Perth local actor Lee Tiger Halley has quickly made a name for himself after featuring in the acclaimed Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe, where he played the non-verbal character Gus Bell, and on Nicholas Verso’s excellent Crazy Fun Park. Halley is also known for his work on The Heights, and became the face of Craig Silvey’s literary blockbuster Honeybee.
Halley received a Silver Logie nomination for Best Supporting Male Actor for his work on Boy Swallows Universe and the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent and has now received a Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) nomination as one of the Rising Stars of 2024.
Shifting from series to cinema, Halley will be seen in the upcoming Kiah Roache-Turner film Beast of War alongside Mark Coles Smith, Joel Nankervis, and Steve Le Marquand, and he’s also secured the lead role in David Vincent Smith’s upcoming film The Kid from Harvest Road, based on the early life of music legend Bon Scott.
In the following interview, Lee Tiger Halley talks about his process of creating a non-verbal character like Gus for Boy Swallows Universe, what it means to have come from a prestigious arts focused school like John Curtin College of the Arts, his experience of being recognised on the streets for his work, and where he would like to see his career go.
Congratulations on the nomination. What does that mean for you at this stage in your career?
Lee Tiger Halley: It's a nice sign that maybe I'm doing something right and going in the right direction. It's particularly special because it's being recognised by the people who work in casting. It's not just fans and lovers of TV, which is also wonderful as well, it's the people who work in the industry. So, to see that they're watching me and thinking, ‘He's doing alright.’ It's very nice.
I want to go back to when you started off your career, specifically talking about John Curtin, which I know is a really great school for the Performing Arts program. Was it always a desire to go to John Curtin as a student?
LTH: Well, I actually lived in the local area catchment. I was going to go there either way. I had been doing acting workshops, and it was something I was really interested in doing. So, I thought, ‘Why not just try it and go for it?’ And I got in. I was going to attend that school either way, and I was lucky enough to get in to a drama program there too.
I live in WA and have seen great acting students emerge from John Curtin. What's it like knowing that you're walking in the footsteps of a lot of great actors?
LTH: They have a wall outside the John Curtin theater which shows you the people who've been to the school, Sam Worthington, Bon Scott, a bunch of others. It's like, ‘Wow, this school has a lot of rich, rich creative history.’ You can feel it when you're there. It's not just drama, obviously, there's people there for visual art, musical theater and dance, all these amazing things. There is a real artistic layer going through the school, and it makes you feel really comfortable to put yourself out there. You don’t have to be scared because you know everyone else is kind of [going through] the same thing.
You did a couple of episodes of The Heights. What did it mean to be able to work on a show that's based in Perth, so near home?
LTH: Wonderful. I'm so happy when things come to Perth, and there's a lot more coming here now. It felt like it was one of the only things around so everyone my age [was] going for the same role. Getting that role was really instrumental [to my career]. I'd watched the first season of the show, and my family and I really enjoyed it. When I found out I was going to be playing Big Mike, I was super excited. The character itself was very fun. I played a young juvenile delinquent with a long, long mullet, who's causing trouble. There's not much to complain about that.
It was a really great experience to see how filmmaking works and to get to work with actors who have been doing it for a long, long time. I just had a lot of fun, and I learned a lot and it prepared me for things to come.
I want to jump to Boy Swallows Universes shortly, because you are working with some great screen legends like Bryan Brown and Travis Fimmel, and then behind the scenes there’s Jocelyn Moorehouse. What did you learn on that set that you've been able to take forward?
LTH: The main thing is the professionalism of those screen legends. It'd be very easy for them to rock up and be like, ‘Oh, I've done this a million times. Everyone's going to respect me either way, and just do whatever they want.’ But they don't. They rock up. They know their lines. They have ideas. They're prepared, and they're really into it.
Bryan Brown told us a story about friends who said they wanted to get into acting, and he told them, ‘Learn your lines first thing.’ He would always rock up super prepared. He was always super polite and professional, and that that rubs off on you. Everyone was different. Travis still had that imagination, that play, and you always knew that if you're in the scene with him, you weren't just going to do it how the script was. You would go a million different ways. You would try new things and find things. Working with Jocelyn was incredible. There was no one who rocked up and just went through the motions. To see these actors, Phoebe (Tonkin), Simon (Baker) who are so well respected and have been doing this for so long, and to still see that they're working as hard and professionally as they can, it rubs off on you.
