Harry Greenwood’s latest role is playing a robot, but he’s also keen to ‘drag it up’ thanks to his dad’s famous role as ‘Mitzi’ in Priscilla.
Tell us about your role in Klara and the Sun.
Harry Greenwood: I play one of the robots to Klara, played by Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), who are called ‘artificial friends’. I love sci-fi and big sweeping dramas, and it has those in spades. In fact, it was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Amy Adams (Justice League) is an all-time favourite of mine, and I discovered, an incredibly nice person. Working under Taika Waititi’s direction was wonderfully improv-heavy. It almost felt like being on Saturday Night Live! It was that kind of seat-of-your-pants scenario, making things up as you go, which I thrive on. That sort of atmosphere is why we get into this silly job in the first place.
You’ve also been working with Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) and Willem Dafoe (Asteroid City) on the Edmund Hillary film, Tenzing.
Yes, I play Charles Evans, one of the British climbing crew. We shot in Nepal and New Zealand, where the stunning mountain backdrops surrounded us. And what fantastic actors to work with! I’ve loved watching Willem’s work over the years. He has a great devilish playfulness and is super-naughty in the best kind of way. And Tom, who plays Edmund Hillary, was an absolute darling to me, while we were freezing our butts off in those mountains.
Harry Greenwood
You’re no stranger to the acting world, having grown up with a famous acting dad, Hugo Weaving. Were you born with the acting bug?
I guess it’s a family business. My cousin’s also an actor, and my partner and her dad are directors. When I was young, I would often be backstage while my dad was onstage at many productions. He’d try to sneak me onto the stage! I remember one production at the Belvoir Street Theatre, where he opened the stage door and I ended up being the ‘ghostly child on the street’. I was thrilled. I also had my pet mouse hiding under my shirt! My sister and I were around when Dad was making Priscilla, which was a hoot. If you watch the music video for, I Love the Nightlife, you’ll see us playing the two little kids watching TV. My mum plays the hopelessly forgotten wife, while the dad is a drag queen by night. I guess I saw my dad having fun and thought, “That looks alright. Maybe I should do this”.
“Sexuality is a spectrum. I don’t think anyone could call themselves truly straight.”
Having a dad who played Mitzi in Priscilla must have felt very cool.
Absolutely! Dad in Priscilla probably started my own love of drag. I’m obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Race, and my dream is to be put into drag. If anyone is interested, please let me know! So, it probably did start from that point. I think Dad still has the thong dress and earrings. Dad’s best mate was the actor Keith Robinson (Moulin Rouge), who’s now sadly passed away, and we’d all go to Mardi Gras together. We lived right behind Oxford Street, so the culture has always been a huge part of my life.
Harry Greenwood
Have you had any wild nights out with your gay mates?
Who doesn’t love a dance at a gay bar? Let’s be honest, gays know how to have fun, and straights are boring! My favourite gay bar experience was during my gap year, when I was strolling around Europe on my own. I ended up in Reykjavik, Iceland, at an incredible gay bar called NASA. It was so campy and over-the-top, with people dressed in space suits and ridiculous outfits. It was one of the best nights of my life, and the music was brilliant. The gays do it better!
“It’d be stupid to say we don’t question our sexuality when growing up.”
Who’s your favourite songstress?
(Laughs) My playlist always ends up going to Drag Race lip syncs. My music tastes have become quite poppy! I can’t go past Diana Ross. What a legend, and she has such bangers to dance to. I love disco and dancing to songs like “Upside Down.”
What’s your irresistible dancefloor song?
Dancing On My Own by Robyn, and I know all the words! It’s high-drama dance pop with a touch of darkness. But it’s also euphoric with a sense of melancholia, which I’m drawn to. You need some depth on the dancefloor!
Harry Greenwood as Bevan Johnson in Gallipoli
What about a male singer?
Luther Vandross. What an amazing voice. I also grew up listening to a lot of World Music. My dad was born in Nigeria, and he’s always had an affinity for North African music. I really like Ali Farka Touré and other French-speaking African artists. I have very eclectic tastes.
If you were gay, who would be your celebrity crush?
Adam Driver, hands down. He’s so dark and mysterious. I discovered him through my partner, who liked watching Girls, where he played the weird boyfriend. Apparently, he hates seeing himself on screen, which is also kind of super-sexy.
“Dad in Priscilla probably started my own love of drag. I’m obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Race!”
Gay guys question their sexuality throughout their teen years. As a straight guy, did you do the same?
Sexuality is a spectrum, and I don’t think anyone could call themselves truly straight. If they do, they probably haven’t explored all parts of themselves. I find the younger generation is confident in their expressions of self. It’s exciting to see, because the more that happens, the less pressured people will feel to be themselves. They can be different versions of themselves. It’d be stupid to say we don’t question our sexuality when growing up. That’s also the fun of it, to experiment. To fall in love with people for who they are and not what they are.
Do you have a favourite quote?
Ernest Hemingway said, “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” The same goes for acting. That’s what makes good storytelling.
“Let’s be honest, gays know how to have fun, and straights are boring!”
Do you have a grooming tip?
I go to a cheap and cheerful hairdresser and get them to treat me like a piece of meat (Laughing). I get a short back and sides. But here’s the tip – I don’t wash with shampoo. I just use hot water. It’s healthy for your hair to let the natural oils in. You’ll end up with great hair. It’s advice passed down from my granddad, who had great hair!
What’s been your most memorable wardrobe malfunction?
It’s not so much a mishap, but I’ve appeared nude on stage, and trying to respect your modesty is not easy. For the opening scene of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, I was showering in a cubicle. They say you must get naked on stage at least once in your life, but I was terrified of being in front of my peers. But it didn’t matter much after the first night. I thought, “They’ve seen it all before!”
At the beach, briefs, boardshorts or butt naked?
Budgie Smugglers, one hundred per cent! There are so many designs that allow you to express yourself creatively. Board shorts are annoying and chafe. I’d rather some awesome hot pink budgies!
What about underwear – briefs, boxer briefs, or freeballs?
I love my Y-fronts every day of the week. I like it all snug. I don’t want anything flapping about!
Follow Harry on Instagram @green_wood
