Ruawai-raised actor Roy Billing has been gracing New Zealand screens since the 1970s, his credits include Underbelly, The Chronicles of Narnia, Rabbit-Proof Fence and more recently The Panthers, in which he portrays former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon.
Having returned to New Zealand after being based in Sydney for many years, Billing will soon be appearing in Auckland Theatre Company’s production of Bess Wohl’s Tony-nominated comedy Grand Horizons, co-starring Annie Whittle and directed by Jennifer Ward-Lealand.
Photo: Auckland Theatre Company
Now settled on Waiheke Island, Billing at 74 is as busy as ever he says.
“I'm a pensioner. But yes, I came back to New Zealand from 30 years in Australia about three years ago thinking I was going to sort of have a quiet semi-retirement on Waiheke Island but I just keep getting work.
“And I'd like to think part of that is because I'm good at what I do. But also, in our businesses, there is an attrition rate. I don't think there's a lot of actors around my age to choose from.”
Billing had established himself as a successful actor in New Zealand but in 1989 upped roots and went to Australia.
“In those days in New Zealand, I just couldn't see where I was going to go. I mean, there's a lot more film and television happening here now. But I just couldn't see where I was going to go if I was going to have a have a career and make a living out of it.”
Once he got to Australia he had to start from scratch, he told Kim Hill.
"Because they really didn't know what I'd done here. So, doing auditions and getting roles, but it didn't take too long to start forging out quite a quite a successful career over there.”
A big breakthrough was the Working Dog film, The Dish, he says.
“I was I was working pretty regularly. But that was like a breakthrough. And then the big breakthrough was probably Underbelly that series I was in playing Bob Trimbole, there’s already been one series, and on the opening night, on a Monday night, they screened a double episode.
“And the ratings were just huge. It was about like 25 percent of the country was watching. So, it was huge. And that's really what set me up in Australia.”
He acquired a touch of the Trimbole notoriety after playing the role, he says.
“Every time I walked down the street there somebody yells ‘G’day Bob!’ … it’s one of those roles you can't shake off.”
Billing has also had success playing another “colourful racing identity” Harry Strang in the Australian series Jack Irish based on the Peter temple novels.
Back in the late 1960s Billing was making good money in advertising, he says, but he’d caught the acting bug and took a significant drop in salary when a chance came his way to go professional.
“Raymond Hawthorne offered me a job in Theatre Corporate in theatre and education. So, I thought this is it, I either do it now or I don't. So, I dropped considerably in salary and joined Theatre Corporate.”
He has been working on an autobiography he says with the working title ‘Why Can’t You Get a Proper Job?’ Something his father said to him early on in his career.
“My father never really accepted me being an artist. He was a panel beater. I heard later after he died that he skited about me a bit, but never to my face.”
His father’s lack of support bewildered him a little, he says.
“I just thought, well, this is what I do you know, if you don't like it, well, don't make comment on it. But he did watch some of the television stuff I did, but never said anything to my face, but told other people he was quite, you know, quite proud of me doing it.”
His father was bad tempered, Billing says, and he learned to stay out of the way.
“Dad was a bit of a disciplinarian and bad tempered, but I managed to get around that … I had lots of good mates.”
Grand Horizons previews on February 8 and audiences are limited to 100 socially-distanced and with masks.
A challenge playing a comedy, he says.
“A play like this, which is very, very funny. You often rely on a big audience, a sort of a critical mass where people feel free to let themselves go and laugh. So, it'll be interesting to see how people feel like expressing their mirth with a mask on away from everybody.”
He is confident however it will be a success.
“I hope people come along to Grand Horizons don’t be put off by the 100 per performance, because it's about quality not quantity this play.”
Grand Horizons is going ahead under red light restrictions, with an audience capacity of 100 and social distancing measures in place. The show runs from 8 February to 5 March at ASB Waterfront Theatre in Auckland. Head over here for more information.
