The accent got lost somewhere along the way. I'm a little embarrassed about it. When I arrived in LA I assumed I'd be able to put on the American accent. It proved difficult so I had six months working with a dialect coach and it's become a habit.
Martin Henderson
I'm quite proud of growing up in New Zealand where, from quite early on in primary school, you're learning to count in Maori, Maori mythology and dances and colours and history, and I think that gives a child a really good grounding.
As soon as I got off the plane in L.A., I heard they'd cast the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and that it was all being shot in New Zealand! That was pretty ironic.
I think it's part of my personality - I love to travel; I love different cultures and philosophies and perspectives on things.
I went to New York for a while before I moved to L.A., and I was very clear that I didn't want to do TV. For a decade, basically, I didn't even entertain the idea.
'Little Fish' has reminded me why I fell in love with acting in the first place.
I'm not in a real rush to be a big star.
Most horror films fail to scare me.
I just want to keep challenging myself. Keep moving the goalposts and raising my game.
I personally really sympathise with the Maori cause - what's gone on historically and their struggle today as a culture, and how they hold on to that identity and stand up for what's rightfully theirs.
I love new places, new people, new ideas. I love cultural differences, and I'm fascinated by the truth - all the different versions of it.
When I'm not acting, I'm usually sailing or camping or exploring or travelling or spending time in New Zealand.
I've become a lot more relaxed about my career, but maybe that's a part of growing up. I realise there are things I hold dear and value, aside from professional achievements.
It's very rare you get a director who's that invested in the actors. So yeah, when 'Little Fish' came around, there wasn't much negotiation!
I don't even know who my character is in 'Grey's.'
It's a tough accent. It's difficult for actors who are not Kiwis.
It's good to see some Kiwi accents up on the big screen.
Alex O'Loughlin is an old friend. Actually, when he first came to L.A., he stayed at my house.
Sometimes you just dread reading scripts; it's like the chef who doesn't want to cook at home.
It is a little weird now, going over to Heath's place. It's like, 'Hi Heath, hi Nomes.' Very strange!
It's actually reassuring to see people struggling to do our accent instead of us constantly trying to emulate British or American accents, which we are always asked to do.
I try not to invest time in what other people think of me.
Where typically the cops are generally the good guys, 'The Red Road' blurs the lines intelligently and shows corruption from all sides of the law. It provides unpredictable drama where the audience is kept guessing about how these characters will each choose to act.
Most people start eating healthy after the doctor says they have a problem. That's just human nature.
What's exciting about Sundance is that they're making a name for themselves in this boutique television niche world, and there's energy behind that.
We spent a few days up Ben Nevis, which is the biggest mountain in the U.K., and there was one day when we had to make a decision whether we were going to go to the summit or not. It was already getting dark, but we made the call to go and made the summit, but as soon as we got there, this blizzard just hit.
It's a great challenge to come from little New Zealand and beat the odds in Hollywood.
I think the buzz of acting is playing people different to you, and for me, that means traversing all genres.
I've got to say, I like being the everyman.
Heath, I believed in him when I first met him, and helped and supported him. He went on to obvious success in the States and then I had him support me. It can be a lonely, horrible, hard place. It's great just to have someone to call to say 'I know, man, I was there'
I always thought I'd go to university and then get a real job, you know. Now I want to do stuff that really makes me happy. Although I'm still trying to work out what that is. But for me there are always constants.
Most horror films fail to scare me. I think 'The Ring' plays more as a psychological thriller. It's smarter, there's more character development and some of the themes explored go a little deeper.
When I arrived in L.A., I assumed I'd be able to put on the American accent. It proved difficult, so I had six months working with a dialect coach, and it's become a habit.
With a thriller, you're going to have your red herrings, as different suspects are thrown up as possible culprits. You can only explore that for so long - if you do that more than a few times, it starts to get a little redundant.
Sometimes America gets tempted by the glitz and glamour.
You've got to not care about what people think. You learn that as an actor. If you get a bad review, will you be destroyed by it? Or will you think you're God's gift when you get a rave review?
I feel for anybody who has that level of celebrity where you can't lead a normal life.
I always intended to move back to New York when I was first there.
I think mine's such a mish-mash now: I get criticised for sounding like a Yank when I come home, and everybody thinks I'm Australian when I'm in America.
My dad was my hero when I was a young boy. And then it's a toss-up between Han Solo, the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team, and Marlon Brando.
The writer of 'The Red Road,' Aaron Guzikowski, deserves the credit. The fact that the dialogue is so understated is what makes this show so appealing, especially as an actor.
During the shoot, when you're not at work, you're learning lines for the next shoot, and that can be all-consuming.
When you're doing a one-man play, you maybe rehearse for a month, and then you're just doing it an hour or two a night.
I think I'm fortunate as an actor in that I do seem to get opportunities to play roles that aren't necessarily typical of what I've done before.
It's harder in the States. I'm much more inclined to get offered things that are a lot straighter and heavier and dramatic. And they go by looks, too. If you look like a leading man, then that's what they will consider you for.
Definitely, I'd love to do more in New Zealand if it was the right time.
I'm never entirely happy. That's just part of my personality, and I just have to accept that.
You are constantly looking for ways to do something you haven't done before, whether it's a particular role or doing theatre. As a person, I'm really open to experience.
You are always invested in a film, but there is always a different feeling you get when you are portraying a character that is based on real life and you are re-telling events that actually took place.
I like dramatic stuff, and I have a goofball side, too. I like to do comedy and off-beat things as much as something really, really serious.
