From WWI to the Swinging ’60s and The Gilded Age, actor Thomas Cocquerel has travelled through time. In Paper Dolls, he’s at the turn of the millennium, managing a girl group.
DNA: You’ve played a lot of different types of men. Have you ever played a gay man?
Thomas Cocquerel: I haven’t yet. I’ve tested for some roles but never had the opportunity. They’re yet to come! I had a fair crack at auditioning for Holding The Man. I really wanted that role. It’s such a beautiful film and I was blown away by what those boys did. Ryan Corr is a talent.
Have you ever been out clubbing with your gay mates?
I’ve got a lot of gay mates and I’ve been back to Arq nightclub in Darlinghurst since it’s been redone, but Oxford Street has changed a lot. I finished off my birthday party this year with all my mates at Arq. That was a fun ride. I was disappointed there weren’t any drag queens dancing on the bar.
Tell us about your character, Teddy, in your latest show, Paper Dolls.
Things have happened behind the scenes and he’s trying to prove himself while vying to manage a girl group called Harlow. Teddy has his vices but there’s a balance between being caught up in the industry machine while trying to get the job done. He has a moral compass within a crazy industry that wants to churn and burn talent. The story is fictitious but based on pop bands of the ’90s. It was a tough time in the music industry.
What’s your memory of the Y2K era?
I remember Britney Spears’s massive first single, Baby One More Time. I lived in Houston, Texas with my three younger sisters and we were massive fans of The Backstreet Boys and The Spice Girls. They were special years. I missed out on a lot of the Australian stuff because we didn’t move here until I was twelve.
Who’s your music diva?
I’m a big Dua Lipa fan but I’ll stand by Adele.
What song will always get you on the dancefloor?
I’m a die-hard Foals fan so anything by them. Mountain At My Gates is their big one for me. I’ve travelled the world to see this band and attended about nine concerts. They’re coming to Australia for Lost Paradise and I’m going just for them!
Who’s your current inspiration in the entertainment industry?
Joel Edgerton, not just for his acting but also for film producing. I met him years ago before he really cracked it when he was doing A Streetcar Named Desire at the Sydney Theatre Company. I admire his career in terms of how he’s navigated the industry in the United States. Another inspiration is Chris Hemsworth.
What has been the biggest pinch-yourself moment so far in your career?
Working on The Gilded Age was very special. It’s set in the 1880s and is recreated on studio sets, but one day I was lucky enough to shoot at the Bethesda Fountain in the middle of Central Park, New York. I remember doing a 360-degree turn and every person was in period costume. There were about one hundred extras and it was absolutely stunning. It was also special working with Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon. Christine is so funny!
Do you have a favourite quote for life?
I have a favourite poem that I recite to myself nearly every day. It’s titled If by Rudyard Kipling and I love and live by it. Every year, different parts of the poem speak to me more. Kipling says, “To meet with triumph and disaster, treat those two impostors just the same.” So, whatever the ups and downs are, always stay in a place of balance, and that’s something I find quite comforting.
Have you ever had an on-set wardrobe misadventure?
Not so much a misadventure but I did a horror film, Alive, in Calgary, Canada where I was strapped down to a gurney and cut open! [Laughs] I had my lips sewn shut in a mould of my mouth. It was glued on and I couldn’t speak for about six hours. I was in bandages and blood while being tortured! In hindsight, it’s quite funny. We shot in an abandoned hospital that was actually haunted! One for the books.
Briefs, boxers or free-balling?
Fitted boxers. I like the support. I can’t do loose boxers and I’m definitely not a commando guy.
Who would you turn gay for?
Ryan Gosling. He’s a hot commodity. I like everything he’s done. The Place Beyond The Pines and Lars And The Real Girl are my favourites and I’ve just rewatched The Ides Of March. Ryan has real acting chops and I look up to him in many ways. He’s magnetic.
Paper Dolls will premiere on Paramount+ from December 3. Follow Thomas on Instagram @thomascocquerel
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Photography: IMDb.
