Callan McAuliffe is a rising star from Down Under. His role as Bryce in Rob Reiner’s Flipped quickly caught the attention of Hollywood. And, more specifically, Steven Spielberg. The legendary director selected Callan to play Sam—opposite Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron—in the Dreamworks sci-fi thriller, I Am Number Four. Since then, Callan has worked with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sir Ben Kingsley.
In 2013, he was recognized as a breakout actor by The Toronto International Film Festival for his role in the coming-of-age film, Beneath the Harvest Sky. Currently, he can be seen as Alex Danyliuk, a computer whiz who turns to a life of crime after his family hits financial woes, in Anonymous. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Callan about traveling the world with his co-stars, what drew him to the film, and what’s next.
PC: Alex is an amoral computer genius that joins an online crime organization after his family is struck by financial woes. Can you tell us a bit more about the film and your character?
Callan: You’ve pretty well described it there, honestly. You took my line!
PC: What drew you to the project?
Callan: Reading the script for the first time, I was excited to discover it offered me a couple of really meaty scenes. As an actor, I’m always looking for the opportunity to show off.
PC: Was it challenging or liberating to play a character that has no moral compass?
Callan: I don’t think Alex is wholly without a moral compass, but I do think he puts weight where others might not. That said, his actions in the film provide some challenging scenes—emotionally speaking.
PC: What similarities/differences do you share with Alex?
Callan: Alex is sooner to act than I am; I often find myself trapped in deliberation. I’m also not a hacker. What we do share is a childhood surrounded by technology, and so while I’m no computer genius, I do know my way around a PC.
PC: What was it like working with Lorraine Nicholson and Daniel Eric Gold?
Callan: Both were wonderful on set and off set. It’s damn lucky we got along, as we were traveling the world together.
PC: What was the most challenging/fun scene to film?
Callan: So, there are some beautiful shots of us driving a convertible through Hong Kong, for which they’d mounted an enormous camera on the hood of the car. I’d never driven there before, and I don’t know how legal it was, but I was zooming roofless through the night-lights of Hong Kong with very little visibility, and all the lead actors in the car. That was great fun, and more than a little terrifying.
PC: What’s next for you?
Callan: My previous film, The Legend of Ben Hall—a beautifully shot historical drama about the Australian bush-ranger Benjamin Hall—will be released in December. That aside, I’m presently in New York State shooting an independent thriller.
PC: When did you know you wanted to be an actor?
Callan: I knew it was for me when I booked Rob Reiner’s Flipped and discovered it was a brilliant way to spend a life. I’d done a fair bit of acting in Australia, but it was always just to make pocket money. I never figured it as a career.
PC: What’s your dream role?
Callan: This gets harder and harder to answer the more I live and the more films I see. Still, I’ve always wanted to be in a nautical period piece; something like Master and Commander, using practical effects and working on real ships.
PC: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?
Callan: Sympathy, and that suffering is relative.
PC: You’ve posted a few videos of yourself singing on Instagram, have you considered branching into the music industry?
Callan: Not really. If I ever made music it’d probably never enter the industry. I’d just sell a disc of Irish cover songs on a build-your-own website.
PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Callan: Thomas the Tank Engine (original model version)
PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Callan: Master of Disguise
PC: Favorite play or musical?
Callan: Wicked
PC: Favorite book?
Callan: Lord of the Rings
PC: Favorite social media platform?
Callan: Twitter
PC: Hidden talent?
Callan: I have an unusually extensive knowledge of cetaceans and their evolutionary history.
Make sure to follow Callan on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And, check out Anonymous in theaters now.
Photo Credit: Chris McKeen
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