Australian actor Todd Lasance (Home and Away, Underbelly Files, The Vampire Diaries) has a lot to be excited about.
The Newcastle local is back in Australia after spending the last few years splitting his time between his home country and the US, with his latest project premiering on Amazon Prime Video on April 30.
That project, incidentally, is a big-budget film adaptation of Tom Clancy’s best-selling novel Without Remorse, and it stars Michael B. Jordan. The film was the last one Lasance — who plays Dallas — shot before the COVID-19 pandemic saw the world come to a grinding halt.
“We wrapped on the 15th of December (2019),” Lasance told The Latch. “I actually then came home and we (he and wife Jordan Wilcox) got married on January 11, and then in February — COVID hit. So the entire world basically shut down. Everything changed.”
Without Remorse was shot on location in Berlin, and yet for the former Home and Away actor, there was still a sense of home on the set by way of his fellow actors Luke Mitchell (Rowdy King) and Guy Pearce (Secretary Clay). Mitchell and Lasance have known each other for 11 years and even read for each other during the film’s audition process, but meeting Pearce for the first time was a significant moment for the 38-year-old actor.
“On the last day, I got to meet Guy and I hadn’t met him before. And he was the loveliest most grounded, you know, warm person,” said Lasance. “Just awesome, exactly how you’d expect him to be; how you’d want him to be.”
Reminiscing further about the encounter and what the two men share in common, Lasance said, “Unfortunately, I didn’t get to do any scenes with him, but just there’s always that connection of home and we got to reminisce about being away from home too.”
He continued, “We all feel it — it’s that thing that Australia is such a special place. And you just miss that sort of culture and the weather, the environment, you know, so it was really nice. I’m glad I waited (to meet him) because quite often I don’t want to sort of interrupt, but having that Australian connection, I was like, ‘I’ll give it a crack'”.
As for Jordan, who Lasance had far more interaction with over the course of the shoot, the down-to-earth Aussie enthused that he felt inspired by the Black Panther star every day.
“He is the most humble, grounded, hardworking, generous, selfless actor,” Lasance said. “Easily top five I’ve ever met.”
Incidentally, Jordan is not the only thing that has provided inspiration of late. As the conversation turns to the influx of Hollywood productions and studios that are flocking to Australia, Lasance’s face visibly lights up.
“I’ve never been more excited about the industry in my entire career,” Lasance enthused when asked about the opportunities the boom will provide for local talent. “The number of productions that are coming here, that are being greenlit, that are being invested in and pitched here — aside from the Marvel/Disney World. It’s next level.”
He continued, “The crews we have are world-class, genuinely, I mean, they are sought after internationally. We have so many actors who are so good here and so hungry and so appreciative of these opportunities.
“So I am, I’m feeling very optimistic, I personally want to just keep, keep grinding as hard as I can on the work and keep running at these opportunities.”
The talented and ambitious actor is also intent on making his own opportunities in the film industry, and has his eye on producing in the future.
“I would love to produce,” he said. “I’ve been writing with a friend of mine Kane, who I’ve been friends with for 14 years. We want to be in a position where we get to have a bit more of that creative control.
“For us as well, the idea of being able to employ our friends and the community that we’ve built, and be able to have this family all working together essentially for this one goal. That’s the ultimate.”
In the meantime, Lasance has a busy schedule and a slate of exciting projects to promote over the next few months, including the TV movie Kidnapped which he shot up in Port Douglas as his first post-COVID project.
And then there is the question of whether or not he will rejoin Jordan and the Without Remorse crew, for the already greenlit next instalment.
“I can’t give anything away,” Lasance said a sly smile etched across his face. “But I think they’re planning a whole universe sort of potentially leading on because obviously, you’ve got the (video) games as well. The Tom Clancy world can be never-ending really if you want to carry on the legacy.
“So yeah, we’ll see,” he smiled. “You’ll have to watch.”
Without Remorse is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video from April 30, 2021.
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