MUSE: Xavier Samuel
If you’ve never heard the name Xavier Samuel, you will soon. The young Aussie actor is making a name for himself, not only in his homeland but in the States as well, with roles in films alongside such celebrities as Naomi Watts, Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny, James McAvoy and Brad Pitt. Major, right? Well luckily for us, Samuel squeezed us in a for a quick international phone sesh about his budding celebrity and his upcoming projects.
You would think someone on the verge of superstardom is entitled to be a little high maintenance, but not Xavier Samuel. We asked him what he misses most about Los Angeles and he modestly respondedm “diner coffee from the 101 Café, we don’t get that in Australia.” What do you know - 101 Café is one of our favorite late night haunts as well. Stars, they’re just like us. But on a serious note, Samuel has continued to make a name for himself with a range of roles in everything from teen cult classic The Twilight Sage: Eclipse to the period piece, Love and Friendship, currently in theaters. We asked Samuel how he gravitates towards roles and he says he likes to keep it diverse. “You don’t want a role to define you; you want to go from that [Twilight] to something like Shakespeare.” He definitely has differentiated himself with his upcoming film The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, which will be the opening night film of the Melbourne International Film Festival - news he just got before our phone call. Samuel says the film, written and directed by Cris Jones, is an “out there premise, I’ve never ready anything like It really,” which is really what attracted him to the film and his role as the lead, Otto Bloom. “It’s sort of like a documentary, it sets out explore this guys life and what he was like. A very different format than the usual movie, it’s a love story but it’s own unique, original style.”
With such an impressive credit list, we asked Samuel what it was like acting with some of the world’s biggest stars. While filming Fury with Brad Pitt, he recalls, “you find yourself standing across from someone you’ve grown up watching and admire, he’s one of the great actors and to find yourself filming with him [Pitt] is kind of a dream. Never in a million years would you think and you’re like, ‘Oh shit, this is happening.” But even the majors know how to keep it down to earth. While filming with Naomi Watts in the movie Adore, Samuel says he started to become nervous before a particular scene and the starlet simply reminded him “to trust your gut.” He continues, “As an actor you overthink things and think of things too objectively and for her to bring it back to an instinct level was helpful.” It should be noted that this particular movie has Samuel as Robin Wright’s love interest, so a little nerves are definitely understandable. “Robin Wright is astonishing, subtle and intelligent. She brings her magnitude of experience to every role. To be in the presence of someone operating at such a sophisticated level, you hope that rubs off on you. “ Samuel counts Adore as one of his favorite experiences, and we can see why. Not too shabby for a guy who says he came into acting a little late. After graduating high school, Samuel says he wasn’t quite sure what to do. His dreams of becoming an Australian football player were shattered after a new injury, but luckily an English teacher had sparked his interest after introducing him to a few “wacky playwrights” and eventually he got in to drama school, and the rest is history.
Samuel’s list of upcoming films go on and on. We were completely smitten with this Aussie, so we can’t wait to see all of his exciting new projects on the big screen, especially his “screwball comedies,” A Few Less Men and Spin Out. Thankfully in between all of these projects he found a little time to play 21 Questions with us. Check it out and watch out, this guy is on the rise.
Name?
Xavier Samuel.
Star sign?
Sagittarius.
Have you ever been star struck?
Yeah, by Martin Short.
Guilty pleasure?
Antagonistic online chess chatroom razz.
Favorite cult classic movie?
Magnolia.
Four current songs on repeat?
“Where I Get it From” by Elliott Smith, “I’m Going in a Field” by Ivor Cutler, “Ash and Smoke” by Southie, “What's Up Fat Lip” by Fat Lip.
Favorite current LA hotspots?
Stella's, Nick's shop, 101 Diner.
Dream vacation?
The Egg Fields proper with all my friends.
One thing you find most attractive in a person?
Curiosity.
Go-to clothing item?
Denim jacket.
Late night snack?
Pickled mussels.
Favorite beach you've ever been to?
La Perouse.
Craziest fan experience?
Jumping on the bed and almost getting decapitated.
One thing nobody knows about you?
Not sure.
Your biggest pet peeve?
Pet peeves.
Favorite American food you can't get in Australia?
In n Out.
Europe or Asia?
Europe.
The best date you ever had?
The Hop. Darwin. Rollerblading turned disco. I was 12.
Absolutely love?
Community and badminton.
Absolutely hate?
Misrepresentation and squash
Words to live by?
Kindness and irony.
Find out more about Samuel and his upcoming projects here.
By Mischa Teichgraeber
