It sounds like it could be alright?

Ok, so I've no excuses not to write tonight. The weather is pants, there's bugger all on the box so I'm going to put on the replay of the Jets v Victory match and start writing this. For the record, the Jets had a top win against the Victory 3 -1!! Harry who???

I've been getting, and love getting, some tweets and posts asking me about 'Foreign Exchange', not just about a second season but about how I came to be involved in the show. Being such an important aspect of my life I have committed a lot of it to memory and have many videos and photos of the shoot, I even kept a diary. For me, 'Foreign Exchange' not only began my acting career it taught me everything you need to know practically about working on a set. Still, beyond those lessons it also taught me tenacity, commitment, work ethic, fatigue and further to that what Irish hospitals are like ha! Not often do 17 year olds spend 6 months in a situation like that so I enjoyed it for every bit that it was worth.

It was just another screentest, I had just joined a very powerful agent in Australia a few months prior. Sue offered me a place in her stables after seeing a tape I had done as part of a competition. Sometimes I believe in fate, generally I like to think I'm in control but I believe we are presented with situations and it's up to us to decide what to do. Joining Sue was very fortuitous! One of her junior agents Michael, who is now my agent and manager, a lovely bloke and a dogged agent, rang and told me about this show that was to be shot in Perth and Ireland in 2004. He said "It sounds like it could be alright.....". I received the breakdowns, scripts and times but I was also going for a role in a very funny short film at the same time. When auditions like 'Foreign Exchange' come through they're great but they look so far and wide you try not to get too excited. Basically, I thought I was a chance, just not as big a chance as I was for this short film!
I had to play a real dag for it....a dork to use a more global term. I had greased hair, braces on, bad clothes and it was very comical. I'm a bit of a dag anyway so I figured I'm in!!!!! That audition came and went as did 'Foreign Exchange' then Michael rang me one day after school. I was convinced it was for the short film.....no....they wanted me to come back again for 'Foreign Exchange'. Shit! Ok?
The call back was in early-December, I remember it was very early school holidays because my Mum and I stayed in Sydney the night before due to the audition being very early the next day. We were practicing the audition scene in the hotel room and had some dickhead banging on the wall telling me to shut-up! He was a gobshite and interrupting his tax deductible slumber was worth it. For the record the audition scene was the one where Wayne pushed Brett over all the cakes that had been prepared....I can't remember which ep? There also another one, it was the one where Hannah comes through the portal in the second episode and Jackie springs her in the basement with Brett. One of several ahhh 'interesting' situations Brett and Hannah found themselves in with MINIMAL questions asked.....we had a very funny theory for this when we started shooting. I will tell you later....
The call back was at one of my favourite casting agents, it's in a great spot in Sydney and has a great history with film and television. Adorning the walls are pictures of my favourite actors and some very famous TV shows, it's like being in a hall of fame. Still I was there to do a job! There was a young bloke from Canberra and one from the Gold Coast and then me from Newcastle! I was nervous, but not too nervous, you always get amped before auditions....I can't help it! It reminds me of playing a game of footy. I met a bloke called Noel, a lovely man, and ran the scenes. It was just like any other but I always remember a moment where he turned and smiled to the casting director. At the time I tried to not read into it.....
So we came home later that morning and Mum went to work. My good friend Helen was minding this utterly spectacular house in the hills up the road from my joint in suburban Newcastle. It was a dead set mansion! I popped up to say g'day and she showed me around, I remember we were looking at one of the gigantic rooms upstairs that looked straight out to the ocean. It was like somewhere Batman would live.....and should! That's when her phone rang.....it was my brother saying I should come home quickly because Sue needed to speak to me. Sue? It was usually a big deal if Sue wanted to speak to me.

Helen and I wandered back to my joint and that's when Blondie said to me "I think they want you for that role this morning?"..............