SA actor lands plumb movie role
‘Dropping out’ to find agent paid off for Robbie McLean
WORKING in the barren Karoo desert alongside Hollywood superstar Matthew McConaughey was a surreal experience for South African actor Robbie McLean, who as a youngster dropped out of Rhodes University’s drama course to find an agent.
The risky move paid off and McLean signed up with agent Moonyeenn Lee, the woman who helped him land the role of Toby – McConaughey’s henchman in the Stephen King film adaptation of The Dark Tower.
Punted as a fantasy, science fiction film, The Dark Tower combines the real world with fantasy in which the main characters, Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) as the last gunslinger and Walter O’Dim (McConaughey), also known as the Man in Black, battle it out in an age-old tale of good versus evil.
McLean, 22, originally of Johannesburg, said it was thanks to his parents, who inspired him to get involved in the arts, that he had landed his first major role.
“My parents [Callie and Bruce Fields] have both been inspirations of mine. I grew up backstage and in rehearsal rooms. The acting bug bit me so early on in life, it’s just a part of who I am today,” he said.
A large part of the film was shot in the Karoo desert for the mid-world sets as well as the Cederberg mountain range.
“Mid-World is a sort of a wasteland, yet not quite,” production designer Christopher Glass said.
While on set in South Africa, McLean managed to speak to McConaughey, who he said was open and down to earth.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, McLean was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and dyslexia at a young age and was sent to remedial school before completing his schooling at St Stithians.
“I grew a lot from those years [in remedial school] and became more determined to do what I was good at and try and get through academics as best I could,” he said.
After finishing school, McLean went to London for six months before returning to South Africa and registering to study drama and music at Rhodes University.
“Halfway through my first year I dropped out of university and started hunting for agents,” he said.
“Moonyeenn then approached me with a role in the new Steven King film that was coming to South Africa [to film].
“Next thing I know I am in a call back, then another one and then it is between me and one other person and I got the role,” he said.
McLean plays the role of Toby, the villainous henchman of McConaugheys’ character.
“Shooting started and we were flying back and forth to Cape Town and then I get a call saying they need to fly me out to New York City to do some scenes,” McLean said.
He spent a month filming in New York City.
“Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe what I was going through,” he said.
McLean said he learnt a lot from his time working on the film with McConaughey, Kathryn Winnick and Elba. “[Film director] Nickolaj Arcel has been an incredible director and always found a way to get the best performance out of you,” he said.
After the film went into post-production, McLean travelled to Los Angeles “to see what life was like in the big pond”.
Having picked up weight for his role by packing in the carbs and avoiding exercise, McLean went on a diet combined with a rigorous exercise routine to lose 23kg before the international premiere of The Dark Tower in New York. He is now based in Los Angeles. The Dark Tower is showing at Ster-Kinekor at Baywest, Nu Metro at Walmer Park and at the Boardwalk.