Casual approach pays off

Press, 24 September 1988, Page 22

Casual approach pays off

Actor Stephen Judd has the uncanny knack of scoring leading roles in productions, seemingly with very little effort.

Aged 23, he has already had major parts in many theatre productions, as well as a main role in the New Zealand feature movie, “Bridge to Nowhere.” But it is his recent role of Harvey Springer, leader of the Hi Tones, in the television series "Peppermint Twist” that many viewers will readily recall.

Now he has landed a lead role in "Porters,” as Peter Lowe, the ex-semi-narian-turned-student who takes up portering to earn some extra cash.

Judd is the first to admit that his approach to winning all these parts is low key. He says he did not even audition properly for his role as Gray, a city kid in “Bridge to Nowhere.” “I went along to auditions to help a friend,” he

explains. “She was rather nervous so I read the part of Gray opposite her. The producer and director liked what they saw and gave me the part.” Things were equally straightforward when it came to “Porters.” “Landing the part was really a shock,” he recalls. “I was in Wellington doing ‘Peppermint Twist’ and someone on the crew said that this director, Noam Pitlik, was doing auditions and suggested I go along. I phoned up, got the script that morning, had a quick read through and then auditioned. It didn’t worry me if I got the part or not.” Shortly afterwards, he was flown to Auckland to do another audition for the writer Jonathon Hardy, who thought he was. ideal for the part. Judd is by no means a newcomer to acting. At nine, he announced his intention to become an actor. “Everyone laughed,

and I laughed too.” In those days his father ran a newspaper business and he helped out as newspaper boy, talking to himself in a Donald Duck voice on his round. It was a talent which was always in demand at family functions. His real acting began when he joined the Youth Theatre in 1980 and later, in 1982, when he began formal training at the New Zealand Drama School. He appeared in such productions as “Marat Sade” and “Quartermain’s Terms.” Following this, he spent nine months at Theatre Corporate and appeared on television in “Hanlon,” "Open'•'House” and "Between The Lines.” In spite of his experience, he still feels he has much to learn about acting and was nervous about taking on “Porters.”

“I didn’t know what it was going to be like, but working with Roy Billing

and Peter Bland was great.” Steven Judd described Peter as an innocent, someone who makes people feel good and does not pose a threat. “He has never been exposed to wordly passions,” says Judd, “and he likes things done right. I liked him a lot.” Judd is firmly convinced that he could not have tackled the role if it had not been for his experience in “Peppermint Twist.” “We had to work at an incredible pace on that. It involved me for over six months and we were doing six half-hour episodes per week. The pressure was enormous. On ‘Porters’ we had six weeks to do six episodes. In terms of acting they were totally different. The pressure was not so much on getting it done but on getting a good product.” . —"I hope viewers like the series,” says Judd. “It can be quite scary for an actor because television is so high profile.”