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Jai has lots to Crowe about

Jai Courtney. Picture: AAPIMAGE

This year alone, in-demand WAAPA-trained actor Jai Courtney has starred in Divergent, I Frankenstein and Felony.

He can next be seen in Angelina Jolie's Oscar contender Unbroken and Russell Crowe's Gallipoli film The Water Diviner, which opens on Boxing Day.

As for next year, Courtney has already shot the Divergent sequel Insurgent and Terminator: Genisys, and has just signed up to star alongside Will Smith, Jared Leto and Tom Hardy as the character Boomerang in DC Comics' supervillain team-up film Suicide Squad.

But in-between his action-packed schedule he will return to his old haunt for the Perth Theatre Company's production of John Steinbec*'s Of Mice and Men.

Right now, the mere mention of Perth makes him crave his favourite food near WAAPA.

"My first stop when I step off the plane will be a sandwich I used to eat while at WAAPA from this deli called Antonios," the busy 28-year-old, who splits his time between LA and Sydney, told AAA Weekend while back in Australia this week.

"You could custom-make your own Italian sandwich. It was incredible. I heard a horrible rumour it's closed down, is that right?"

When I give Courtney the bad news, there was a long pause followed by a dejected: "That's devastating . . . that's f….. up, dude!"

Yet he's excited about performing with the Perth Theatre Company at the State Theatre Centre next December.

"I studied with Mel Cantwell at WAAPA," said Courtney. "So we've been friends for a while and she's now Perth Theatre's artistic director. We started talking about doing a show together back then. It's come up a few times over the years but it's really hard to make that commitment, so we had to find a window where I wasn't committed to something.

"It's been tough to make it happen but it came time to make it work next year. It's really exciting and refreshing for me. It's something different and it's going to be great to get back there and get on stage."

He's also hoping to catch up with some old WAAPA friends while here.

"It's hard to keep up with everyone, especially living away, but it's a strong community and there's a good camaraderie. I'd also love to stop by WAAPA and do some work with them if there's time. That would be really fun."

Courtney said he fulfilled a boyhood dream working with Crowe in The Water Diviner, in which he plays a lieutenant-colonel who helps Crowe's character find the remains of his three sons at Gallipoli.

"Russell has been a hero of mine on the screen for some time. He was picking up all those Academy Award nods right when I was getting passionate about acting. He was the guy for me and my generation and I've tracked him pretty closely. So when I read he was making his directorial debut with a film about Gallipoli, it was a no-brainer. I got my hands on a copy of the script and chased the role."

Yet Courtney was shocked by Crowe's icy reception.

"Russell is a pretty intimidating character right off the bat. The first thing he said was 'Do you know how to ride a horse?' I said 'Ahh . . .' and was about to say yes even though I'd only ridden as a kid. He looked me in the eye and said 'Don't bulls… me!'"

Luckily, Crowe does all the riding in the film.

"Yeah, he's a proper cowboy, mate. But it was wonderful to have that dream realised and find myself working alongside him and under his direction."