Travis Fimmel and Luke Bracey on their new Aussie film, James Bond rumours and bushy beards
Fresh off the film’s Sydney premiere the previous night, Aussie actors Travis Fimmel and Luke Bracey swung by Build Series Sydney to chat about their new home-grown war epic, Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
Directed by Kriv Stenders of Red Dog fame, Danger Close tells the heroic and largely forgotten story of a group of young and mostly inexperienced Australian and New Zealand troops who fought for their lives during a bloody four-hour battle on August 18, 1966.
“It’s been a great experience, I feel like it has a great message for Australians of mateship,” Vikings star Travis told host Danny Clayton.
Travis and Luke portray real-life soldiers Major Harry Smith and Sergeant Bob Buick respectively, who, along with just 106 men, faced off against 2,500 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers on a rubber plantation near Long Tan in South Vietnam.
While Danger Close is very much a war film, at its core it’s about a group of young men looking out for their mates - or “ordinary blokes in an extraordinary situation,” as Luke explained.
Despite not knowing one another before filming began, it sounds like the cast bonded quickly during the week-long pre-shoot ‘bootcamp.’
“When you’re dealing with something like this, everyone jumps on board,” Home And Away star Luke said.
So, after such a demanding project - which involved pre-dawn starts and hours lying in mud - are the co-stars pals in real life?
“He means well,” Travis joked about Luke, before adding, “nah, he’s a great bloke.”
At one point during their chat Danny caught Travis - who sported some impressive facial hair in his role on Vikings - absentmindedly stroking his beard.
“I’m sorry!” Travis apologised, before explaining that the mullet hairstyle he’s currently sporting was for an upcoming Ridley Scott project, a sci-fi flick titled Raised By Wolves.
The mullet even has a nickname - “I call it the Echuca waterfall,” Travis revealed, which is a fond reference to his “favourite place,” his home town of Echuca in northern Victoria.
Luke went on to chat about his upcoming films, including Holidate, a “really fun” romantic comedy with Emma Roberts.
“There have beens some rumours about James Bond, too,” Travis interjected, making his co-star blush.
After being pressed by Danny, Luke responded, “Yeah, Travis just made that up!”
“I think you’d make a great James Bond,” Danny added, to which Luke replied, “I do too.”
Luke Bracey as Bond: you heard it here first on Build Series Sydney.
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