This is an utter guarantee- by this time next year, Damon Herriman will at least be nominated for his performance on Cinemax’s new drama, Quarry- and if he’s not, there’s simply no justice in the world. Without exaggeration, Herriman is giving one of the best performances that television has probably ever seen, in a role so beautifully colorful and crafted that it seems like it was it was quite literally breathed to life from the dreams of every true actor- and yet, once audiences see Herriman in the part, they will never be able to imagine anyone else play it as he makes the role completely his own.
The entire show is utter brilliance and really offers Cinemax a level-up into the world of meaty material during the golden age of television. So filled with excellence from the acting, to the sets, to the costumes, to the story, and so amazingly pertinent as it deals with a soldier coping with PTSD, Quarry will undoubtedly be a huge hit and captivate audiences- as long as they know enough to find it on Cinemax. With everything going on in the world as a dialogue about our veterans has really just started opening up, this peak into the past at one of the most tumultuous times in history is exceptionally gripping. Never preachy, the story is consistently good as it follows the trajectory of a soldier who is coping with PTSD as he returns home from Vietnam to a chilly reception from his community and family, leading him into the life of a contract killer. Every performance is top-notch and all the characters have plenty to work with, but none are quite so enthralling as Herriman’s character; Buddy.
In fact, there aren’t many character’s that are quite as enthralling as Buddy, period. A walking contradiction, the exciting character could snap someone’s neck with volatile rage pulsing through his veins one moment, and then be blasé as ever the next. While the character is queer, and that’s certainly an identifiable factor within him as he is often flamboyant without regard for what anyone would think of him- an impressive attitude for the setting and time period, his sexuality never defines him- which always makes for the most compelling characters, whether they be gay or straight. And again, while Quarry is never preachy, there’s even more to be said for a character like Buddy that will stand up for himself if anyone dares to bully him- even if it is in the most extreme of ways. But, like the best anti-heroes of television, the shortcomings of the character are what make him more fully fleshed-out and human- as fantastical as he may seem.
And he does seem fantastical, as the character is so unbelievably unique to not only real life, but also to screen- and Herriman does such an amazing job of making this man quirky without being cartoonish. However, this should all come as no surprise as the extraordinarily talented Australian actor literally becomes every character he throws himself into. Like any good, or true actor should, Herriman becomes completely unrecognizable when he takes on a role as he is a character actor in the finest sense of the definition, altering his voice, his mannerisms and his appearance in a way most artists could only dream. With a long list of about 90 credits, the sophisticated actor has magnificently transformed himself time and time again to the point where he is such a chameleon that it has been hard for him to become a household name, but with Quarry, that is certainly about to change.
The exceptional talent took some time to answer questions about Quarry, as well as to talk about what else he has coming up and what else he would love to do in the future- and it was definitely an excitement to see what Herriman had to say! Read below for more!
Quarry will easily be one of the biggest shows of the new season- it’s so good. Why don’t you fill everyone in on the plot a bit?
Quarry follows the character of Mac, played by the brilliant Logan Marshall-Green, who a lot of people might know by face from a lot of other work, but they will certainly know him after this- he is extraordinary. It is set in 1972 in Memphis, and his character has just returned from the Vietnam war to a world that isn’t very welcoming to him, and that’s the world of his family life, as well as the public. He feels shunned, he’s broke and broken down after the experience, and he falls in with a crowd of guys who essentially are a group of underground contract killers that target men like him to bring into their ranks because they know they are good at what they do- they have killed people before, and they are open to doing it again. So, he gets targeted by Peter Mullan’s character- who is known as “The Broker,” because he is essentially a broker that hits on people, and without really realizing it he gets caught up in this world and soon enough he becomes a hit man himself and he is incredibly good at it. So, we follow the world of his family and professional life in a show that is both very plot and character driven- we really get to know the characters very intimately.
You are excellent in it. You completely transform yourself as Buddy, a gay contract killer that is just so fun and so colorful- he has so many levels. Talk about how you created this exciting character.
