'As a kid Luke Carroll dreamt of playing professional Rugby League however his fall in to acting overtook his passion for the footy field and he's still every bit the success he always wanted to be, just on a different stage!
Getting his first break at the age of nine by auditioning for a role in Australia's long-running classic The Flying Doctors Luke said it was this role that sparked a passion within and ultimately led him to where he is today - in the running for “Male Actor of the Year' at the Deadlys, Australia's Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Achievement Awards.
"To receive a Deadly Award nomination is an absolute honour. It is recognition for the work you have done in the past year and it comes from the indigenous community so it makes it that extra special. It also gives you the determination to go on and achieve bigger things for the coming year, and it's a great night," Luke said.
Luke's acting career has spanned across Theatre, Film and TV. He's worked in films alongside big Australian names such as Hugo Weaving and in theatre playing the mischievous Puck in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. He says he enjoys all three mediums as they are so different from one another which makes it very difficult to get bored in the acting profession.
And how could you get bored working in films such as The Tender Hook where Luke had to train like a boxer for two months before filming began.
“It was quite a challenge and I can tell you I have so much respect for what they go through. It's a tough game they are in,” Luke said. “Working on The Tender Hook was awesome. Both Hugo and Rose are great actors as is the whole of the cast. To be able to share the screen with them was an absolute treat.”
A Midsummer Night's Dream was a turning point for Luke's career. It was the first time he had been cast in a role which was not an indigenous character part.
“I was over the moon that the director had so much faith in my acting ability to pull it off. It is something I have been trying to pursue for sometime now but at the same time I'm happy to represent my people and do so in a positive light,” he said.
Luke's character in Home and Away Lewis Rigg is also another step away from the indigenous roles he has played in the past, coming to Summer Bay instead as a hospital intern and evolving in to Summer Bay's new love-rat. A likeable lad with a fondness for the girls, Lewis snares a few hearts along his way, including Dr Rachels. However not all the girls are impressed by his charming ways!
“Having a love interest is a challenge because there haven't been too many roles where I've had to be intimate with another actor…and I can tell you I was so nervous doing those scenes,” he said.
There are two sides to charming Lewis however with a darker side being revealed when he is crossed. His previous life as an 'ambo' left him scarred and bruised because of the treatment by doctors and nurses. Although he saved people's lives he was seen as a glorified courier which eventually led him to uni to do his degree in medicine as a way of getting back at those people who had tried to bring him down.
“Home and Away is great. The cast and crew are nice and that really helps when you are a guest character coming in to a show that has been around for so long,” Luke said. “I enjoy working with everyone I share a scene with and each person makes my experience that much better for being there. Although I do want to give a special mention to Amy Matthews and Jessica Chapnik who I work with the most, they're great,” he said.
