Interview with Hunters Star Greg Austin
Following up on my review of Hunters I had the chance to pose some questions to Greg Austin who played Nazi footsoldier Travis.
I’ve spoken to Greg a few times at conventions here in the UK after his appearance in Doctor Who spin off Class. If you want to check out my video chat with Greg and his Class co-star Fady Elsayed then you can find that here.
I’d like to thank Greg for taking the time to answer these questions, and for giving such thoughful responses.
FN: What was the casting process like for Hunters?
Greg: Back in October 2018, I got the sides through for the part and really connected with the show and the role. I did my bit, sent off the tapes, then waited around for something not happen. After a couple of months of not hearing anything, I assumed the part had gone, until a couple of weeks before Christmas when my Manager told me I had been shortlisted for the role, and may have to fly out to LA to screen test, or at the very least, Skype call with the producers and director for a further audition. Another week or so goes by without hearing anything, then just before everything shuts down for Christmas, my Manager calls me back up and tells me I’ve got the job. Which was both exhilarating, and terrifying.
FN: How much did you know about the role of Travis before you started filming?
I knew very little about Travis before filming, it was largely left up to me where I wanted to take him. David Weil emphasised to me how normal his background was, which you get to see a glimpse of later on in the season, but that doesn’t stop his obsession with power and control from manifesting into the pathology we are on screen. It was very liberating getting to find the character my own way.
FN: What does it take to get into the mindset of a character like that?
I’ve always been fascinated by the mind and the biases that come along with being human. We each see our own portrayal of reality and are completely sold on the stories we tell ourselves, so it just takes some tweaking of the values and the environmental inputs and interpretations, and you can become anyone. I did a lot of research into psychopathy and Naziism specifically, and the character fell into place from there.
FN: Your character had some of the most chilling scenes in the entire series. Was there one that stood out to you that made you think “this, this is the one people are going to really hate me for”?
If there was any scene that I thought people might hate me for, it was the torture and interrogation of Detective Sommers and his family. Strapping him, his pregnant wife and elderly mother to chairs, hurting them, then killing them? Doesn’t get much more evil than that.
FN: Did you have any particular routines or anything special you did to distance yourself from the character when not filming?
Honestly, no. I have very little trouble letting the character go at the end of the day considering he’s so distant from me to begin with. I was more worried about trying to get as close to him as possible, inhabiting him, being able to put him on as easily as I could take him off.
FN: I have to ask, what was in the glass in the penultimate episode?
It was milk! Although we spent a while trying to get the foamy white/pink milk moustache to show up on camera after drinking it, but it never worked, so I’m pretty sure what you see on my face is CGI milk.
FN: Was there anyone in the cast that you were particularly excited to work with?
Lena Olin, who plays the Colonel, was an honour and a privilege to work with. She’s obviously a titan within her sphere and I respect her talent, but getting to work with her also showed me she’s one of the most genuine, interested and compassionate people in the industry. I can’t speak highly enough of her.
FN: The costumes were something special, did you have any input into Travis’ look?
I gave my input at the beginning of production, that I wanted him sleek, fashionable but distinct. He’s incredibly narcissistic, so I feel that came out in how he dresses, but all the credit goes to John Dunn (Costume Designer) and the whole costume department for making Travis look so cool.
FN: Obviously lots of things are on hold at the moment, but can you tell us if there are any plans for a second season? That final scene in the prison has a LOT of promise.
We’re living in history right now, and there are far more important things going on in the world than TV, but I know we’re all planning and hoping for a second season. David has apparently got five seasons planned out in his head, and I would obviously love nothing more than the chance to keep developing Travis, he’s got so much further to go.
FN: Anything else coming up that our readers might want to look out for?
As to the state of things right now, everything is on hold, so I’m just waiting around as much as you guys are!
We hope you’ve enjoyed finding out a little more about Greg Austin and his work on Hunters. If you want to see him in action, Hunters is streaming now on Amazon Prime. Class is also available on Netflix in the UK or to purchase on iTunes.
Images sourced from IMDb.
