ARTIST RENZO’S EROTIC MALE WATERCOLOURS.

DNA: During the production of Riot, did you and the cast have the sense that you were telling an important story from the history of the Australian LGBTI rights movement?

Xavier Samuel: Absolutely. It’s something we talked about a lot. We knew we were involved in an important part of Australian history concerning equality, and we were telling a story that hadn’t been told before. The film focuses on only a few of the people who were around at that time, but there were so many more who played a part, standing up for what they believed in. We actually got to meet some of the ’78ers and hear their perspectives and find out whether it was close to what we were portraying.

You play gay activist, Jim Walker. How did you research the role?

I read as much as I could about the political climate at the time and the years leading up to that first Mardi Gras. There are a few documentaries that provide some insight but unfortunately there’s not a lot of information about Jim Walker. He died in 1993 at the age of 45 [of an HIV-related illness]. I talked to as many people as I could about him. He was a founding member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) and played an important part in his community as a doctor. He was fascinated by Ancient Egypt, helped fundraise for the East Timor Independence movement, and was a founding member of Mardi Gras. He was a busy man. I got the impression that Jim was very kind and insightful.

It must be challenging portraying a real person, especially when there are people still around who knew him?

It’s quite an intimidating prospect playing a real person because you can never really give a true depiction. It can only ever be an idea of who that person might have been. I tried to portray a version of Jim that was passionate and thoughtful, who stood up for what he believed in. It was important for me to talk to people who were there at the time; to listen to their perspective. I certainly heard some amazing stories. I had the pleasure of meeting ’78er Peter Murphy who, Jim, as a doctor, was able to give medical attention to when Peter was being held at the Darlinghurst Police Station. There were so many incredible people during that time who risked a lot. Riot only focuses on a few of those remarkable individuals.

Did you talk to your gay mates about playing the Riot role?

Well, I’ve played a gay character before in the movie Newcastle (2008), but with Jim, he wasn’t really defined by his sexuality. It was more about playing a complicated human being rather than basing it on his sexuality. His sexuality was certainly something I was aware of but I can’t sit down with my gay