The Les said the better
Alexander Bertrand beats Hollywood stars to claim the title role but is not letting on who they are, writes
ALEXANDER Bertrand beat some Hollywood heavyweights to win the titular role of Les Norton in the ABC’S adaptation of Australian author Robert G. Barret’s literary larrikin.
But the up-and-coming actor is too much of a gentleman to name names.
“Jocelyn (Moorhouse, the director) went into bat for me. I’m not going to mention them but some serious names were put in for Les. They took a shot on me, which is still bizarre to me,” he tells The Guide.
The rising talent was meant to make his big TV debut last year in Seven’s Australian Gangster, but the true-crime drama has been delayed for legal issues.
Instead, Les Norton will be the Manly native’s first introduction to viewers.
Bertrand stars opposite David Wenham and Rebel Wilson in the 10-part comedy drama, which follows country Queensland bloke Norton as he arrives in Sydney to escape a troubled past.
He lands a job as a bouncer at an illegal casino and finds himself dragged into a web of underground criminality.
“One thing that attracted me to him is he judged no one, and I like to seemyself like that as well,” Bertrand says. “He has a good outlook for the world we live in. He knows what he wants and treats everybody with respect.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, you give everyone a shot and a chance.”
Bertrand drew on his background in muay thai and the army to bulk up for the role, training six days a week. He also dyed his hair red and wears a prosthetic nose to “look that little bit rougher”.
“I’d look in the mirror going ‘Who the hell is that?’. The description in the books is Les has arms like Christmas hams, but he would prefer to hit the heavy bag
Set in the 1980s, Les Norton has a heightened sense of reality and screenwriter Morgan O’neill has adapted Barret’s story for a modern audience.
Kate Box, for example, plays Les’s housemate Lozza, who was a man in the books.
“Taking Les straight from the books to the screen wouldn’t have translated,” Bertrand says. “You can’t please everyone but I think you can create something people will love.
“We’ve created this Les who is a fish out of water and is thrust into it all.”