‘HOW I BECAME MAD MAX’S BIGGEST VILLAIN – TWICE’
THE call that changed Hugh Keays-Byrne’s life more than 40 years ago came out of the blue.
The 71-year-old actor famous for his role as the villain Toecutter in 1979’s Mad Max was at home when director George Miller phoned with an opportunity – to go mad once again.
Keays-Byrne was offered the role of Immortan Joe in the director’s new project which ultimately became the 2015 smash Mad Max: Fury Road.
“I took the call out of the blue – old George is a decent kind of chap and he just phoned me,” he told the Bulletin.
“Fury Road was quite a different experience from doing the first one. It’s chalk and cheese and I’m not just talking about the costume.”
Keays-Byrne will arrive on the Gold Coast next month to discuss his experiences of making the Mad Max films at the annual Supanova Pop Culture expo.
Held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre at Broadbeach, the event will reunite the actor with his fellow castmate Steve Bisley as the pair mark 40 years since the release of the Mel Gibson-starring film.
Looking back, the actor said he did not foresee the franchise’s success.
“Had I known how big it was going to be I would have charged a much bigger fee,” he joked.
“It is a bit overwhelming in one sense because it is hard to understand how big something is when you are part of it.”
Gold Coast Supanova, April 12-14. Tickets at www.supanova.com.au