I first interviewed David Berry on A Place to Call Home. Now he’s an international success through another period drama – Outlander. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing David again.
You’ve had great international success with Outlander. Tell us about playing Lord John Grey.
David Berry: I get to play a great character, with actors and a crew that are world class. I was well prepared for that from my experience in Australia on A Place to Call Home, but Outlander takes it into an extra gear. It’s been a fun experience and certainly opened me to a whole bunch of other experiences through working and living in Scotland.
You’ve now been in quite a few period dramas!
Drama is great because you get to play dress-ups with all the artistic details. The thought that goes into making a period production is something special. There’s so much artistry and work from people behind the scenes, which also assists me in my job. I really like the historical component as I’ve been learning about both Scottish and American histories. From a performance point of view, it doesn’t really change too much because it’s about humans just living in a different time. The issues we all worry and think about are very similar across time and space.
David Berry
How do you feel about the fans calling for a Lord Grey spin-off?
Lord John has his own series of books, and there’s been some excitement from fans suggesting a spinoff. It’s great that people really like the character, which Diana Gabaldon created, and it’s a testament to the popularity of that character. It’s really a privilege to step into his shoes. I don’t know how much I’m responsible for that popularity though! I think it already existed. But it’s a really affirming and validating experience for your work, when people respond to it and like to see the character doing his own thing. My mind is always doing its own thing in Outlander!
Your latest work has been on Riptide. Was it good coming back to work in Australia?
Riptide came up last year while I was on a filming break from Outlander. I found the script to have a very interesting ‘whodunnit’ premise, and the character was an interesting departure from what I usually play. It was also a very challenging experience and probably the fastest I’ve ever filmed. We did four episodes in four weeks, and when I went back to the Outlander production, they thought that was insane! (Laughing) But it was through the tenacity, enthusiasm and spirit of the production company, and our director, who got it over the line.
David Berry
So, there’s a difference in production between countries?
I had been spoilt for time on Outlander with budgets and such, and I then I came back to Australia, but we do punch above our weight. It’s also very noticeable that in our industry there’s not enough support for new content. So it was great to do something that was new. In the span of my career, Australian drama productions have dwindled quite a bit, but productions like Riptide and such provide opportunities for actors working in Australia, and for those who want to live and work in Australia.
You also recently played a 1970’s film star on Barons. How does one prepare to play that?
That was during Covid and hardly anything was filming in Australia. They asked me if I would do a small cameo as a Seventies movie star. Again, it was a period piece that allowed me to play dress-up in a Seventies costume. I was excited about that and to get out of the house to act. For so long, a lot of us in the industry felt that acting would go away and become something we’d never do again. But it came down to ingenuity and a passionate drive from people in the industry to come up with creative ways to make it work.
“I think young men can now have a lot more confidence about their sexuality, compared to when I was a child.”
On A Place to Call Home, you famously played gay character James Bligh. Do people still remember that when meeting you?
They did back at the time, and it was something people would relate stories to. They’d tell me about their experiences and how they related to the character. It’s been a long time now since A Place to Call Home aired, but it still has a life and I still run into people who tell me how much they loved it. It’s a little gem that was a perfect mix within a perfect place in time for Australian television. It stands on its own.
David Berry as Lord John Grey on Outlander
Last time you did this interview, you said James Dean would be your celebrity crush. Has that changed?
He was a great actor and had a huge influence on people. He set a kind of attitude for me that, as a young man, I related to. There was something brooding and angsty about him and he wasn’t happy with the world. As a young man, I don’t think I was happy with the world either. He also had a huge freedom and presence in his work and was very stylish and handsome. He was someone I definitely looked towards as a role model.
What about someone contemporary?
People are really beginning to appreciate gay culture in popular media, and part of that for me has been watching the new season of Queer Eye and Jonathan Van Ness. His positivity and freedom with himself are a really cool thing. For reasons of his attitude and resilience, I really admire him. I think he’s a great model of what it means to be a modern-day man and modern masculinity.
