#AlexOLoughlin – Talking about Jack, on the set of Oyster Farmer (2003)

Today I had this longing to visit young Alex. So let’s go back to the early years, there back in late 2003, while Alex filmed ‘Oyster Farmer’. I think this must have been one of the very first interviews Alex ever did as an actor.

Question: How would you describe your character, ‘Jack’?

Alex: I mean, I think it is …. I think it is about ….. I mean Jack, he’s a bloke, I mean, he’s an Aussie bloke and he’s got …… he’s sort of …. he’s a little bit ostentatious and a little bit obnoxious and really very sort of cheeky. And ah …. But it’s not … he’s not like … he’s really sensitive as well, you know what I mean?

This story is about ….  this story is about this kid who ends up in the scrub, you know. For really the first time in his life. He’s really a city kid and he finds a family, you know. He finds a group of people who he relates to as a family. And he finds people who love him just because of who he is, and ….he finds …. You know,  like all sorts of things that he did not know he needed.

And so I think that there’s …. you know, it’s so layered, you know. There’s so many elements to the story that are really important. Because I think Aussie men, gets seen in Australia, but also internationally…….. or can be seen as, just blokes you know, just sort of yeah ……. just yeah ….

Question: Would you call this story a very Australian love story?

Alex: Yeah, and I think that …. you know, it’s that funny thing. I mean, I know as an Australian male, my mates and I joke about that sort of stuff all the time, you know.

And I mean, falling in love is such a big thing, you know. And it’s so important.

And you know, all of the greatest songs ever written, are written about sort of the same thing. And that is how important love and communion with another is, you know.

And so, I mean, that … this is essentially a love story and a story of hope. Well that’s the way it reads for me.

Question: Did you do much research before the shoot began?

Alex: Yeah, we ….. David and I came up ….. for the best part of a week before ….. one of the weeks before we started filming. And we sort of just …… We hired a boat which didn’t go very fast, cause they wouldn’t give us a fast one.

And hours later we found this little beach, like up the river somewhere. And we rolled our swags out and you know, went  fishing and just did the whole thing, you know. Had fresh fish. And just sort of …. It was great, you know.

And talked about the script and just prepared the way we do. And, I don’t know, straight away, it’s so peaceful up here, you know. I mean the air is clean, the air smells different to anywhere else.

It’s a, it’s a river that sort of starts fresh a few hundred kilometers up, inland and sort of ends up in the ocean and the wild life and the trees, I mean. It’s a … it’s like a little sub climate.

So, it’s interesting the effect that it has on you….

 Link to interview

I came up here camping with David Field, before we started shooting. And ah ……one night we where sort of lying down looking at the stars, I said, “Mate, I relate to this character so much, I am worried about playing myself.”

– Alex O’Loughlin, Oyster Farmer set interview, 2003

Link to interview with various people on set of Oyster Farmer done by Andrew Urban.

 

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