Thwaites still in the real world

In the past three years former Sea Patrol and Home and Away hottie Brenton Thwaites has experienced a stunning rise to prominence, slotting into one lead role after another.

His teen horror flick Oculus was a modest production yet was voted the best film in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival. He again commanded the screen in The Signal, a sci-fi drama that played at the Sundance Film Festival.

In another other-worldly effort The Giver, directed by Phillip Noyce, he stars as the young Receiver (of all memory) in a utopian/dystopian world and he's also the lead in Alex Proyas' $US150 million ($162 million) action-fantasy blockbuster Gods of Egypt, which recently filmed at Sydney's Fox Studios.

And most notably for West Australians was Thwaites as co-star with Ewan McGregor in Julius Avery's Son of a Gun, which was shot in Perth, Kalgoorlie and Melbourne.

As well as a minor role as Elle Fanning's Prince Charming in Maleficent, he is also coming as Helen Hunt's school drop-out surfer son in the US road movie Ride, which the Oscar-winning actress also wrote and directed.

So it was no surprise in June when Entertainment Weekly included Thwaites on its Hot List of stars of the US summer.

Certainly in person the 25-year-old does have that X factor - an easygoing charm and good looks that the camera loves. The former surfer kid from Cairns attributes his sudden rise to people taking risks on him as a newcomer.

"Thank you to the guys in Australia who taught me my craft," the articulate actor notes. "An acting career doesn't just happen. Certain blocks have to be put together very carefully but so far all my blocks came together by chance."

While he cites his beginnings on Sea Patrol as his big break - "they were really supportive and showed me that I could really go places" - his television follow-up, Slide, was "full of amazing people who really believed in me and made me believe in myself".

Encouraged by his music- enthusiast mum, Thwaites played guitar from an early age. In his mid-teens he made his own short films and went on to audition for Romeo in Romeo and Juliet at the North Queensland Academy of Dramatic Art.

"That started my love of the theatre and Shakespeare and then later on in college ( Queensland University of Technology) it transferred to acting and film."

Thwaites had already appeared in love scenes in the US telemovie Blue Lagoon: The Awakening and with Gracie Gilbert in the Australian television series Slide. "My first nude scene was in Slide. I just tried to make jokes the whole time to make it less awkward."

Now he has his most grown-up relationship to date with another up-and-comer, Swedish actress Alicia Vikander in Son of a Gun. "Wait till you see it," Thwaites says eagerly. What does he do in that? "Nothing, nothing. No it's not that bad actually."

The first feature by Pemberton-born Sydney director Avery, who made the award-winning short Jerrycan, Son of a Gun stars McGregor as Australia's most notorious criminal and Thwaites as his underling in prison.

"We strike a deal, he becomes my protector and in return I offer my services on the outside," Thwaites explains.

"This was the most fun I've ever had shooting a movie," Thwaites enthuses. "For starters working with Ewan was amazing and we became really good friends and my best friend Eddie Baroo - he was in Save Your Legs! - was in the film too. Every movie has its own family and it was good to have a film family in my own country. And I don't know, I just love WA. There's good surf."

The US film The Giver was shot in South Africa but Thwaites was able to get some Australian time with his director, the Australian veteran Noyce (Newsfront, The Rabbit-Proof Fence, Patriot Games amongst many, many others).

"Phil Noyce is a good example to filmmakers that you can maintain the level of passion throughout your career because he is such a passionate man and as an actor you feed on that. When he gets so excited and passionate, it just comes through in me. It comes through in everyone on the set."

Thwaites recalls there being "magical" singalongs with himself and Taylor Swift (who has a bit part in the film) on guitar and singing. At the time the pair, who look mighty good together, were rumoured to be dating.

"I wasn't really aware of it until my family called me and it was in the local papers and things like that."

Is he big in Cairns? "Yeah, big in Cairns. After a while, they came to realise that a lot of it was codswallop, as my pop says. You just let it play its course 'cause people realise the truth at the end of the day. But in saying that, Taylor was great on set and we had a great time."

Thwaites says his down-to-earth attitude comes from his midwife mum, who is separated from his dad - "They both loved Home and Away and were excited I was on the show" - and he has one sister.

"My mum instilled in me a love for music so I always carry my guitar with me. It kind of keeps me sane everywhere I go. She emphasised the value of keeping fit and mentally healthy. Just the simple things."

What actor does he aspire to be? "Hugh Jackman," Thwaites replies without hesitation. Because he is such a nice guy? Or the great body?

"No, I just think he is everything. He is such a nice guy, he makes his own movies and brings them into Australia, which I love, and he is a great actor."

'Thank you to the guys in Australia who taught me my craft. An acting career doesn't just happen. Certain blocks have to be put together very carefully but so far all my blocks came together by chance.'