind of confront you when you go home or look up from the Sunshine Coast originally and it can spect Oh everything closes at five pm?
Got it? Okay? So yeah, it's a bit of fun, but it's great.
Yeah, Like there's a lot of cool people, people from everywhere, and I have to say the last few years, like the food and drink scene is off the hook.
It's really good.
How do you stand out in a place though, where all of the gay men over there look like they've been carefully molded out of clay? I mean, you also have a body like that, but you know, how do you stand out like? Because that was the one thing I found while I was there was that I felt like I sort of just looked nothing like what the gay men look like on the scene.
Well again, I thank you, but be loud and have an Australian accent. I guess I don't know.
Here's the thing, though, so many of them are too worried about what they look like themselves that they're not really noticing anybody else.
So there's also that they're just looking in the mirror.
Yeah, pretty much, pretty much.
That's the funny thing is because you know so many people here, models, actors and influencers. Everybody's too worried about themselves that they don't care.
What you're doing.
What's the best advice that you have for actors wanting to move from Australia to America, Because you know, there was that blitz for a while, like there was the Heath Ledger time where you know, all of a sudden, it's just seemed so possible with you know, the Hamsworth's going over there as well. But like for you, what is your best advice for austraands wanting to go over there?
Well, it's very different now than it was when I moved here. I think you've got technology and COVID and all these things to sort of blame for that. You don't have to be here anymore if you want to work in America. No, that sounds weird, but you can.
You can audition from other places. So I don't think people need to have that feeling of like, oh I'm going to do it, I have to move to la That's not necessarily the case, which is great for a lot of people, and it's really handy sometimes, like I can be in different cities and still audition for things or do meetings. If it's something that you really really want to do and that's just your dream is to
just be here, I mean, go for it. My biggest piece of advice they would be to work in Australia, your home country, as much as you can first, just so that you're kind of coming in at it'll only make life easier for you in so many different ways,
whether that's getting other jobs or even a visa. You know, So just take him in it and make sure that you haven't exhausted kind of the options that are available to you there, because it's also a much bigger pond, and if you're in Australia, there's not as many people obviously, so chances are better, odds are better, and there's so much work heading down there now with the rise of all the streaming services and stuff, there's more work than ever.
But there's so much that film's down.
There, that there's a ton of great stuff going on down there. And one of the mistakes that I think some people make is that they'll go to La straight away, thinking that they're being clever and bypassing, you know, the homeland. But it's it's not going to do you any favors because that's what a lot of people do, and there's it's just it makes it so much tougher for you. But you know, like not to disparage anyone from their dreams.
It's more just a tip. I guess it.
Looks good in the first interview if they're you know, being nominated from an Academy award, They're like, you know, I wasn't on neighbors in home and away in Australia. I just came straight here. I guess that's their ego talking, you know what I mean, Like they'd love to be able to say that. But the truth of the matter is we do have a lot of vehicles in Australia and also now that are great training and great stomping ground.
And you know, I wonder whether or not.
A lot of actors these days feel the allure of going over to America as you know, for the work, because the work is getting richer, you know, that is being here in Australia.
Yeah, less and less.
I think people are wanting to come over here or feel like they have to. A lot of friends in Australia who are actors used to want to be over here, or they'd sort of go back and forth, and now they're just like, no, I'm staying around and living my best life here because I can do all the same stuff from here. I mean right now, auditions are still all self tapes or by a zoom even if you're
in LA. So unless you're working, there's not really much point to be here if that's what you're wanting to be here for.
You know, one question I love asking people that you know expats living over there is what's your best LA story? I feel like everyone has a really unusual story where they're like, you know, going to pump some gas and Brad Pitt comes over and you know they've forgotten wallet and he pays for their petrol. I don't know, there's just always some really bizarre things that you know, really could only ever happen in that city.
Yeah, daily, I mean, it's it is bizarre. It's where everybody is, and so you never know who you're going to run into or what's going to happen.
