David Breen is an emerging Australian talent, fresh off work on the legendary Tourism Australia “Dundee” Super Bowl campaign. His film work is being noticed worldwide with Post Mortem Mary taking out Best Short Film at the prestigious Sitges Film Festival in Spain and winning the Atlanta Horror Film Festival and the Ravenna Nightmare Film Festival in Italy. His latest film, Stray, premiered at Screamfest in October 2018.
Not patiently waiting around for his big break, David is just back from LA after training with and meeting some of the industry’s best. Back home in Australia, he’s worked and studied with some of the country’s top filmmakers, constantly honing his skills and expanding his repertoire.
A versatile talent, he began his career at his local community theatre. Since that time, he has built an enviable body of work on screen and on stage. He has worked on projects for Channel 9, the ABC, Foxtel and starred in multiple projects funded by Screen Queensland.
David was born and raised in Sydney. He initially studied Biomedical Science, but these days will only be found wearing a lab coat for the right role. His hobbies include amateur astronomy and jigsaw puzzles.
You’re building an impressive resume for yourself. How have you been choosing your projects?
Thank you, it’s nice to hear you say that, now I wish I had a better answer. There’s no set way really, it’s different for everyone. I’ve been lucky enough to develop some great working relationships, so some projects have come to me, for others, I do the same as every other actor and line up for an audition. Lately, I’ve tried to be more selective of the filmmakers that I work with, most of the time though it’s out of my hands, I go to auditions, say my lines and go home. If I get the gig, great, if not, well that’s most of what being an actor is, so you live with it.
You’ve done films of all genres. Do you pursue one over the other though?
Not at all, each genre presents a different challenge in terms of style and what is required as an actor, it’s always a great challenge and chance to grow when you take on a genre that you haven’t acted in before. My most recent films have been horror films and if I’m honest I am drawn to films that delve into the darker side of our nature, so it’s been fun.
Tell us about some of the talented filmmakers you’ve worked with?
I’ve done work with some established filmmakers who are of course extremely talented but what really excites me is the work I see being done by the emerging directors I’ve come to know. The director of my latest film ‘Stray’ is a guy by the name of Dean Law and he is absolutely someone to watch out for, same as Joshua Long who directed Post Mortem Mary which won Best Short film at Sitges this year. It’s the skills that these emerging artists have and the quality of their work that is really exciting so a special mention to those guys, I really admire what they do and the vision they have, their job is much harder than mine.
And how did “Dundee” come to be?
I was in Sydney when the audition came up, I found out about a week later I got the part. There wasn’t too much information about the project when I first went in, it was only when I was cast that the full extent of the job became clear, that was exciting.
How did you manage to keep quiet about that one?
I learned to change the topic, fast. I didn’t even tell my family what I was filming. On top of that, I had to miss the premiere of another film I was in and couldn’t tell the director the real reason I couldn’t be there, thankfully he forgave me later when it came out and I told him.
Did you meet Danny McBride?
Sure did, we were on set together for a fair while and some of the places we shot meant that the cast and crew were always together. It wasn’t like a set where you all went home at the end of the day, we would wrap filming for the day and go and sit around together till late into the night then see each other again as soon as we opened our doors in the morning, I became great friends with people on that shoot.
Where did that shoot?
All over, there was filming in Sydney, national parks in the outback, islands off the coast, the Great Barrier Reef, it was a great chance to see the country, even as someone born in Australia I didn’t realize just how beautiful and vast the country is.
You’ve done a few horror films lately -and they’re doing great. How does that make you feel?
It’s just a very satisfying feeling, it’s great for everyone that has been involved in these films. A lot of people you work within the industry become like family and it’s great to see the hard work that everyone puts in receiving the recognition it deserves. I can’t wait to see where everyone goes next.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the industry?
All the amazing people I’ve met. Directors, producers, casting directors, production designers, soundies, all people that work on films are just the most passionate people to be around. It’s like playing on a football team, you all have your job to do and you all rely on each other and when the film does well you all win. It’s great to share that with other people that are just as dedicated as you are.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
I’m attached to a sci-fi feature film called ‘Stream’ which we plan to shoot late next year. The script is locked, and pre-production is underway. That’s what I ‘know’ about. Of course, there’s always the unknown and you can suddenly find yourself anywhere at any time. No matter what you choose to do it’s tough, so I just keep my head down and do the best work I can, I don’t have any control over the rest, so I guess it’ll just work itself out and then we’ll know more.
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