David Berry as James Bligh on A Place to Call Home
Have you ever witnessed homophobia?
Yes absolutely. I went to an all-boys school and the worst thing you could be called was ‘a gay’ or a ‘fag’. It was a constant way of policing masculinity, and I don’t think any of us truly understood what it meant to be gay at that age. If you were creative or considered slightly feminine in your pursuits, whether academic or creative, that was derided as ‘other’, which was gay. No one wanted to be gay and to not be part of the ‘cool’ crowd. But I think what’s changed so much over time is that being gay is now being part of the crowd. It’s been reclaimed and I think young men can now have a lot more confidence about their sexuality, compared to when I was a child. It’s probably not perfect, and I don’t know what it’s like to experience that now, but certainly growing up, there was homophobia everywhere and I felt bad for people who were gay. Especially dealing with the challenge of coming out to their peers and parents.
Have you had some wild nights out with your gay mates?
Yes, and I do have a great time with them. Gay people know how to enjoy themselves! Sometimes I think “Wouldn’t it be great if I were gay, because I’d have so much fun!” (Laughing). Recently in LA, a straight friend said to me, “Bro the hottest ticket for a best time is West Hollywood”. He suggested we should go to a restaurant there and have a fun time, and I was, “Absolutely!” It was honestly one of the most fun evenings ever. There isn’t that sense of stigma or separation that there used to be, but a more integrated feeling of people enjoying themselves, all in a place together. That’s really cool!
“Growing up, there was homophobia everywhere and I felt bad for people who were gay.”
What’s your irresistible dancefloor song?
Pony by Ginuwine.
David Berry as Lord John Grey on Outlander
What about music diva?
Ella Fitzgerald. She sang the entire American Songbook perfectly. I love all her songs and they put me in that chill mood. She had such a presence of power about her as well. Her performances demand respect in what she does, and you get a sense that she’s really lived her songs.
Do you have a grooming tip?
I didn’t have to, but I made a decision to grow out my natural hair for the Outlander role, and it’s very long. I’ve now learnt a whole bunch of things about having long hair. You should only wash it probably twice a week and invest in a good hair shampoo and conditioner. It also pays to invest in a good hairbrush, because you’ll be using that a lot!
David Berry as Dan Burrell in Riptide
What’s your most memorable wardrobe malfunction?
I haven’t really had any wardrobe malfunctions, but I’ve had some questionable wardrobe choices! Recently I was at the BAFTA Awards, and they gave me a suit to wear which was way too big. It was like two sizes up. I looked like I was wearing my dad’s suit and I was fourteen years old again. The collar of the shirt was sticking over the jacket lapels. It was not my fault!
Sounds like a character from Barons!
(Laughing) I guess so, but not intentionally!
David Berry as Warren Dean on Barrons
Is there a quote you live by?
I did recently hear one that I quite liked, because I do get caught up in my head a lot. It was “You can’t think your way into better action, but you can act your way into better thought”.
Who has been your biggest inspiration in the acting profession?
I’ve been lucky to have a few mentors from my time on A Place to Call Home, and in terms of trying to balance a career and life I’ve benefited a lot from Jenni Baird who played Regina. She’s been a great mentor to me. I look at people like her in the business who have been able to have a life and a career, which is a difficult thing to manage. She’s been a great inspiration.
David Berry as James Bligh and Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood as Olivia Bligh in A Place to Call Home
Briefs, fitted boxers or commando?
Boxer briefs. Boxers are so uncomfortable, and I don’t know how anyone can wear them. They sweat and the hangs no good! You need support! Briefs are too tight and remind me of something from the Seventies! (Laughing) Boxer briefs are modern, masculine and give support. I don’t know what savages go commando, but more power to you!
What about Lord John Grey?
All I know is that when I wear those costumes, they’re not comfortable and I constantly have to adjust myself in those pants. It’s not comfortable down there!
Outlander streams on Netflix
Riptide will air on Network TEN
