We received loads of self-tapes back for Sonny, however to be honest, I really wasn't too sure about our replies. Lots of great actors, I'm sure, but none of them felt right to me for Sonny. Sonny should feel innocent and good, but with a darkness deep inside him.
Sonny is Ellis and Kane’s target. He is an average young man who, under dire circumstances, did something he regrets. He killed someone. Now he is a shell of his former self. He is riddled with guilt to the point where he doesn’t feel he can go on. He has hit a point where he literally cannot see a way forward for himself. So he hides himself away, confining himself to nothing but his own thoughts.
I'm going to mention just a few of our auditions.
Conor O'Dwyer played the character very differently from what I expected, but it was a very theatrical performance. I mention him because I really enjoyed what he did with it and I would be down for working with him on something at some point, but he just wasn't right for this role.
Then there were actors like Sani Mahood. He managed to cry on command, which I know Ruth was very impressed by. However, my issue was that it felt like he was too focused on crying and neglected the rest of his performance.
I also decided I would reach out to a few people and have a chat to them about the character. For example, I messaged Kyle Murphy, an actor I have worked with previously on Hostages and had a meeting with him. We talked about Sonny, and he seemed interested in the role, but he didn't seem to fully connect to the character.
I also messaged Michael Robertson, an actor from the acting course at Napier. He really nailed the innocent side of Sonny, but he was missing the darker, more thoughtful side to Sonny. Again, I'd be open to working with him on something.
However, the standout actor for me was Mackenzie Patterson. I've known Mackenzie for a few years. I first met him when he acted in the taster film for The Man Who Ran Away. We've been friends for a few years, but I've never actually directed him. I asked him if he was interested in the role and he sent me a self-tape. I felt he really connected to the character. I'll need to discuss it with Ruth, but I reckon Mackenzie is our man.
Comments