It's it's really strange. I'm trying to think of some like g rated ones.
But like I tell us the non ger rated ones.
A few parties where you see some interesting things happen and it's like okay, and you have to remind yourtuff like what is my life?
Like what is going on here? But no, there's you know, there's always the fun things.
Like my older sister came and visited a few years ago, and you know, people always want to see famous people and I was like, well, the best way to do it is just live your daily life and go to the supermarket.
Like you're not going to see them on the star tours or on Hollywood Bulevard or any that.
So we were just going to the gym one day and we're taking the elevator up from the parking garage like you know, five floors or whatever it was up to the gym and we get in and then this couple gets in and we've just been talking about how it was the first time in LA and she's like, I want to see celebrities, and Emily Blunt and John Krasinski walk in the elevator and they're just standing there too. I'm kind of like, cool, Okay, she's going to love this,
This is great, this is a good one. We go up a couple like, I just assume she'd see there's two other people in the elevator.
You think she noticed.
We go up two floors, it opens, they get out, doors closed, and went, well, there you go.
You got a good one there. She's like, what are you talking about? And it's like the two people that just got in the elevator. She's like, oh my god, I'm such an idiot. Ah so dumb. A couple of missed that. Blah blah blah.
The doors opened back up and she's standing there shaking her head, going god, and they hop back in and they go sorry and hop back in.
I'm like, no worries. We go up again, doors open, we all get out, haven't I stare? Are you too cool? You're going to go? We got your second chance. She's like, what do you mean. I'm like, oh my god, she's had no idea, just missed it twice. So I was.
Probably looking for, like, you know, old school, big Hollywood actors. She wanted Julia Roberts, which you know, the funny thing is when you see a lot of these big A listers, though, I find friends of mine don't notice them because they.
Don't really look like how they look on television. They usually look smaller. They usually look smaller, you know what I mean.
Like, so you can just be like, ah, the best one to do is Runyan Canyon. If people came with me, I would take them to runy In Canyon because you would always see people like I had a friend come over and we saw Ellen with Porsche. One day, my partner and I were back in Los Angeles not that long ago, and awkwardly, what's her name?
Who's the woman who?
She's like an activist for the me too movement and she was in like the first screen movie.
Oh, nev Campbell? No, I mean or Corney Cox.
No, she's kind of she was like one of the b part characters. She paid Tatum in the movie. But I can't think of it anyway. She had had some work done that made her look quite different. And so I said to my partner do you know who that is? And he was like no, And I was like, we sort of the roads on Runyan Canyon can split, but then they come back together. So as we split, I was like, oh, this is this actress and he was like, oh, did she have a car accident? Is that why her face.
Looks like that? And the roads had come back together.
This is probably good that I haven't mentioned her name and the roads came back together, and we were still talking about whether or not she'd had a car accident, and that's why her face looked like that while using her name, and she was less than a meter away from us.
Oh, that's so awkward. Hopefully she just couldn't hear for whatever reason, she looked a few people. She looked at you. Okay, well there you go. You can't come back for a minute.
Look at that anyway.
People be like, shut the hell up, and you know, we want to hear more about well Mania. I want to ask you, how did this show come about for you? I mean, it's it's brilliant, it's so amazing, It is so funny, and everyone in it is firing on all cannons.
First of all, it's been so exciting the response to it, Like people have just really fallen in love with it, and it's been pretty overwhelming. We weren't expecting it to be such a hit. Really, it's really cool. The pretty normal story for me, I was shooting another show over here and I just got set an audition from my
Aussie agent to do a tape, threw that down. Two months get a call from then go hey, they want you to chemistry to Celeste Barber and I was like, oh that isn't did the motions and did that and it was wonderful and then I got the job. But like I first, when I read the script, I loved it. It was one of those jobs that, oh, this is so funny and has so much heart and it's such a beautiful story, like cool, would love to be a part of it, but you know, you just always wait
and wait and see. And then when it actually came around, I was thrilled because it was a this job that sounded so cool and I was really wanting to do and then be working back in Australia again for the first time in like fifteen years.
