How did you get involved in the film?
When I met my wife [Australian actress Gia Carides], we did the whole "I'll watch your movies, if you watch mine" thing. So I watched "Bliss", a film she did about 15 years ago, and I loved it. I thought it was an incredible film and I said to my wife, "What happened to that director? I'd really like to meet him." So Ray Lawrence and I had lunch, organised by my wife, and we said, "Yes, one day we'll work together." Seven years later he sent me the script for "Lantana" and I instantly fell in love with it.
How did you research your role?
I spent about 48 hours with two Sydney detectives. The reason I had to spend so much time with them was because for the first 30 hours they wouldn't speak to me. I just sat quietly in the back of the car and rode around with them. It wasn't so much to understand police procedure - I've played enough police in my life to have that part covered. I really wanted to get familiar with them and find out how they felt about their marriages, their girlfriends, their job, and how they fit into their communities. And after about 30 hours of stony silence they started to break down.
You were born in Australia but most of your career has taken place in the United States. Why did you leave?
I was attempting to flee the colonies. About 20 years ago, I decided I wanted to live in New York. That was pretty much the extent of my plan. I moved there and, through a series of different circumstances, got more and more into acting and decided that was what I wanted to do. So I built my entire career in the United States and that's why it feels like I'm an American actor.
Was it hard acting with an Australian accent?
I had a vocal coach. It's a sad thing, but I had to hire someone so that I could get my Australian accent back. My accent's become a weird hybrid.
