Son of a gun, Thwaites was back
The last time Brenton Thwaites was in Perth, he was a burgeoning actor just starting out in feature films.
In what was his first lead role, the 25-year-old spent several months in WA last year while shooting heist thriller Son of a Gun alongside veteran star Ewan McGregor.
But a lot can happen in 18 months, and Thwaites has now become Australia's newest Hollywood export after playing roles in Maleficent opposite Angelina Jolie and recent post-apocalyptic flick The Giver beside Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep.
Returning to WA at the weekend to promote Son of a Gun, which hits cinemas nationwide on Thursday, Thwaites said many things had changed for him since he was last in town, so it was nice to be back in a familiar place.
"I was here for about five to six months, so it's good to come back," he told AAA at The Terrace Hotel yesterday.
"I revisited Leighton Beach where I lived and Fremantle where we shot. I like (Fremantle cafe) Moore & Moore, there is good coffee there."
Thwaites first rose to prominence on TV with parts in Foxtel teen drama SLiDE and Home and Away before moving to Los Angeles two years ago to try his luck in Tinseltown.
With his career still in its early stages, the Cairns-raised performer said McGregor took him under his wing while filming Son of a Gun and helped guide him through scenes.
But it wasn't just McGregor who left an impression on the young star.
Thwaites said he particularly enjoyed watching Jolie work on the set of Maleficent.
"She was busy - she was executive producing and she was the lead in a massive film," he said.
"In our scenes, we would shoot them and then they were over in a heartbeat but it was interesting watching her work, watching how she got into character. That process at the time was very new to me, so watching how everyone worked and the hierarchies on set were huge."
Thwaites has already finished filming another two big flicks - Ride with Helen Hunt and Gods of Egypt with Gerard Butler.
However, he has no idea where his next pay cheque will come from.
"I don't know what is next - I might do something weird like go to Hawaii for a surf or Nashville to play some guitar," Thwaites grinned.
