How would you describe Lachlan in five words?

Authoritative, firm, gruff, dry, and committed.

What was your reaction to first reading the scripts?

So much was attractive about these scripts. Most specifically and immediately was how much of a page turner it was. It’s not often when you read something that you just can’t put it down, and that was the case with The Tourist. I think that was the immediate appeal, that if it’s such a page turner to read, it’s going to be incredibly engaging and entertaining to watch. On top of that, getting to play a detective. I don’t normally get to play a straight down the line cop, and that was very attractive to me as well. And of course, getting to work with such amazing actors.

Tell us about Lachlan. What kind of cop is he? Can you tell us anything about his family life?

Lachlan is a career cop, and he is highly respected. He is very much dedicated to his career, but he is also an absolute family man. He is crazy about his wife, incredibly loyal to her, and that element of his life does come into the series when some decisions have to be made by Lachlan that really challenge him.

How has it been to film the quirky, dark humour alongside the more serious moments?

The fact that the show has so many lighter moments and is tonally not a straight drama, it is certainly very dramatic, but it has a lot of humour in there as well. That was also one of the huge things that was attractive about it when I read it, that you would find yourself laughing out loud at the script, just as often as you were shocked by some twists and turns in the plot. So that’s made it a lot of fun. Whenever there is comedy and humour to play with in a role, it always makes it more fun, so that’s been cool.

What journey does Lachlan go on throughout the series?

Lachlan’s life changes a lot because at the start of the show, you’re meeting this detective who is very much respected and known within the force. He’s been in the job for a long time and he’s one of the good guys and is really faced with quite a dilemma part way through the series where he has a sliding doors moment in terms of making a pretty big decision, actually a number of big decisions, which are going to change his life in a big way.

Did you enjoy shooting in South Australia?

I grew up in Adelaide, I was born here and I lived here till I was 18. So getting to film something here is a real treat for me, it doesn’t happen very often and South Australia is a great place, Adelaide is an awesome city. Working with the crews here is great too, they are a great bunch of people, that I’ve seen here on jobs in the past.

What were some of your favourite scenes to shoot?

It’s hard to choose because there are so many scenes in this show that have different things that appeal to you as an actor. I love working with Kamil [Ellis] who plays Lammon, because it’s such an interesting dynamic that they’ve written between the two characters. Working with Jamie has been really fun, he’s so funny. I don’t know whether audiences realise how hilarious Jamie Dornan is, but they’re going to certainly find out when they watch this!

What do you think makes this series different from anything else on TV right now?

I think what makes the show feel different is the tone of it – it is that mix of comedy and drama, of character relationship stuff mixed with plot heavy twists and turns, and mystery. It is like a book you can’t put down, it’s got a bit of everything. I think for that reason, the show is going to appeal to a wide range of people.

What do you hope audiences take away from it?

I think audiences will be entertained and they’re going to find it hard to watch one episode at a time because it’s going to be incredibly addictive, and I think they’re going to be talking about it amongst each other and trying to work out, just as the characters in the show are, who this man is and where’s he come from and what his background is and who knows him and who doesn’t know him? There are so many elements of mystery and suspense in this show that I think are going to keep people really hooked right to the end.