The hills of Hollywood can’t be too far away for Morgan Keavney-Rattue given his first gig, at just 15, is for a major blockbuster movie. Not many teens can list The Chronicles of Narnia as their first paying job, but that is how it has played out for the Kuluin resident, who got the call up for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third film in the series. And it all came down to his looks and measurements.
When filming started on the Gold Coast, the directors urgently needed a stand-in and photo double for new character Eustace Scrubb, who is a cousin to established characters Edmund and Lucy Pevensie. “I got a text one day from (Sunshine Coast talent agency) Vox asking ‘Can we get your measurements quickly?’ Luckily I matched him (teen actor Will Poulter) perfectly. I was the exact same height, size and weight. That same day I ended up going to the Gold Coast,” Morgan recalls.
Read the rest of this story under the heading “Maiden Voyage”
For 57-year-old Robbie Harrison, or Robbie H as he normally prefers to be known, nothing beats hands-on acting experience, even if it involves standing on a poop deck with veteran Australian actor Gary Sweet. Seeing age as no barrier, the Noosa resident decided to pursue acting in 2001 when he noticed an ad in the local paper for talent agency V Talent, now known as Vox.
Having worked for companies such as TNT in managerial roles, and “having five breakdowns” and health problems, Robbie thought “Why not?” Especially when the agent at the time convinced Robbie he was highly marketable and could easily play a drug runner or businessman. After completing a series of courses through Vox, his big break came this year when he scored an extras role on both Australian film Subdivision and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The actor nominates the latter as his major break.
He plays one of the first mates on a ship under the guidance of captain Lord Drinian, a good guy played by Gary Sweet. “It’s very, very exciting when you’re actually on set,” Robbie says of the two and a half months he spent down on the Gold Coast filming. “It’s similar to a Harry Potter film. The children have grown with it.” And he says working with high-profile stars does not unfold as most people might expect.
Read the rest of this story under “Late Bloomer”