LIFE IMITATES ART
NEILL’S PAINFUL SETBACK CAN’T SLOW THE KIWI SHOW’S SUCCESS
Neill’s Brokenwood plot twist!
Just halfway through shooting the new season of The Brokenwood Mysteries, Neill Rea broke his leg and the irony wasn’t lost on him. It was only two seasons earlier that his character on the hit Prime series, Mike Shepherd, suffered the exact same injury.
A laughing Neill explains, “I spoke to our writer Tim Balme when I got the X-ray and I was like, ‘Mate, I’ve broken my leg!’ And the first thing he asked was, ‘What leg is it? Is it the same one we broke already?’ I got no sympathy − he’s such a writer, wondering how he could use it... thieves is what they are!”
While beloved Detective Inspector Mike broke his leg falling into a gravesite in the middle of tracking down a killer, Neill admits his scenario was a lot more boring, and perhaps slightly embarrassing − he was hanging out the washing!
“I broke it on a Saturday, then was shooting on Monday, had an operation on Thursday, then was back the next Monday. It was a nightmare!” tells the 48-year-old. “We shot something to explain it, but the producers chose not to use it so people will be none the wiser that I have a broken leg. Every so often there’s a strategic bar leaner in a scene,” he grins.
Adding to the broken leg is the fact that this season of the internationally acclaimed drama is Neill’s most challenging yet.
“In amongst the murders and cases, you learn a little bit more about Mike’s backstory. You meet an ex-wife and perhaps there is still a bit of a flame burning between the two of them, which is quite cool,” he teases about the upcoming episodes.
“This season in particular I got to do more acting than I feel I usually do. I’m often just asking a lot of questions like, ‘Did you do it? Or did you do it?’ Whereas there’s a couple of biggish acting moments in this season, which was really enjoyable.”
Despite the literal step back, he couldn’t be more proud of the show as it enters an impressive sixth season. The Kiwi crime drama has not only found success here in NZ, it’s garnered a huge international fan base − airing in the United States,
UK, Canada, Australia, France, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Germany and Bulgaria. In 2014 it even won a bronze world medal at the New York Festival’s International Television and Film Awards.
For Neill, he couldn’t be prouder to showcase the drama’s Kiwi talent to the world.
“We were filming in Helensville and there was this Italian couple walking down the street and they both geeked out yelling, ‘Oh my God, it’s him!’ Then I had another occurrence when I’d gone to see one of my mum’s shows in Titirangi, she’s a potter, and there was this American couple who had just arrived in the country and they came up to me saying they just loved the show. They must think New Zealand is so small!”
After six years working beside co-stars Fern Sutherland (32) and Nic Sampson (32), Neil says they’ve become a family.
Smiling, he tells, “If one of us is in one of the worst moods in the world, within 30 seconds on set together we’ll be gagging around and stuff. After six season that’s, I think, quite remarkable that we don’t hate one another!”
“There’s also so many people on the crew I’ve become close to, like our line producer Tara − she’s been there since the beginning. And there’s a grip [film technician] who has been on every episode. He’s currently working on the same show as my partner and I was just on set the other day and it’s like talking to my older brother whenever I see him.”
But one of the best parts of working on the show, Neill says, is the incredible guest stars he also gets to work with.
“This season, for instance, I got to do some stuff with Renee Lyons. I got to do some stuff with Lucy Wigmore too, who’s an actor I’ve always liked.
“I feel like I've got a grandstand seat to watch some of New Zealand's best actors and it’s this revolving cast that comes before my eyeline. I love it!”