How AFL WAGs led Jeremy Lindsay Taylor to new role
IT WASN’T the chance to play an AFL coach in Channel 10’s hot new show Playing For Keeps that convinced Jeremy Lindsay Taylor to sign on. Instead, he tells BW Magazine, it is the chance to act alongside some of the show’s strong female leads.
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IT’S easy to imagine Jeremy Lindsay Taylor was drawn to new Channel 10 drama Playing For Keeps by the thought of delving into the hyper-masculine world of an AFL club.
But it’s the show’s depiction of strong female characters that drew the actor to the project.
With his baritone voice and rugged looks, Taylor may not be what many think of when they hear label “feminist”.
He plays coach Brian Rickards in the series centred on an AFL team and their wives and girlfriends.
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One quick conversation with the acting veteran about why he chose the role and he’s quick to show his support for “girl power”.
“I champion all women, I respect all women and this is a show that puts a spotlight on women in this lifestyle.
“Behind every great man is an even greater woman,” Taylor tells BW Magazine.
In a world of reality TV shows and clickbait, Taylor says he’s on the hunt for the real characters, people who despite their glamorous outfits, carry real flaws and resonate with the audience.
And he says the rise of Netflix, Stan and other streaming services allows actors to push the envelope and, in his view, Playing for Keeps does just that.
“I think it’s such a changing time in TV, you’ve got streaming and so much quality TV at your fingertips,” he says.
“You have to create something that is as real and fresh and new as possible.
“You can’t create mundane TV any more, There is too much brave television out there and its exciting as an actor.”
Taylor’s commitment to an authentic character required some serious preparation for a Sydney-sider and rusted-on NRL man.
He spent four weeks preparing, the athlete way: shadowing an ex-AFL player and coach, watching games, learning about the pressures coaches face and embracing the team spirit that is a central to the game.
“It clicked and then I scrambled to learn as much as I could about the game,” he says.
“If I’m not an authentic coach I will be hung out to try by the fans.”
The series began airing this month and social media has been abuzz with positive reviews. Taylor suspects the reason is two-fold: the camaraderie between the cast is resonating with audiences and the drama is a welcome change from the onslaught of cooking and renovation shows on Aussie screens.
“We just gelled as a team,” he says.
“We knew we had the pressure, so we bonded together to do the best we could and I think we did a really good job.”
It’s easy to imagine the on-set camaraderie when Taylor was joined by fellow Home And Away star Jackson Gallagher and fellow Underbelly alumnus Neighbours Madeleine West, who plays Taylor’s onscreen wife.
And it’s no surprise a show he’s worked on is doing so well.
Taylor’s career is flush with a slew of successful Aussie shows — including Heartbreak High, Offspring, Underbelly, Love Child and Puberty Blues.
He’s hoping for similar success for Playing for Keeps — a project that he says is truly Australian but in a way that can be relatable overseas.
“I’m very patriotic and this is truly Australian but it could still resonate overseas,” the 45-year-old says.
“It's not just about AFL, it’s any elite sport. People can relate to the pressure of it and the media scrutiny that comes with it.
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Playing For Keeps airs on Ten every Wednesday at 8.30pm.