‘Nobody knows’: Hollywood star Travis Jeffery opens up on flying under the radar in Australia
You may not know the face, but Sydney actor Travis Jeffery stars in some of Hollywood’s big blockbusters. Now, he’s home with a dark comedy about housing stress and family tensions.
Confidential
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You may not recognise his face, but Aussie actor Travis Jeffery is a familiar name in the world of Hollywood.
The Sydney-based actor shot to international fame through his role as a motion-capture chimp in Planet of the Apes, and while he might be flying under the radar locally, that’s likely to change with his latest project Birthright, which premiered last week at the Sydney Film Festival.
“It’s like nobody knows,” Jeffery told Confidential.
“When people ask what you do, and you sort of explain who you were in Planet of the Apes, sometimes they are like ‘Oh yeah, I can see you in that ape’. I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not, but I’ll take it,” he laughed.
With much of his on-screen work involving prosthetics, mud, or motion-capture suits, Jeffery doesn’t get mobbed much walking down the street in Sydney. But in America, it’s a different story.
“Over there it’s different, and people chase you down the street. The other day at the Birthright premiere somebody rocked up with a picture of me in the mocap suits.”
Set to strike a chord with Australian audiences, Birthright is a darkly comedic and relatable tale about housing stress and generational divides. Jeffery plays a jobless husband who, with his pregnant wife in tow, moves back in with his parents.
“I think people are really starting to respect Aussie films, which is great because we produce such amazing content,” he said.
“What’s so intelligent about Birthright is it’s a very universal thing … America’s been hit with such a hard cost of living crisis and housing crisis as well. So I think it’s got legs everywhere.”
Filmed in Perth, Birthright was a personal project for Jeffery, who trained in WA and has a longstanding affection for the area.
“It’s so wonderful, Australia. I think we’ve got some of the hardest working crew in the world … Perth was no different,” he said.
“I’ve got a huge soft spot because I studied there for three years at WAAPA, and have done a few other shows over there. So shooting up in the hills in Perth was a really, really special experience.”
Many of Jeffery’s major roles, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Planet of the Apes, The Preacher, and Unbroken, were filmed in Australia, something he believes points to a shift in the industry.
“That’s a huge benefit of living in a country that’s such a wonderful place to shoot. Australia is really intelligent with how we invite projects,” he said.
“So the majority of my American work has been shot here … I always love taking the work here when I can. I just love being home. I think it’s just such a wonderful place to shoot.”
Jeffery is back in Sydney this week for the premiere of Birthright, which screened at the Sydney Film Festival on June 12, 13 and 14.
As for what’s next, he says he’s auditioning and “hopefully being able to announce something shooting later in the year, soon.”
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