A Quick Chat with Ben Wood from The Aliens

Aussie actor Ben Wood trained at ATYP and has appeared in some of Australia’s most exciting theatrical productions for Bell Shakespeare, Sport for Jove, Darlinghurst Theatre Company and more.

He has also appeared on TV in All Saints, Underbelly 3: The Golden Mile, Packed to the Rafters, Rescue: Special Ops, A Model Daughter, My Place, Redfern Now and many others and his latest film Strangerland is due for release in 2015.

Currently starring in the Sydney premiere of Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Annie Baker’s The Aliens at the Old Fitz, Ben caught up with AussieTheatre to answer our 20 questions.

A Quick Chat With Ben Wood

What’s your name and what do you do?
Ben Wood, I am acting in The Aliens at the Old Fitz and attempting to parent two young girls

What’s your most underrated or unknown talent?
Cooking – my pork is always so moist

What makes you laugh?
Magpies swooping cyclists

What are you reading?
Kisses for Daddy, Spot goes to the Park, Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose and Thelma the Unicorn… I have a 2 year old

Who is your role model?
Penny White – my partner. She’s the best.

The world needs more…
Plays by Annie Baker – like The Aliens at the Old Fitz Aug 25-Sep 19

The world needs less…
Religion and cucumbers

What tools do you need to be creative?
Humility and perception

What’s your happy place?
The pool in summer

Which show (other than your own) you think people should drop everything and see?
I’m assuming that High Society at The Hayes will be ludicrously good… the cast is outrageous

What was the last piece of theatre/film/TV that really left an impression on you?
Of Mice and Men (Sport for Jove) was sublime

There isn’t enough art about …
Real life

What three things can’t you live without?
Family. Sport. Star Wars

Go-to shower belting song?
‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ – Simple Minds

If you could change one thing about the Australian theatre industry, what would that be?
Payment of artists of all types at the independent level – these are world class performers, designers and artists. Pay them!

What’s the most used app on your phone?
Peppa Pig or NRL Fantasy

What do you wish you had been told before starting in this industry?
There is never a wasted audition – make them all count, you never know who will see it.

What are you addicted to?
Beer and laughter

What city do you live in and why?
Sydney – born and bred and can’t see a reason to leave (except house prices!)

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Dropping the kids at school… then heading off to rehearsal. Living the dream 😉

Booking Details

THE ALIENS
By Annie Baker
With Jeremy Waters, Ben Wood and James Bell

Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre, Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo
Season: 25 August – 19 September 2015
Tickets: $35 Adult, $30 Concession, $25 Previews and Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Oldfitztheatre.com/the-aliens