So I'll stoke tell me about that chemistry test with Celeste, because I think, you know, the chemistry between the two of you is palpable, Like it actually is so believable that the two of you are related, even though you don't really look that much alike. How did that chemistry test go down? Because you must have both nailed it or they must just there must be something in the minutia between the two of you.
I mean, she's so she's awesome, Like she's just so easy. She's one of these people that you could just talk too straight away. And I think that, Well, I have a sister who's the exact same age as her, and we have a really similar relationship that's just sort of back and forth and joking around and so that kind of and you know, she's got hers that she's really close with and they kind of have that jokey sort
of vibe. And I think we very quickly figured out that we both have that, and it just kind of works like it was via zoom. The chemistry read so that's always weird and awkward, but meeting for the first time in person, it was just a big love fest. And then the whole way through filming it was it was a blast and it was just easy. It just felt so real, like you don't have to force it, it's just there.
Do you get to go to her comedy shows for free for the rest of your life? Like, are you is there some nepotism there through your character association?
No?
I went and saw her show in Chicago. Actually the fine thanks to her when she was over in the States and I had a few options of places to see it, but I sort of part lived in Chicago as well, and so I went and saw it there and she got us in and I was I wanted to support by the tickets, but.
She was like, that'd be STRAPID just take it, okay.
You know it was with this show the thing that I can thinking about was the bouncing back between the two of you was so realistic. Were you reading a word for word off the scripts or was there a lot of improvised moments that were happening between the two of you.
It was both.
Yeah, I mean you had the writing was fantastic on this show, so there was a lot of it that was there, and then it just made it really easy for us to build on. So some of the scenes definitely we've just kept going and they kept filming and added things, or we'd go, oh, let's make this a little stupid, or once to sort of figured out each other's kind of vibe and quirks. It was like, oh cool, I know what I can say to you and get away with and what I can do to you and
get away with. And she's someone who's so quick on her feet as well that she'll just do things without even telling you, which is really fun. Then to play off like that's just candy for an actor to go like awesome, Like I can just feed off what you're doing, and we could just keep doing things back and forth. So we had a lot of fun, and with all of us really we'd just sort of add things whenever we could, with being as respectful as you could to
the writers. But yeah, it's always fun to improve a bit.
Did you spend a lot of time with the writers? I mean, how much do they know really your personalities? The writing book is amazing. Benjamin Law and Bridget Delaney just geniuses. But I wonder how wonderful if they spend a bit of time with you before writing the scripts or like how did that sort of come to?
How did that all come together?
No, by the time, well, look, Celeste was sitting with it for a lot longer than us, and she was developing it. So definitely her character, the relationships, she was definitely very privy to and spent a lot of time with the writers. For me, I came in like I had to finish shooting something, so I came into the show a week before we started filming and then kind of got to meet everybody in person and they just
go from there. But the way the character was written, it wasn't too big of a leap for me because there was so much that was so true to me that I was like, oh my god, this is great. Now I just get to play with things and have fun. And then there'd be times where I'd say, hey, could maybe can we do this? Maybe like this will just work better I think for the character or me, and
we'll just see what happens. And they were so great and open to allowing us to make those changes in additions, so I know some of the others spent a bit more time because they were there and were able to but thankfully it worked out pretty well. But I'm looking forward to, you know, fingers Cross the season two where we could get into that even more and learn more about each other.
Do we not know if there's a season two? I mean, come on, I mean this show. For anyone that's not aware of this, the ranking for it on Netflix around the world is mind blowing because it's got Australian actors made here in Australia, but it is on the so high up on the rankings around the world on Netflix because here in Australia I think it was number two.
It was sort of floated around that space. But even globally it was in the top ten charts the whole time that it was being released, which I mean, that's a money making TV show, right.
