"I have worked with Tay and her team at Central Casting on many different productions over years from International Feature Films to local kids shows and I have always found her very professional to deal with. She always goes the extra mile often personally accompanying her talent to the audition."
Henrie Stride
Casting Director
Henrie Stride Casting
Testimonials
Brisbane Open Day
Sunday February 8th 10am-5pm
QCTV Studios 25 Donkin Street West End
Ross Graham - from an Extra through to a Stunt Man/Actor in 'Australia'
A Dream Come True Story
It was about 2003 when I first saw an advertisement asking for anyone interested in being on TV or in the movies. I responded to the ad and joined up with central casting with basically no prior experience.
My first job was as an extra on an Australian movie called Deck Dogz. This is where I got a real taste of what it was like to be in a movie and it urged me to try and become more involved.
I have done several other jobs since then, the more significant ones being:
An LG commercial, where I played a police officer with another central casting member, it was a two day shoot involving me jumping through a door and trying to arrest somebody.
Not long after that I got another job for Sega. This job was to change the course of what I was to do in future. I played the leader of a bike gang that had to fight a leader of another bike gang in a cage. It involved a Chinese singer from America. We shot this on the same location that they did for some of the scenes from the Matrix Trilogy. The significant thing about this job was that it required me to do all my own stunts. We choreographed a fight scene that went for 5mins shot in front of over 100 extras.
This opened my eyes to the idea of becoming a Stuntman/Actor.
In 2007 Tay contacted me to do stand in work on the Baz Lurhmann Film AUSTRALIA. I was to stand in for an Actor named Eddie Baroo. It was my first day on set, and in walks Baz Lurhmann, David Whenam and Eddie Baroo. I couldn’t believe it. Eddie was fantastic. We talked for a while and he gave some tips and pointed me in the right direction to further my career.
2008 was to be a big year for me. Again Central Casting contacted me to do some extras work on Xmen Origins: Wolverine Starring Hugh Jackman and Liev Schriber. I played a soldier in a War. This involved two USA soldiers to come out and train us at a boot camp to become an authentic looking army. We were given weapons, fight, and military training. We shot for two days down in Narrellan. Not only was this a great experience but I made a lot of mates as well.
Soon after that I was again contacted to come back to the set of Australia. This time not as a stand in, but as a picture double. I was introduced to the Stunt Coordinator Glen Suter and asked if I was capable of riding a horse and doing some fight scenes. Little did I know how big this job was going to be.
Fortunately for me, Eddie Baroo was unavailable for some of the reshoots needed, and Baz Lurhmann needed someone to fill the position. As I was stand in for Eddie it made sense for me to get the job. This required me to have make up put on everyday which usually took a minimum of an hour and a half By Maurizio Silvi and Lesley Vanderwalt.
Little did I know the extent of what I had to do. Baz Lurhmann asked me not only to act as Bull the character but could I do some lines with David Wenham. I was overwhelmed. We shot for several weeks at Fox studios during this time I also got to fight with Hugh Jackman which has got to be the high light of what I have achieved so far. Glen Suter was fantastic along with all the other stuntmen in helping to make the scenes look as authentic as possible. Truly a Dream Come True.
All of this couldn’t have happened with out being apart of Central Casting. Tay O’Keefe and her team have helped me to achieve so much in such a short time and l look forward to continuing our relationship.
