Lamborghini lawyer Peter Lavac gunning for Hollywood movie stardom

Sydney’s colourful “Lambo barrister” and self-professed narcissist Peter Lavac has revealed his surprising next career move.

Sydney’s colourful “Lambo barrister” and self-professed narcissist Peter Lavac has made his silver screen debut – and now he’s gunning for Hollywood stardom.

The former Hong Kong crown prosecutor and criminal lawyer, who made headlines last year for his legal battle with Transport NSW over “offensive” personalised number plates on his yellow Lamborghini, appeared in his first movie role last night with the premiere of independent Aussie film Crazy Love.

The 75-year-old, who spent years locking up triads before becoming a criminal defence barrister, plays a “pistol-packing, Lamborghini driving musclebound gangster named Seal”.

In the film, Mr Lavac terrorises hostages with a gun in a warehouse before driving off with a woman in his sports car.

Mr Lavac said a “who’s who of local stars and celebrities” attended the sold-out screening at Bar Toto at Ettalong Beach on Thursday, as well as a number of his friends from the legal profession and business community.

Peter Lavac, right, plays a gangster in the independent film Crazy Love.

In a speech thanking Karina Lee, who produced and starred in the film, he recounted how they scouted him while he was eating at a KFC.

“Karina decided I was finger lickin’ good and would make a terrific gangster, and I can tell you it’s much more fun playing a gangster in a movie than it is defending a real one in court,” he said.

“This movie was pretty cool … it just goes to show what can be accomplished when a bunch of passionate and talented young people get together in an old warehouse in West Gosford.”

During filming, Mr Lavac was interviewed by Channel 9’s A Current Affair about the ongoing saga of his number plates.

“When all my mates saw Karina on the TV screen with her obvious physical gifts, they all concluded that I was starring in a porno movie,” he told the amused audience.

A young Peter Lavac while working as a prosecutor in Hong Kong.

He also called out his accountant and “celebrity agent” in the crowd, who he said was “currently negotiating with a Hollywood film production company who are very keen to make a movie about my life”.

“We are presently interviewing authors to ghost write a book for that purpose,” he said.

The cancer survivor and former professional athlete, who once set a world record for a 900km surfski voyage from Hong Kong to the Philippines, does have a life story that resembles a movie script.

He has wrestled with criminals – literally – in the courtroom, once disarmed a gunman while working as a nightclub bouncer, and saved a father and son from rough surf at Sydney’s Queenscliff Beach.

Barristers Peter Lavac and Jehane Ghabrial in the ABC TV program On Trial.

Mr Lavac first ran afoul of NSW authorities last August after a member of the public complained about his “LGOPNR” number plates, which he argued most people did not know meant “leg opener” – a “tongue-in-cheek” reference to his reputation as a ladies man.

Transport NSW ordered him to hand the “offensive” plates back and threatened to cancel his registration.

The renowned criminal barrister, who still takes the odd case but prefers to spend his time in the gym and on the racetrack, decided to fight the “fat cat bullies” as a matter of principle, saying “people have had a gutful of this political correctness”.

He ultimately lost his battle, with a court ruling in December that Transport NSW retained ownership of all number plates in the state and could recall them at will.

Magistrate Greg Elks added that he had no jurisdiction to consider whether or not the content of the plates was offensive.

Peter Lavac raced his 2016 Lamborghini Huracan in this year’s Targa Tasmania. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Earlier this year he unveiled their cheeky replacement – “XXLEGO”, or “extra large ego”.

“Every criminal lawyer and athlete has a massive ego,” he said at the time.

“You need it to do battle in court or to win at sport and you particularly need a big ego to take on bullies and kick their arses.”

In October, he appeared on the SBS program Insight for an episode about narcissism.

Mr Lavac told news.com.au he was contacted by the show’s producers after they googled “narcissist” and his name came up.

Asked by host Kumi Taguchi why people called him a narcissist, Mr Lavac replied, “Because I am.”

He added, “I take it as a compliment. I don’t see anything particular sinister or evil in being a narcissist. This bullsh*t that the meek shall inherit the Earth, that just doesn’t happen.

“I’ve never met a millionaire, or a high-powered CEO, or a world-class athlete who didn’t have a massive ego, who had low self esteem. It’s just not part of their DNA.”

Originally published as Lamborghini lawyer Peter Lavac gunning for Hollywood movie stardom