So says actor Harry Greenwood, whose latest role is playing a robot. But he’s also keen to drag up thanks to Mitzi in Priscilla, a film role made famous by his dad, Hugo Weaving.
DNA: Tell us about your latest role in the film Klara And The Sun.
Harry Greenwood: I play one of the robots to Klara, played by Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), who are called “artificial friends”. I love sci-fi and big sweeping dramas, and it has both in spades. In fact, it was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Amy Adams (Justice League) is an all-time favourite of mine and, I discovered, an incredibly nice person.
Working under Taika Waititi’s direction was wonderfully improv-heavy. It almost felt like being on Saturday Night Live! It was that kind of seat-of-your-pants scenario, making things up as you go, which I thrive on. That sort of atmosphere is why we get into this silly job in the first place.
You’ve also been working with Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) and Willem Dafoe (Asteroid City) on the Edmund Hillary film, Tenzing.
Yes, I play Charles Evans, one of the British climbing crew. We shot in Nepal and New Zealand, where the stunning mountain backdrops surrounded us, and what fantastic actors to work with! I’ve loved watching Willem’s work over the years. He has a great, devilish playfulness and is super-naughty in the best kind of way. And Tom, who plays Edmund Hillary, was an absolute darling to me while we were freezing our butts off in those mountains.
Having grown up with a famous acting dad, Hugo Weaving. Were you born with the acting bug?
I guess it’s a family business. My cousin is also an actor, and my partner and her dad are directors.
When I was young, I would often be backstage while my dad was onstage in productions. He’d try to sneak me onto the stage! I remember one production at the Belvoir Street Theatre, where he opened the stage door and I ended up being the “ghostly child on the street”. I was thrilled.
My sister and I were around when Dad was making Priscilla, which was a hoot. If you watch the music video for I Love The Nightlife, you’ll see us playing the two little kids watching TV. My mum plays the hopelessly forgotten wife, while the dad is a drag queen by night. I guess I saw my dad having fun and thought, “That looks alright. Maybe I should do this.”
Having a dad who played Mitzi in Priscilla must have felt very cool.
Absolutely! Priscilla probably started my own love of drag. I’m obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Race, and my dream is to be put into drag. If anyone is interested, please let me know! I think Dad still has the thong dress and earrings.
Dad’s best mate was the actor Keith Robinson (Moulin Rouge), and we’d all go to Mardi Gras together. We lived right behind Oxford Street, so the culture has always been a huge part of my life.
You lived behind Oxford Street? You must’ve had some wild nights.
Who doesn’t love a dance at a gay bar? Let’s be honest, gays know how to have fun, and straights are boring! My favourite gay bar experience was when I was strolling around Europe on my own. I ended up in Reykjavik, Iceland, at an incredible gay bar called NASA. It was so campy and over-the-top, with people dressed in space suits and ridiculous outfits. It was one of the best nights of my life, and the music was brilliant. The gays do it better!
Who’s your favourite songstress?
[Laughs] My playlist always ends up going to Drag Race lip syncs. I can’t go past Diana Ross. What a legend, and she has such bangers to dance to. I love Upside Down.
Is there a song that will always get you out on the dancefloor?
Dancing On My Own by Robyn. I know all the words! It’s high-drama dance pop with a touch of darkness, and euphoric with a sense of melancholia, which I’m drawn to. You need depth on the dancefloor!
What about a male singer?
Luther Vandross. What an amazing voice. Dad was born in Nigeria and has an affinity for North African music. I really like Ali Farka Touré and other French-speaking African artists. I have eclectic tastes.
Did you ever question your sexuality?
Sexuality is a spectrum. I don’t think anyone could call themselves truly straight. If they do, they probably haven’t explored all parts of themselves. The younger generation is confident in their expressions of self. It’s exciting to see. The more that happens, the more people will feel free to be themselves. They can be different versions of themselves. It’d be stupid to say we don’t question our sexuality when growing up. That’s also the fun of it: to experiment, to fall in love with people for who they are and not what they are.
