MUST WATCH
D
amon Herriman is one of those
rare anomalies in the acting world.
Despite being in hot demand both
here and in America, with more
than 70 credits to his name during
a career spanning nearly four
decades – a shock in itself considering
his ever-youthful looks – he couldn’t be
less affected by fame if he tried.
Sitting down with the man of the moment,
it’s clear that despite his portrayal of
cult leader Charles Manson in the highly
anticipated Quentin Tarantino blockbuster
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood putting
him on the world stage, little will change
for the actor. While he’s building a solid
career in the US, he never turns down an
opportunity to work on home soil – currently
starring in Foxtel’s Lambs of God and, next
month, reprising his role in Mr Inbetween.
“It is really important to me,” he insists.
“One [reason is] I just really love being
here – the other is that there are really
good productions made here. There’s
certainly no part of me that thinks that if it’s
American, it’s [necessarily] better. I think if
there’s a way I can keep doing both then
I’m happy for it to work like that. It gives
you a new burst of energy each time.”
Here, Herriman opens up to Foxtel
magazine about working with the legend
that is Tarantino, why he’s done playing
the bad guy – with one notable Aussie
exception – and his big birthday plans...
After so long playing the good guy on
our screens, are you enjoying getting
to embrace the darker stuff nowadays?
Yes, but I feel like I’ve reached the limit
- I think I definitely need to have a break
from playing bad guys and drug addicts
and psychopaths. I’ve had a good run of
those now. But yeah, it is funny, because
I spent 15 years trying to get those roles,
trying to get auditions for those roles, and
being told, ‘No, he’s not right,’ and playing
the best friend with glasses for a long
time. And then suddenly it’s been a long
run playing these bad guys. But look,
they are fun, there’s no doubt about it.
You’re returning as nefarious Freddy in
season two of Mr Inbetween, coming soon
to FOX SHOWCASE. Will he be a bigger
part of the action second time around?
There is quite a bit more Freddy this time,
which has been really fun for me. Scott
Ryan, who’s not only the lead actor but is
the writer of the whole show, he’s tapped
into the stuff that worked with Freddy in
the first season and he’s really expanded
on that now. He’s written some stuff for
me to do that is so silly and fun, really kind
of playing with Freddy’s neuroses and the
sort of things that press his buttons. I love
Mr Inbetween and hopefully it goes again
- I’d always be happy to come back to
that show and that role because I love it.
Speaking of bad guys, they don’t come
much worse than Charles Manson. How
was it playing him in Quentin Tarantino’s
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood?
It was great. I can’t really say too much
about what I got to do – there were
reports from Cannes [Film Festival] that
mentioned the fact that Manson is a very
brief part of the film, and I certainly can
say that it’s not a film about Manson or
the Family – but just to get to be on
a Quentin Tarantino set was a dream
come true. I saw Pulp Fiction at the
cinema when it came out [in 1994] and
he’s certainly one of those directors
that would be on any actor’s list of
wanting to work with. To get to work
with him was a pure joy. He was as fun
as you would imagine. You see him in
interviews and he’s always up and
optimistic and excited about movies,
and that’s the vibe he has on set – he’s
just excited to be there. He’s very
welcoming and very positive, and the
whole thing was just a joyful experience.
You were reunited with former
co-stars Timothy Olyphant and
Leonardo DiCaprio – how was that?
I did cross paths with both of them,
not on-screen, but I saw them during
the making of the film and that was
terrific. Leonardo DiCaprio is an
incredibly lovely guy. I hadn’t worked
Want more? Catch the master of disguise in other hit series
Mr Inbetween (s1) Secret City (s1) Quarry Top of the Lake: China Girl
HOW TO
STREAM
ON DEMAND
With Foxtel you
can stream shows from
your package anytime,
anywhere, at no extra
cost*. There’s always
something to watch.
To find out how, visit
foxtel.com.au/ondemand
Leonardo
DiCaprio (left)
with Quentin
TarantinoFoxtel AUGUST 19