‘My hardest role yet’
Matt Le Nevez plays motor-racing driver Peter Brock. He talks to Michael Donaldson about doing justice to one of his heroes.
Matt Le Nevez is making a habit of playing Australian heroes – from war photographer Damian Parer, to cricket star Dennis Lillee and, now, motor racing legend Peter Brock.
The star of Offspring, Love Child and The Kettering Incident says playing the iconic driver in Brock was one of his hardest roles yet – first, because he grew up idolising the famous driver and second, because Brock was such a well-loved and yet controversial part of Australia’s sporting landscape.
‘‘Growing up, I certainly remember watching Brocky race at Bathurst and Sandown and other events… and I had one of his toy cars as a kid,’’ Le Nevez says. ‘‘It’s been fascinating to go back and touch on those childhood dreams and understand a lot more about an incredibly complex and proud Australian.’’
Le Nevez was something of a sports star as a youngster, playing cricket and football to a high level, so when he was chosen to play dashing fast bowler Lillee in Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War he made a special effort to try to replicate Lillee’s distinctive bowling action. ‘‘I was on my back every night,’’ he said, laughing at the toll it took on his then 33-yearold body.
When it came to playing Brock he adopted the same philosophy – working hard to capture the physical mannerisms of a man nick-named Peter Perfect but whose life was far from that.
‘‘I looked at footage of him driving, walking, talking . . . and I had a real understanding of what I wanted to achieve. But when I turned up for the first day of shooting the director had a different opinion – he wanted to understand the essence of being Peter rather than mimicking him. He wanted to get inside the spirit and heart of Peter Brock.
‘‘You look at biopics that have been successful, like Walk The Line or Steve Jobs, and those actors are not mimicking people they are trying to understand what it is to be that person. I fought it for a few days because I’d worked bloody hard but I now see more heart in this movie than I thought it could have been achieved.’’
And the essence of Brock is incredibly complicated. A fearless driver in the testosterone-fuelled world of motor-racing, Brock was also as alternative as they come. He was spiritual, believed in energy healing, became a nondrinking vegetarian later in life and pursued love the way he pursued other drivers on the track.
‘ He’s an icon who’s no longer with us, a hero that people love, and one with controversy around his private life . . . it does bring a different energy. I was acutely aware there was a family involved.’ MATT LE NEVEZ
His first marriage lasted two years, his second, to a former Miss Australia, Michelle Downes, half that time. A long-term relationship with Bev McIntosh was, she later claimed, peppered with affairs.
When he died in an accident in 2006, Brock was in a relationship with Julie Bamford. He left three wills, sparking battles over estate. Given the sensitive nature of Brock’s off-track life, Le Nevez was always conscious of how his family and friends would perceive the film.
‘‘He’s an icon who’s no longer with us, a hero that people love, and one with controversy around his private life … it does bring a different energy. I was acutely aware there was a family involved.
‘‘His family were sensitive to the fact this movie was being made and are nervous that it’s coming out – but I hope they can understand that we’re trying to share his story with a new generation of Australians and trying to keep his legacy, and the Brock name, alive rather than exploiting him in any way.
‘‘All of that changes the acting process, and changes the way you are involved in the film-making in terms of the respect for the family and friends. There were days on set when I said ‘I’m not going to do that … he wouldn’t have said that’. I felt like I had to represent him.’’
The most difficult element of the role was around Brock’s turbulent relationship with Downes, who alleged – after Brock’s death – that he had been violent towards her.
‘‘I know there’s a lot of controversy around Peter’s second marriage,’’ Le Nevez says. ‘‘I certainly am not one to judge anyone and Peter always denied it. We’re very careful to respectfully tell all sides of the story without opening up old wounds or accusing anyone of anything they haven’t been convicted of.’’
Le Nevez, who says he could talk about Brock for hours, described him as ‘‘an incredibly passionate human who lived life to the fullest. He also had this incredible spirituality; what makes Peter more interesting than any other driver is that complex side to him. He’s a man who chased his dreams and followed his heart even when it was to his detriment. He’s a guy who in the late 70s got into energy healing and crystals – for someone in the motor racing industry to do that is pretty unique.’’
The actor said Brock had an unwavering belief in the controversial concept of orgone, a life force of bio-electric charges that passes through the body, ‘‘and he believed in it until the day he died even though people tried to get him to change his beliefs for 40 years. A lot of people thought he was crazy’’.
Le Nevez had a spiritual moment of his own when making the film, which required him to drive a number of original cars loaned to the filmmakers by Peter Champion, a coal-mining magnate who has a private collection of Brock cars.
‘‘I didn’t go very quick in any of them as all the actual car racing in the movie is real footage from the telecasts at the time and from fans.
Champion also restored the car in which Brock was fatally killed during a rally in Western Australia in 2006. ‘‘Sitting inside the Daytona Coupe he had the [fatal] accident in was a profound experience. It was a bit freaky.’’
Le Nevez believes the miniseries will resonate with New Zealand fans.
‘‘He was loved in New Zealand – he really was – I’ve seen some great footage of the Kiwi fans embracing him. They really understood he was one of a kind.’’ ● Brock, Monday, 8.35pm, TV3.