Yeah, I'm not in the decision room, but I'm hoping so again, yeah, we were blown away with the response to it. We hoped that it would just at least do well in Australia and New Zealand, and then it just sort of picked up from there is everywhere and it's just constantly, just constantly getting people just falling in love with it and wanting more and more and more.
I mean it's only been three weeks I think since it came out, so they have a bit of time that they'll just you know, cross alytes, not all the eyes and just see and yeah, hopefully hopefully we'll have some good news sometimes.
So people are loving it as well. Like if I was reading the comments internationally, you know, it wasn't that people were like, oh wow, like Australia's a freak show
and they were talking about it being Australian centric. They were talking about it on a relatable level, like this series could be said anywhere in the world, which I think is quite amazing because for so long in Australia we had to be like, well, this is an Australian movie where we're all Australian and this is what it's like here, and here's a kangaroo, and you know some of our tourist attractions, you know, it all had to sort of be built into it, where for me, this
feels like a very colloquial story where yes, it is said in Australia and that I guess he is a little bit important, But these characters could be anywhere in the world. These are real people.
I'm glad you noticed that and then you feel that.
And that's one of the things that I was not concerned but curious about while we were doing it, because you know, most things that have ever done in Australia, they don't go further than in Australia because it's such a set thing. But yeah, I think just a lot of the issues in it and storylines, we're just so relatable to people everywhere. Everyone can relate to these kinds of things. And the fact that it's just that in Australia just gives it this kind of sweet, innocent kind
of vibe. And it's a different view of Australia than what you normally do get, you know, like you don't have the Harbor Bridge in every shot and kangaroos bouncing around and spiders and snakes and all of that. Like it's very obviously Australian, but it's for everybody. That's one of the big struggles, you know, is accessibility, and I think it's a very accessible show. A lot of people don't even speak English watching it with subtitles and going,
oh my god, I love this. I can relate to your character so much or you know your mum's character so much or whatever.
So I'm so happy that it worked out that way, that we pulled it off well.
Your storylines are so well written, and even most as a gay man, I found myself being seen in a really good way. Like I'm like, oh wow. And I think, you know, for years, there's been you know, like a slow progression of gay characters creeping on screen, you know, into sitcoms with like Will and Grace, like twenty years ago. But again that was kind of very stereotypical, and I have you know, I've stopped sort of saying, oh wow, there's a gay person on television to seeing this series
and thinking to myself, I'm actually learning. What I'm trying to say is like, it was really interesting with your character. I felt like I not only saw a game person on screen, but I I felt seen and I and I and it helped me.
No, I understand, I understand what you're saying. And that's one of the things that attracted me to the role was that it's not because you know, you watch a lot of these these shows, these movies, and it's great to have gay representation on screen, but it's kind of a lot of the time the same things, like there's have been coming out as a you know, dating scene thing, and that's all good and great, and we need to have that, of course, because everyone's at their own stage.
Going through their own things, learning what they to learn.
But I liked this because it just goes straight into a life that's already set up that's just normal. It's not even it's not a thing like, it's just this is just life, Like this is how it works. There's no big coming out story or the difficulties of being gay. It's a relationship and it's family, and it's the same issues that people have and real issues that any couples will have. It didn't fall into those kind of cliches
that can happen a lot. It just felt sort of very real and it was already set up so for people who are living that sort of life, whether in long term relationships or whatever, it's like, Oh, that's that's me, Like finally, like wow, that's my story, Like where does it go from here? And I've been getting a lot of that from people going I want to know what happens next with your characters, like this is so interesting, like what do you do from this point?
Without bling anything?
But yeah, for so long I'd be like, you know, with my sister to the movies, to see an LGBTYE film and feel really uncomfortable because like, yes, sex is really important to the story, to the elgin, to anyone.
Sex is important to everybody. But it just felt for a long time when you'd watch like a gay film, that it came with like gratuitous gay sex, or there was some sort of uncomfortableness to it, which you know doesn't really exist in a relationship between me and my sister and myself, or even my best friend and myself, we don't necessarily talk about that kind of stuff. Not to say that I'm approved, but sex doesn't need to
be so in your face. So it was really nice to be able to see this story between you and your partner in this series and just and have it be like everyday people.
