Australian actor of television and film Grant Bowler is no amateur. 20 years in the media industry is not unheard of, but staying relevant throughout those years is. Having graduated from the esteemed Australian drama school NIDA, alongside other notable graduates including Mel Gibson, Cate Blanchett and Sam Worthington, you can see why he has had such a long successful career.
Grant has broken international barriers by transforming from a noted Australian television host to an American TV/film star. Recently, Bowler was featured in Lifetime’s “Liz & Dick” alongside Lindsey Lohan in her signature role as the late great Elizabeth Taylor. He is soon to be seen as the male lead in ‘Defiance’, set to air on SyFy this April.
XEX recently had the chance to interview Bowler about his transition between international media and how he stands out in a city full of competition and diversity.
Interview: Louie Garay Jr.
Photos: Darren Tieste
As a successful Australian television star, what was it like for you to transition into American media?
It was Difficult at first, because like with any market, if the producers and networks haven’t seen your work, then it may as well not exist. Having found a home in the industry here though, I love the incredible degree of creativity, innovation, the quality of the script writing and the work ethic of everybody involved in the North American television industry.
Living in Los Angeles, one of the biggest cities for acting opportunities, how do you separate yourself and stand out next to the many actors vying for the same roles?
I don’t try to get anything right! Instead of focusing on what I think will please the person auditioning me, I think about the audience…I think about how ‘I’ as an audience, would most like to see this character played and ways that I may not have seen a character like that played before. That’s the performance I take in and from there, it’s fit. If the vision of the showrunner is along the same lines, then hopefully my idea will add something or excite him or her…and off we go. But no matter what, it won’t be the same as the next guy’s.
Shooting 5 movies back to back is an accomplishment. What was it like having to be in 5 different characters right after each other? Did you have time to grow into each character or did you find it hard?
I find character is behavior, and I start from the inside out. So although playing five in a row is exhausting in total, it’s also incredibly energizing in the process. Each character reacts and responds differently to the world and to his or her fellows and to the situations and challenges it faces. It’s never a repetitive process. Repetition is what’s tiring to me. Discovery is always energizing and exciting.
How did it feel working with Lindsey Lohan in “Liz &Dick” in your role as Richard Burton?
Working with Lindsay was the first time I had worked with an actor with the degree of pop culture attention and notoriety as Lindsay seems to have. It was extraordinary to me then – and still is how – much attention can get placed on someone having a cigarette or what soda they’re drinking. For me, I was terrified of taking on Burton and didn’t have an ounce of energy to spare to think about how I looked or appeared to anyone doing it. I can’t imagine dealing with all that scrutiny and being able to do a good job.
What can we expect that is different from you in your new role in “Defiance”, set to air on SyFy this April?
I think what’s new and different is that I’m in love with this character for the long haul. Kevin Murphy and I have talked a lot about the character arc of Nolan, and he and I are definitely committed to giving the audience as big a ride as possible. I think that this role crystallizes a lot of stuff I’ve been exploring for a number of years now, and the beauty of having the central character in a series is getting the screen time and a long enough run to fully develop all the aspects of the character that I most want to have a conversation with the audience about. For me, it is a conversation. The beauty of series drama is that there is time to get that feedback, to make adjustments and to explore again.