Cairns actor’s new role on small screen

FAR Northern crime and drama fans are set to receive a new fix of entertainment when Cairns-born actor Rhys Wakefield’s TV show premieres on Australian screens next week.

Wakefield, who spent his childhood in Cairns while his dad served in the navy, is set to appear alongside Abigail Spencer in Reprisal.

The show follows Spencer’s character, Dorris Quinn, who is seeking revenge against her brother’s gang after they leave her for dead.

Filmed in North Carolina in the United States, Wakefield said although his on-set interactions with Spencer were limited, he was blown away by her performance.

“Abigail is such a talented actor, she’s a real force on screen. I think she delivers such a powerhouse performance – she really was so impressive,” Wakefield said.

He said the show was structured to follow multiple storylines, similar to Games Of Thrones, making for an interesting conclusion.

“My character and Abigail’s interact later in the show. We know it’s coming and it’s a little bit scary what the outcome of their interaction could be,” Wakefield said.

The former Home And Away star plays a character called Matty, who is considered “the little brother” in the gang world.

“He comes waltzing in, we meet him in this nightclub and he kind of comes waltzing in and lays out a bunch of rules like he’s a real boss,” Wakefield said.

“And then we come to realise he’s really just (someone) who’s got no power.

“Over the course of the show, we see his power struggle and how he comes to manipulate the situation to benefit himself.

“He’s always been overlooked his whole life and this is his chance to formulate his own revenge plot, while Abigail’s character is working on her own.”

Reprisal premieres on SBS on Wednesday.