Do you know what I mean, Like it doesn't need to be a focal point.
Yeah, exactly what you're saying.
It's not just this one dimensional kind of thing anymore where it's like two people meet, they hook up, it's wonderful.
Cue the slow music and the dim lighting.
You know, it's it's actually just living and real relationships and how they react with other people and what goes on in their own lives, but real life problems.
It's yeah, all of that.
That's one of the things that I just really I liked, and I think that, you know, the stage in the world twenty twenty three that were kind of nudging towards more of that where it's like who care?
Yeah, But I felt like, you know, the lack of success for that first big gay movie at the cinemas, the first big gay rom com you know, I was like, yeah, that.
Could have worked a little bit better.
I felt if the sex wasn't so much a part of that story. But then again, that was the comedy of it, you know, they were trying to do like that.
I don't want to throw that.
I mean I had those boys on both the leads on the podcast, so I don't want to say that it didn't work, but I just felt like maybe that's why that film wasn't as successful.
Well yeah, and also it's like who are you targeting? I mean, if you just want a gay just a gay audience, then fine, like you know, you can all relate to that, but if you want to for everybody, it can't just be so much about gay sex because it.
Like not everybody can relate to that. So I don't think it.
Yeah, I think that that was maybe a bit of the Roblin was a problem, but like the issue there that's it just was inaccessible to everybody. I mean, like, would you want to watch a movie that's still about a straight couple having sex every five minutes?
You know?
No I don't, But I mean maybe that says more about me than anybody else. Maybe maybe that's just my
vox pop of the situation. But I do think, I do think targeting a gay audience specifically is also quite dangerous because gay men themselves, there's just so many different stories and different ways of being gay that if you are specifically saying this is a gay movie and this is what gay people look like, that is the biggest way to turn off an LGBTI audience, where they go, no, no, no, you can't speak for me, you know, you can't summarize
us into one person. So that can be dangerous in itself as well, where I think for me watching you on this show, it allowed your character to be more accessible to multiple different gay men. There was so many entry points, which I thought was really clever.
Yeah, totally I agree with you on that, because everyone's of very protective of their own journey and their own story, aren't they, And so if you're sort of just told like, here's this movie that's meant to be a representation of all of us, and just you know, just this way, the smallest thing can throw somebody off.
You know, it's like, why don't know clubbing that much? So that's not me. I don't want it. That's just stupid. Like, oh, here we go again. So yeah, that's that's kind of again.
That was what are you working on at the moment? Like, what's coming up? You're allowed to tell me? I mean actors, you can never ask them because they are like, well, I'm you know, something really big and then six months later they're in a movie with Nicole Kidman.
But what's going on? Is there is there something coming up?
Well right now, I've just got back to La so kind of getting settled in here again. There is a looming writer's strike, so there is nothing set in stone at the moment, which is fine. So I'm just hanging out for the minute and hoping we get a season two pick up of Well Maine here and a couple of things that I'm waiting to see what happens with here about. But yeah, we're just there's there's all this craziness happening over here at the moment that kind of puts a pin in it all.
So I'm just hanging out and hoping that it gets warm.
I was living in Los Angeles in two thousand and seven through the last writers strike, the last really big one that really affected a lot of the scripted dramas over there. I remember, you know, Gray's Anatomy and Brothers and Sisters that all of these shows were extremely popular at the time in two thousand and seven, and they were supposed to be like a you know, a twenty four twenty four part series that was cut down to like sixteen episodes for that series during the writer strike. Yeah,
how big is that is that? A? I didn't know anything about it. What's what's the deal?
Well, it's looming and I think they just got approval to strike today and so we'll find out. I think May first is when the contracts or something are up, and so we'll find out if it's going to go ahead or not. I mean, look, you know, if they need to strike, they need to strike. But I just hope that it can get resolved in a manner that everyone is happy with so everyone can get back to work.