Buddy is kind of what any actor wants when they read a script, and that’s an actor that leaps out from the page. I always find that for me, I feel most comfortable when that happens- especially when I can see myself playing that role and saying those words. When I read this script, I just felt so incredibly fortunate to be playing this guy. Buddy is an incredibly violent man who if you push his buttons then he will do a lot of damage to people who rub him the wrong way, but at the same time, he can be incredibly charming and he’s incredibly sensitive. On the one hand, you see him threatening men twice his size, and the next day he’s drinking martini’s and sharing a laugh with his mother- who he still lives with. And yes, he’s gay, and it’s 1972 in Memphis- that’s certainly not a time when people are comfortable with being out and public about their homosexuality, but he’s really proud of who he is, he doesn’t really have an issue with it. It’s not something that he is advertising, but he certainly doesn’t hide it and he doesn’t take kindly to people making fun of his sexuality, and they certainly find out what happens if they try- and that particularly violent side of his personality that I mentioned earlier is going to come out. But, it is an incredible written role with so many levels and so much going on and I feel very fortunate that I got to play him.
And, Quarry is very much taken from the sad truth of how many Vietnam war veterans were treated upon coming home from war and the PTSD they felt and how it wasn’t dealt with- which is of course so important, even now. Can you talk about this a bit, and why it’s so incredibly relevant and pertinent to bring attention to this issue?
That’s definitely one of the great things that comes along with looking through the prism of something that was set forty-five years ago, you do get to have a certain distance from an issue that allows you to put a microscope on it in a way that would perhaps feel a little self-conscious if you were to do the same thing today in a drama set in the present. PTSD is clearly something that wasn’t dealt with enough then, and continues to not be dealt with enough now, and it’s not a far gone conclusion that this would occur when you go to war and experience the horrors of what goes along with that. But, certainly, in 1972 when someone like Mac was having to deal with the traumas of returning from Vietnam, there was much less support for someone who was coming to terms with the awful experiences they had been through than there would be today. And again, Logan’s performance is really quite remarkable as he inhabits that character- you really do believe you’re watching someone go through that.
And Quarry isn’t the only series you will be on. You also have a role in Secret City alongside the amazing Jackie Weaver. What can you tell fans about that?
Secret City is a wonderful Australian mini-series that I believe will be screening in the states on a cable network, but I’m not sure which. But, that is a very meaty political thriller. It was a wonderful and challenging opportunity. I played a transgender character in that series. It was something that I was nervous to take on, but there was a lot of support from the wonderful cast of that series, and the director, Emma Freeman, and also a fantastic transgender woman named Catherine McGregor- a friend of mine from back home who very generously donated her time to talk to me about her experience.
And just recently, another film you were a part of opened in your native country of Australia called Down Under. You sure are a hard worker! What other kinds of roles are you looking to play, and who would you love to work with?
In terms of other roles? There’s no particular roles, but I’m always really excited to play roles that are different from anything I’ve done before. Pretty much anything that’s well-written and has a well-formed character and offers me something new to jump into, or that really excites me. In terms of people I’d like to work with, probably those standard actors that people talk about; Meryl Streep, or Joaquin Phoenix. I think Anthony Hopkins would be wonderful to work with. And that goes for directors as well- all the standard fair of greats that every actor would want to work with!
Speaking of Australians in Hollywood, you are one of the best at disguising your accent. But, in 2018 you won’t have to- you will be loaning it to a new animation, Larrikins, alongside Naomi Watts, Hugh Jackman, Jackie Weaver, Margot Robbie, Ben Mendelsohn and Rose Byrne! What can fans expect from that?
Larrikins is very exciting. For anyone that knows the work of Tim Minchin, that guy is a genius- and I mean that not just as a throwaway, he really is a genius. He’s a stage performer/actor/comedian/composer and he wrote the songs and music for Matilda and he just did the same thing with a stage version for Groundhog Day, and it’s incredible. This film, Larrikins is a Dreamworks animated film set in the Australian outback and it’s essentially a buddy movie with three different Australian animals; a kangaroo played by Hugh Jackman, a very hideous looking toad that Tim voices himself, and a very anxious looking bilby- which is kind of like a desert rat, and I play that character. It’s an incredible story, and Harry Cripps wrote the screenplay. It’s so funny, it’s so moving, it’s so exciting and I really couldn’t be more excited about it.
And do you sing as well in the film?
[Cracks up] I do have to sing one song! I’m not known for doing it, but it’s more in the vein of Rex Harrison singing- it doesn’t require the formal training. And I’m sure they can do wonders with auto-tune! Either way, it’s going to be a great film!
And as much as the world can’t wait to see Herriman link up with the best imports Australia has given Hollywood for Larrikins, audiences will soon learn that nothing will make them happier than the fact that he will be coming back to this side of the pond regularly for his role on Quarry. Rest assured, an Emmy nomination is surely in his future.
Quarry premieres Friday, September 9th on Cinemax at 10PM.