Rhys Wakefield: On the Brink in “Sanctum”
“The Hunger Games” trilogy is being made into feature films and big fan of the books, 22-year-old Aussie actor Rhys Wakefield would dearly love to play Peeta. After meeting and chatting with the friendly dude, we wish him best of luck! On February 4th you can catch the buff young actor in the deep cave diving adventure Sanctum produced by Avatar and Titanic’s James Cameron… in his special brand of 3-D!
Rhys built an avid fan club with his role in one of Australia’s most long-lived dramas “Home and Away” then broke into films with a heartfelt performance in the 
indie The Black Balloon in which he played the brother of an autistic boy. This hottie spends his time between Sydney and L.A. and admits he misses “Molly” back home. Don’t worry. She’s his dog.
Rhys has been into extreme sports and really topped this off in Sanctum with his performance as a teen at odds with his expert scuba diver/caver dad [Richard Roxburgh] as their team dives an isolated, underwater cave system looking for a way to the sea. When a typhoon fills the place with water, they have no choice but to fight for survival against horrible odds. Through their ordeal, a bond is formed but is it too late?
We’re sitting down in Beverly Hills. Picture Rhys in black slacks and dress shoes topped off with a classy beige suit jacket over white dress shirt. Definite date material here! Check it out.
TeenHollywood: Are you personally an adventurous guy? What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Rhys: I guess I consider myself a fairly adventurous guy. I’ve gone sky diving. I enjoy extreme sports. Before this, I guess sky diving would have been it, I’m from Sydney but I went skydiving in Queensland and ended on the beach which was beautiful. [On a break from] shooting the film I went diving with sharks.
TeenHollywood: Uh, can’t that be dangerous? Were the filmmakers okay with that?
Rhys: No. I got my hand slapped when I got back to set and told the story [laughs].
TeenHollywood: How much of the climbing and swimming on camera did you actually do?
Rhys: That was all me. There was a double for one stunt that I did which I wasn’t allowed to do. We had dive doubles for some components because the nature of staying underwater that many hours wasn’t a good idea.
TeenHollywood: Was anyone hurt on set? Were you hurt?
Rhys: Not seriously. It’s quite funny. I got a lot of cuts and bruises on my fingers and arms and this gash on my arm which I still have a bit of a scar from [he sounds proud. It’s a guy thing]. For the remainder of the shoot, even after it had healed, we had to keep applying this cut with make-up to make it work for continuity.
TeenHollywood: You had to learn a lot of new skills for the film: diving, climbing, repelling etc. What was the hardest and what was so fun you want to keep doing it?
Rhys: I would love to keep up with the scuba diving but not the re-breather. That is just too far. That was the hardest to try and conquer. [Note: the device makes it hard to take in a breath and hard to blow it out but it is needed for deep, long dives]. You get these chipmunk cheeks [he puffs up and demonstrates] and they get really exhausted as you need to let out air.
TeenHollywood: Would you be reluctant to go on more extreme adventures or would you be gung ho? What extreme sport frightens you?
Rhys: I do enjoy them. Bungee jumping isn’t overly appealing to me. Those things break!
TeenHollywood: What did everyone do off set? Any fun stuff?
Rhys: It was a great bonding experience with the cast. We were all away from home and we’re all training together so it felt like we were schoolmates doing swim training and rocks training and rope climbing. When you are learning a new skill, you are making yourself vulnerable learning new things. There were a few lovely dinners with everyone too.
TeenHollywood: Who was the jokester on the set?
Rhys: Dan Wyllie who plays George [old diving friend of Rhys’ dad in film]. He’s crazy. He does every stupid voice you can imagine and pumps it out before takes. He’s very funny and made the shoot a pleasurable experience.
TeenHollywood: What actress do you hope you get to do a film with?
Rhys: I would love to work with Helena Bonham Carter someday. I saw her in the elevator the other day. She’s so interesting.
TeenHollywood: Are you living in L.A. or Sydney? Is L.A. culture shock or really just right for you?
Rhys: Living here mostly. L.A. is a city that seems to grow on me more and more each time so I’ve kind of been back and forth for a while now. There is still culture shock but it is warming on me.
TeenHollywood: When you are away from Australia, what do you miss most?
Rhys: I miss my friends and family and my dog and waking up to her being perched on my bed [he holds up his hands like paws, close to his face and peers over them. It’s adorable!] like that. Her name is Molly and she’s a Border Collie crossed with Kelpie. She’s beautiful.
TeenHollywood: What must a girl never do if she wants to get close to you?
Rhys: I guess… that’s a hard question. I find I don’t like it if a girl is exceptionally loud and obnoxious, just really loud. I get shy around that.
TeenHollywood: You are 22 playing 17 and have played a teen a lot. Are you looking forward to getting out of high school, on film?
Rhys: Well yeah but I’m actually still enjoying playing younger. It’s been good so far.
TeenHollywood: Was there anything unusual for you as an actor doing this film in 3-D?
Rhys: Not an entire difference. The only thing was the camera being temperamental and you can be a few takes into a scene and the camera will decide to die. Then you have a break. But that’s not too bad.
TeenHollywood: Did you have to go back and do a lot of ADR [additional dialogue recording] due to doing stunts underwater and trying to talk at the same time?
Rhys: [he nods “yes” bigtime]. Yes! I can safely say about 95 percent of the film is ADR. It’s ridiculous. I actually think the ADR process is just awful. I felt like it was so much of the performance and it’s so tiring.
TeenHollywood: Didn’t you play a guy in a wheelchair in Broken Hill [his last film in Australia]? Must have been amazing to go to the extreme physical opposite for this film.
Rhys: Yes it was. Prior to doing Broken Hill, I did a film called The Black Balloon [this one launched his career as he played the brother of an autistic boy]. That was an amazing project to be a part of emotionally. It was quite a dramatic role and it was nice that it was a film that meant so much to a lot of people. Then on to this which is an escapism film with a lot of physical adventure but it does have a lot of heart too which is such a nice surprise.
TeenHollywood: You have a terribly emotional scene with Richard Roxburgh who plays your dad in the film. It is devastating. How did you get in that head space?
Rhys: It’s always different. There’s a few scenarios you think of in your mind that can get you into that space and, for me, they are constantly changing for each different role and changing for the context. That becomes a snowball effect and you bring it up and get in the space and really listen to what you are saying and just exist there.
TeenHollywood: What music are you into right now? Have you discovered any new music since being in L.A.?
Rhys: Yeah. I discovered a band here in L.A. called “The Local Natives” and they’re from Orange County. They are indie rock. I’ve always been into some chill acoustic and new rock.
TeenHollywood: What kind of ride would you like to drive some day?
Rhys: I would like to get a classic Aston-Martin someday.
TeenHollywood: Oooo how James Bondie!
Rhys: [laughing] Yeah!
TeenHollywood: Any famous person or person in a novel you would love to play some day?
Rhys: Actually, I’ve just been thrown into this whole storm of “The Hunger Games” which is so amazing. Those books are amazing. They are brilliant. I would love to play Peeta. But, who knows. I love the books.
TeenHollywood: I love those books! What actor’s career do you admire?
Rhys: Leonardo DiCaprio. I think he’s had an interesting and cool career, this really sustainable career but he’s been commercial as well.
TeenHollywood: What would you want to say to your fans who have been with you since your Aussie TV drama “Home and Away” and what would you say to potential new fans?
Rhys: I guess thanks for enjoying what I love to do and I hope they continue liking my new stuff and so do new people. Does that make sense?
TeenHollywood: Yes!
