The first Australian The Bachelor Tim Robards takes up acting
TIM Robards was the first Australian The Bachelor. Now he is taking acting lessons and has his sights set on a career in Hollywood.
Wentworth Courier
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THE last time fitness guru Tim Robards followed signs from the universe it changed his life in the most spectacular way.
He met his soon-to-be wife Anna Heinrich, 31, after being convinced to take on the title as the first The Bachelor in the reality TV show. The loved-up couple are set to say “I do” any time now.
So when a Turkish coffee reader in Glebe told him he was destined to be an actor, it was the incentive he needed.
“I listen to signs. I put things out there. It was like, the last little omen in a bunch of others. It tipped it over the edge. The same with The Bachelor — there were little omens that told me to do it — and I listened to them.
“I had 10 things going on and I wanted to know where to put my energy. He said, ‘I can see you on a stage but you’re not presenting, you’re acting’.
“He set some time frames and I was like, ‘Well then, I’d better start’. I’m going to make it happen. I don’t want to have any regrets. I just needed someone to tell me something to make it my number one priority.”
For the goal-driven Robards, 35, who had been flirting with the idea ever since he was the body double for Keanu Reeves in his 20s on the Fox Studios set of The Matrix, the coffee grounds were the right motivation to begin studying the craft seriously — albeit behind closed doors at the moment.
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He is doing one-on-ones with actors and teachers and some group classes. He has also been “getting in touch with my emotional side”. “I watched Wonder on a plane and I was tearing up. I’d love to move someone emotionally,” he says.
Some days I’m s****ing myself. I doubt myself a lot - Tim Robards on acting
The Newcastle-raised Potts Point chiropractor — who studied medical science in Wollongong, has a degree in exercise science and rehabilitation and now has a successful fitness and nutrition website, therobardsmethod.com, which he runs from the Bondi pad he shares with Heinrich — says he is aware of the headlines his new venture will create.
“Before I start going for auditions I want to be at a certain level,” he says. “I don’t want it to be, ‘Reality star goes to this’. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s more I’ve found the guts to have a crack at something I find pretty overwhelming and it’s gonna take a lot of work. But you know what? I’ll put in the hard work.”
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With his “dream role” James Bond and his inspiration The Rock, Robards says The Bachelor taught him to back himself more.
“Some days I’m s****ing myself. I doubt myself a lot,” he says. “I guess I’ve a high standard and high expectations of myself. But one of the things I got from that experience was to give things a crack.”
He also strives for balance.
“I’m a Libran. I love to achieve goals but, at the same time, I know you can’t always keep the pedal down and I know when to pull back. I try and mix it up. Sometimes I will have a week out and go to Bali or go somewhere. Day to day, I do some yoga. Anna and I go for a foot massage or just have breakfast on a Sunday morning or go on an adventure or for a drive.”
Five years since he found his future wife on the Channel 10 series he is more than ready to be a great husband and, he says, “A good dad, hopefully soon”.
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“My sister has just had a little baby and I am a bit clucky. She’s just sent me a couple of videos of him and I think I could do that soonish. I would like to start trying in the next year or so. Anna’s not sure if she’s ready for this just yet.”
We want to enjoy it like everybody else gets to do and not have people and drones flying around - Tim Robards on getting married
Even with the destination marriage (rumoured to be in Europe), baby plans, a mate-moon to organise (20 of their friends are going on their honeymoon), the chiro business and The Robards Method commitments — not to mention acting lessons and creatively stepping up to shoot behind the scenes with some of his and Heinrich’s modelling work — Robards likes the idea of shaking things up a little.
“I’ve kind of had a life without too much adversity. My grandmother was into numerology and she said I won’t have too many struggles. It’s not a life of privilege but sometimes the challenges are creating your own stuff to make me grow stronger. Otherwise I risk being complacent, mundane and cruising through life.”
Perhaps his adversity is breaking the reality TV tag.
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“Yeah, we met in that way and I definitely fell in love with Anna on the show. But I think we did it with class, sophistication and style. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it (falling in love) was possible,” he says. “It’s like buying a Lotto ticket … it had never been done before.
“I did hope I wouldn’t come out as a laughing stock but I was at the point I needed to change my life. It took a lot of convincing.”
Refreshingly they won’t be selling their wedding story to the highest bidder. They have also turned down Channel Ten for a Bachelor wedding special.
“The moment is special and we want to keep it private,” he says. “We know people have followed the journey and we respect that but our integrity around a wedding is more than a pay cheque.
“I’ll pay for it like everyone else. We want to enjoy it like everybody else gets to do and not have people and drones flying around.”