Do you have a favourite quote?
Ernest Hemingway said, “All you have to do is write one true sentence.” The same goes for acting. That’s what makes good storytelling.
Do you have a grooming tip?
I go to a cheap-and-cheerful hairdresser and get them to treat me like a piece of meat! Here’s the tip: I don’t wash with shampoo. I just use hot water. It’s healthy for your hair to let the natural oils in. It’s advice passed down from my granddad, who had great hair!
What’s been your most memorable wardrobe malfunction?
It’s not a mishap, but I have appeared nude on stage and it’s not easy. For the opening scene of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, I was showering in a cubicle. They say you must get naked on stage at least once in your life, but I was terrified of being naked in front of my peers. It didn’t matter much after the first night. I thought, “They’ve seen it all before!”
At the beach, briefs, boardshorts or naked?
Budgie smugglers! There are so many designs that allow you to express yourself creatively. Board shorts are annoying and chafe. I’d rather have some awesome hot-pink budgies!
Briefs, boxers or freeballing?
Y-fronts every day of the week. I like it all snug. I don’t want anything flapping about!
Follow Harry on Instagram @green_wood
Jesse Matheson Finishes Our Sentences
Jesse Matheson, CEO of Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras, finishes our sentences.
The state of my hair is… Quite thick compared to some of my mates (sorry!) with little flicks of wisdom-filled grey. I suspect there’s more to come. Call me for the Silver Daddy issue of DNA in a few years.
The state of my underwear drawer is… An assortment of pride collection briefs and odd socks. Thankfully, Christmas has delivered a reset.
The best accessory I ever bought is… The engagement/wedding ring that sits on my husband’s finger.
The most famous person I’ve met is… Cher, for just a fleeting moment at the 40th anniversary of Mardi Gras, but I’ll claim it!
The best thing about Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras is… When you take a moment to look around the crowd and see thousands of smiling queer faces. It’s the joy we bring that makes all the work worth it. It’s an incredible honour, a massive responsibility, and a dream come true to be CEO.
The worst thing about Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras is… The comedown! All that excitement over two weeks, and then knowing the next season is a year away. But the work begins again straight after Mardi Gras.
Back in high school, I was… A bit of a rebellious ratbag who loved to learn but hated structure and rules. The attitude served me well!
I feel sad when… I read the news. The world can be so messy and dark. We have to work to find, or make, a spark of positivity.
The last time I laughed hysterically was… On a holiday with my best friend in Bali. You need to find friends who can make you laugh so hard you cry.
I’m shit scared of… Spiders! I can’t even look at them. Yuck!
People don’t know that I once… Offended celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. She wasn’t a fan of Aussie humour. Sorry Nigella! I thought it was funny!
If you want to make my blood boil, start talking about… US politics. Ugh!
If I’d travelled a different path, I’d now be… A lawyer. I almost started the studies earlier this year, but then the Interim CEO role at Mardi Gras came up. I made the right choice!
My secret food indulgence is… A meat pie smothered in tomato sauce.
My autobiography would be called… Apparently, This Is My Life because I often have to pinch myself. It’s been quite the journey!
If I could have a superpower, it would be… The power to be in two places at once. My calendar would appreciate it.
My favourite TV character of all time is… Homer Simpson. I’m not sure what that says about me… “D’oh!” He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he’s fascinated by the world, approaches it with good humour, and loves his friends and family.
The song that makes me smile and want to dance is… Anything Lady Gaga. She’s my absolute number one.
The song I can’t get out of my head is… Donna Summer’s MacArthur Park. It’s whimsical and simple yet also overdramatic! It also makes me want cake, though preferably not out in the rain.
My straight mates are… Always surprised when I tell them what I got up to on the weekend. They know me well enough to expect nothing less, and they always wish they had been invited.
Interview by Matt Myers
Follow Jesse on Instagram @jesse_matheson
www.mardigras.org.au
Photography: Colleen Sturtevant/Wikimedia.
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