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GRAZIA: Every episode of Season 4 of UnREAL has just dropped on Stan. What is in store for August?
Demos: “Well, obviously you know what happened to him in season 3 and how he got done over by the creative women of Everlasting. August goes back on the show in this season with the confidence that he knows how they operate and how the show works. He has that ‘I know all your moves’ arrogance about him and believes the women won’t be able to pull the wool over his eyes again. But they are a lot smarter than how smart August thinks he is. Once again, there’s big shocks from Quinn and Rachel and he falls for a number of ladies. Also what’s in store is the change in August’s relationships with both Quinn and Rachel. They go a lot deeper and good or bad will come out of it. [Laughs].”
I feel like he will get royally screwed over again…
“[Laughs] It’s amazing that he thinks he can go back on that reality show. They are two smart women!”
There is a lot of off-shirt action from August in this season. How do you prepare for scenes like that prior to shooting? Are there sit-ups in the trailer?
“I feel like all the preparation is before you get filming. I used to think I would be doing push-ups and sit-ups on set before shooting but when I’m there, I just want to focus on acting the scene properly and not worrying about looking buff. In the months before we film, I try to train as hard as I can and when I get there, you’re doing long days so you can’t train as much as you’d like, so it’s about that preparation.”
In Season 3, August instantly and quite literally catches Quinn and Rachel’s eyes – they are so taken aback by him – have you ever experienced that type of first-moment with a woman?
“Not as in love at first sight. I’m only 33, so there’s plenty of time left in my life. Hopefully, it would be good fun!”
August is described in Season 3 as “abs and a pretty accent”. The Australian charm gets him places. Have you noticed the same attention in Hollywood in real life?
“I think anyone who travels to another country always gets attention because you’re something different, you know. The Aussie accent stands out a little bit and mine is a little bit stronger than most because I’m from [NSW south coast suburb] Wollongong so that causes a bit of notice! But nothing extra special. People are curious where you’re from and want to hear about it because you’re from somewhere different. But it doesn’t hurt when you’re over in LA and you have all the other actors who are American and everyone already has such a good impression of Australians. So thanks to all those guys before me for setting the standard high!”
Would you learn an American accent for a role?
“Yeah for sure! I actually auditioned for August with an American accent and it wasn’t until the very end that they decided to try the scenes with my Australian accent and see what worked better with the character. But if I want to work in the US long-term, I need to have the American accent down. I was actually just doing it before you called! [Laughs]”
You’re from Wollongong, how did you first adjust to life in America? There are so many types of different people in LA that perhaps aren’t as down-to-earth as a guy from the south coast of New South Wales in Australia…
“Los Angeles gets a little bit of a bad rap sometimes because people just go to Hollywood. I already had some mates who had been over there before so they showed me where everything was. There are cool things within twenty minutes (in each direction) from the centre of LA. So, I guess I got sort of lucky that I was shown the lay of the land when I got there.
“I’m not one to just sit around and wait for the phone to ring.”
“There are so many cool hikes if you go out to Malibu and Pasadena and you can go surfing. I just try to go on an adventure every day and I’ve found a lot of cool places. The key is not to just sit in the house and wait for the phone to ring. That’s not doing anyone any favours. And hang out with cool people. It doesn’t really matter where you are but if you’re hanging with good people, you’ll have a good time.”
I love that you spent nine hours in the makeup chair getting the man-bun…
“Unbelievable.”
What did your friends – keeping in mind they are not from the man-bun-loving territory of Bondi but from Wollongong – what did they think of that amount of time tending to your tresses?
“Oh, they love it! It’s just more material for them to rip into me in a joking way! They had photos of me with the man-bun and it gave them material for months on end! It will probably stay with me forever. But they love it, it’s a world removed from where we grew up. They are pretty interested in hearing about it all.”
What was it like growing up in Wollongong?
“I actually grew up on a small farm. I went to Dapto High School, I played footy when I was younger. I left school and was doing construction with my dad – I was doing demolition – and I had a regular Aussie upbringing. I was surfing down the coast on the weekends and hanging out with the boys. I used to work really hard so I could travel. That was my main thing.”
How would you describe Constance Zimmer in real life?
“She is one of the greatest humans on planet Earth. She really is. As a professional, she’s everything you could hope someone to be. Like, she’s such an incredible actress but when she rocks up on set, she’s so nice and friendly to absolutely everyone, she’s just got so much energy from the start of the day until the end and she’s just a really kind and generous person.
“Constance [Zimmer] is one of the best humans I have met in my entire life. It’s a privilege to call her a good friend.”
In between takes, what do the cast and crew get up to?
“Just run off to craft services and have a little snack! [Laughs]. That was the thing I was most blown away by when I got there. You have breakfast, lunch and dinner but then there’s this whole other tent set up for the time for in-between. I couldn’t believe it. Every break you’d get, everyone would just be in craft services; hot food, donuts, everything!”
What’s your go-to at craft services?
“As I was having to maintain August shape, my go-to was all the bananas, almond butters and all that sort of jazz. I know, it doesn’t sound too exciting, does it? They were paying me to look a certain way so I had to keep it in check. But there were days where the old donut made an appearance.”
What has this experience taught you about relationships?
“If it’s the right relationship, you will withstand anything. In relationships, there can be a lot of strain and if people can come out of it with that relationship intact, it’s meant to be. A reality show would be the ultimate test to see if you’re meant to be with someone.”
As your star rises, what is the most challenging part of fame?
“There’s nothing challenging so far, to be completely honest. It’s just nice, I just enjoy it, especially when you get to work on something that you’re proud of. If people happen to recognise you and want to talk about it, I’m down for it! It’s not like I’m Tom Cruise and unable to go down the street and get a coffee with my mates.”
After UnREAL, what’s next? What is your ultimate goal?
“Just to work on more cool stuff! I think I got really lucky to work on a show like UnREAL, I just want to keep working on stuff of that quality. Whether it be well-written TV or movies in America or Australia, that is the goal. I want to keep that momentum going.”
Could we see you in another man-bun for a Thor-like character?
“[Laughs]. Why not! For sure!”
Every episode of UnREAL Seasons 1-4 are now streaming exclusively on Stan