I understand that you graduated while you were on set. What was that experience like?
LTH: I was in year 12, graduating, when I did Boy Swallows Universe, and the year before that I shot Crazy Fun Park, so I'd already missed a massive chunk of school. When I told them (school), ‘I’ve gotta go again, they were kind of like, ‘Oh, my.’ My mum had put a lot of work into figuring a way where I was going to be able to complete my [schoolwork while I was away]. Luckily, because of the big COVID debacle, there was a lot more online work that could be done. They got me a tutor over in Brisbane, and I did all the online work, and I was lucky enough to be able to get it finished. It wasn't too strenuous. It wasn't something that distracted me from working on the show. It fitted around me really well, and I was really comfortable with it. I was really happy how it all went. Obviously, I was sad to miss the last couple of weeks of school and graduation, but I think it worked out for the best.
Let's talk about building up the character of Gus, who is predominantly a nonverbal character, yet your performance led us into his world so well. We get to empathise with him and see how he his perspective clearly. Can you talk about building that character and making sure that we're able to connect with him that way?
LTH: At first, when I originally read the script, I thought, ‘What the hell, I'm way in over my head. What am I going to do here?’ But, I know that you're still doing something when you're not speaking, you are still reacting, so I knew it was going to be a very internal performance instead of an external one. There's a lot going on inside, but you still need to show that. I thought about how to show it through posture and that the thoughts are in your eyes and your movement.
I spent quite a bit of time walking around not speaking, even on set, and what I figured out was that when you're not speaking, you're observing, and you think about any time you've been in with a group of people and you're not saying anything, just looking out the window in your own head, you're thinking about what everyone else is saying. I realised pretty quickly there's kind of a power and a wiseness to it. You're learning a lot. There is sort of this thing, especially when you don't have to say anything, no one can get anything out of you, so you're always in control of your own situation.
I learned a lot from it, and I built Gus from there. I had a lot of fun doing it. It was daunting at first, but as soon as I got into it, it was actually very relaxing, getting onto a big space like that and not having to learn two pages and three pages of lines like Felix (Cameron) had to. I kind of got an easier push into it. I got to explore that world and was quite relaxed.
You mention being in control and guiding things, and there is this sense that you're controlling the scene, even though other people are doing a lot of talking, they're almost having to respond to what you're putting out there in a nonverbal way. What's that like for you?
LTH: It was evident from the material and talking to Trent that obviously the family is going through a lot, and everyone else is very fragile. Eli is trying to figure out the world. His mum is trying to stay off heroin. His stepdad’s a junkie. He doesn't know his real dad. So, for me, although Gus is going through a lot, he felt like he was sort of the man in the house. Not because he wanted to be, but because he had to be. He had to protect Eli, he had to look after Mum, he had to make sure Lyle (Travis Fimmel’s character) wasn't going to go out dealing smack.
Because of the things he's endured at a young age, had to grow up a lot quicker than everybody else. He has to have that wise perspective, it's just how he's grown up. He's made it a goal to look after Eli, so even though he's big brother, he is like a father figure to him, looking out for him and trying to guide him the right ways. That made me feel pretty good. It made me feel a bit smarter. There's a lot of sensitivity to it, but I really enjoyed it. It was a big experience.
It's a huge show as well. Which brings me to Crazy Fun Park and specifically working with Nicholas Verso. I've talked to directors about what it's like working with young actors, but I'm curious what it's like as a young actor working with somebody who knows how to work with young actors?
LTH: Nick's so comforting, and you feel so free around him. A lot of the auditions that you do, whether it's in person or online, there's a lot of people, through no fault of their own, who have to be very professional and very held back about it. He's so it’s just like hanging out with a friend. He's so creative. The thing about Nick is that you see his passion for what he's doing, especially because Crazy Fun Park was a project that he created wholly in his head. To see someone be so passionate about that, it kind of revs you up to be inspired that same way, because he knows everything inside and out about the character you're playing, because he created them. To see that he really wanted me for that part gave me a huge amount of confidence to give him everything I had, and I had a lot of fun with it. He was, again, just great director to work with and a great guy.