Well, I think that, you know, once that's over, get that out of the way. I'm sure you'll get picked up for a lot of things. With so many eyeballs on Netflix, so I think, you know, this will be a great opportunity for people to see or work and see how clever you are. And interestingly enough, you know, mister Barton's just being cast in Neighbors, so maybe successful people, maybe they're Yes, did.
You not know this?
No? What yeh?
Mischa Button has a main role.
She's moving to Melbourne and Neighbors was rebooted and started filming again yesterday and mister Button's one of the main characters in it.
So what do you think about.
Shock? I have questions. I have questions then or her? I mean, she's she's not coming back as Misha Barton. She's not coming as Misha Barton right, like she's just going to be.
She's Mischa Barton's in Neighbors as a character called Reese for her. But you know, with Freebie working with Fremantle in this series now needing to have more eyeballs around the world like Neighbors with a reboot means that it is going to be in America in some parts of America. So they were wanting to attract somebody, and mister Barton has said yes and she's The press release was out this morning and I just think it's amazing. You know,
Hollywood actors are giving up. It's reversed. You know, back in the day in Australia, you'd be like Harley Minogo, Margo, Robbie. You know, I gotta go on neighbors to get there, and now people are like, well, you know they're working their whole lives to get onto neighbors.
Hey people people, people just want to work. But I mean, that's cool. I didn't know any of that. Wow, that's that's blow my mind a little bit. Who knew?
Who knew?
Maybe I can come back to Australia and beyond neighbors my friend and be going out with mister Barton.
I was, I was home.
I was home and away back in the day. So I feel like I'm i to have to stay in the family there.
You've gotta be loyal to that.
Everyone who joins the podcast, I get to ask this question, and that is, you know, what is something from behind the scenes, something that we did not get to see watching well Mania that you can maybe share as like a bit of a tidbit, a bit of a behind the scene secret to what it was like to work on that you.
Couldn't stop laughing at the time.
So like there's a scene where celest Barber's character farts, we're not having a very serious, slightly angry discussion the take that made it to air. That's the only take that we weren't laughing because we're serious professionals. No, you look, it was a really quick, quick bick shoot because of COVID, because of Selest schedules to go on a world tour.
So some of the scenes were filmed in one take. Wow, you know a few different angles, but like one take, Like there was one where we're walking around the store scanning registry gifts and stuff. We filmed that in one take, which is always scary to watch.
It's like, we've done that differently. Maybe I would have kind of done things a little You.
Only need one take that is it the best one?
That's sure, Sure, we'll go with that.
But that's where all that soap opera training comes and you're like, oh, what take. It was also during the La Nina rain, you know, all the rain stuff that was happening last year, and so we were pissed down raining the entire I think we had ten days where it didn't rain, so it was pouring rain. There are a lot of scenes we're inside and it is pouring rain outside and it's just really well lit to make it look.
Like it's a nice sunny Sydney day. It's all smoky mirrors, all lies. This industry. I tell you, well, that is in you.
No, I think that that's good behind the scenes. It's good behind the scenes. We're lying to everyone around the world to come to Australia because it's always sunny. It's raining outside in Melbourne right now, but it's always.
Sunny, Wenny.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
I wash away.
But that's the same thing with La Like you know, everyone it's just seventy four degrees and sunny all year round.
No, it's not.
It's about twelve degrees here today and it's like cloudy, and it's been this way for weeks.
It's yeah, you know. Advertising, it's out of control.
It's just the way they package it up. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time and chatting with me today. I was so excited about this. I woke up an extra hour earlier, you know, like Christmas, getting so excited to talk to you.
So in your audience.
Well, mating a season, So I have my fingers crossed, but I also disguise the limit for you, my friend.
I think that there's so much coming for you.
I'm just so thrilled and humbled that it's that it's had the reaction that it's had, so thank you.