Which leads me to the new project you're working on, Beast of War. Working on a Netflix show is a huge achievement, but shifting to a film like this is equally great. What does it mean to be able to be part of film with a huge team like this one?
LTH: It was just great. It was my first proper film so I was really excited about it. It was about seeing the way things are shot a bit differently. I was working with a group of boys, so there was a real camaraderie. Kiah is a great director. Sometimes it was more about seeing how films work and how cameras work and how setting up is different and how you fit into it. It's not a world revolving around you. You're going to revolve around the world. It's a great task, and it's something you have to be able to do. I had a lot of fun doing it, and I'm really excited to see how it all works. I had a really good time. It was really interesting.
I want to talk about being the face of the cover of Craig Silvey’s book Honeybee. When the book came out, your face was on street posters, ads, everywhere. It was all over Australia. What was it like knowing that your face is out there in a way that people were able to see wasn’t on a TV show or film?
LTH: It was really weird. That was kind of the first time I would get recognised. That was interesting, because it came out of nowhere. I got a message from, I think, Craig or one of his team, and they wanted me to do this thing. I had a great experience with Craig, but at that time and that age, I didn't really understand what was happening. Then to see how big the book went, and then even to see how it went after Boy Swallows Universe and all the people making the connection that, ‘Wait a second, isn't that…?’ Because Trent and Craig are two of the biggest and best authors in Australia, so to see that link of the two universes, I think people really enjoyed that. I was just really happy to be at the forefront of it, because I had a great experience doing both. I'm so happy all their stuff's getting turned into shows and films, and that all their books are doing so well, and I hope to be a part of them.
Having people recognise you on the street has got to be quite the experience. What's that like for you?
LTH: It comes and goes in waves. When the show first came out it was pretty crazy. That was my first time dealing with it on such a high level. It was quite anxiety riddling at first, like anything, you don't know how to deal with things at first, and then slowly you get used to it. There's goods and bads of it, but it's really nice having people come to you and say, ‘I really love that,’ even if it's just over the internet.
I was at the Lancelin bakery the other day, and some kid goes “Wait, aren't you the guy from Boy Swallows Universe?” You can be in some up north WA town and get recognised, and to see that itcould be that far reaching is heartwarming. The things you get recognised for are things that people really enjoy, because that's why they remember. It can be kind of crazy, but I'm happy for it.
Looking forward, where do you want to go as an actor?
LTH: For me, the main thing I'd love to be able to do is keep on working on things that I'm passionate about. There's nothing better when you get a script like Boy Swallows Universe and you go, ‘Oh my God. I actually really, really want to do this.’ It's not just another job; I'm in love with the material, with the script, with the character and the people you get to work with. That would be the dream to get to work on more things like that and things I'm passionate about. I’d love to have a career where you still love it, and you're still enjoying it and testing yourself. That'd be the dream.
What does this nomination mean for you going forward?
LTH: People always try and be humble about awards, like, ‘I don't care,’ but it's very nice to know that people feel you're doing something right and that they're enjoying your work. To be in a catalog with people like those who have been nominated is really uplifting. I'm really happy that they think I'm doing something right.
I imagine knowing that the film studio is going to be up and running in Perth has got to be pretty exciting for you as a local Perth actor. What does that mean for you?
LTH: People are always saying to me ‘When are you going to move out of Perth?’ I’m like, ‘Huh, I'm not.’ I read a great thing Heath Ledger said when he moved and he said, ‘I'm not running away. I'm running to.’ He loved Perth, and I love Perth, and I don't have any desire to run away. The fact that there's projects coming to be made here is just so uplifting. I'm so happy about it because Perth is such a magical place. Bringing films here and filming on those beaches and the outback we have it seems like a no brainer, so I think they finally figured out it's the thing to do. I hope to make many good projects here in my life, because I love it. There's some really great stuff that's being made and coming out of here and some great directors and filmmakers coming out of here and I'd love to work with them.
Are there any particular names that you’d love to work with?
LTH: There's this new guy, David Vincent Smith who made He Ain’t Heavy. I actually worked with him on a short film when I was like 12 (Featherweight, 2019), and I remember thinking ‘this guy is really intelligent.’ Now I see all the stuff from his new film, and I'm really excited about it because it’s helped put Perth on the map, and to see him attached to a film I’m working on is really exciting.