Carl Barron Swaps His Stand-Up Stage For A Film Set

Carl Barron’s gentle, honest and observational comedic style has touched the hearts of thousands. His last tour, A One Ended Stick, attracted a total audience of over 300,000 Australians. Given such a fan base, film projects had always been encouraged - but for Barron, it was necessary to wait for the opportune moment.

"I had an idea for a film, and like everything else I’ve done there comes a time where I’m just going to do it.

"I needed to take a break. I was tired of being on the road by myself, I wanted to work with other people, which is something I’ve not really done much of before. This was an opportunity to collaborate and not have it all on my shoulders, even though it’s my big fat head out there on the screen."

The film tells the story of successful Australian comic Manny Lewis, who finds himself at the height of his popularity, and at the depths of his loneliness. Reclusive and introverted, he feels he can’t trust anyone with matters of the heart.

Carl always had an idea for a love story "about a bloke who meets a girl who works on the phone, on an adult chat line." It sat quietly in the corner of his brain for years, moving in and out of his consciousness. But he knew that in order to tell a truthful, heartfelt tale, the ‘bloke’ would have to be based on himself.

"The main idea, in the beginning, was to show people the other side of my profession - people see the laughter and the humour, but they have this idea that comics are all manic-depressives, which isn’t true. I wanted to show the loneliness and isolation on the road. It’s a hard lifestyle. You’re by yourself a lot. I wanted to show people that."

For Carl, the process was a new one, both in terms of writing with a partner, and working within the parameters of a screenplay rather than crafting a sequence of observational jokes. The transition from performing onstage to on set was also disorienting at first. But Carl’s first steps into filmmaking were guided by the material being close to his heart, his openness to learn from his collaborators, and his natural talents and dedication to communicating with audiences.

Speaking of his character, Barron says: "He’s a fairly simple-minded sort of bloke. He’s not into fame, and is reserved and shy of the general public. He has a troubled relationship with his father, and he’s looking for the genuine love in his life – different to the love he finds on stage. He knows he’s lucky to be successful, to have the adulation and love of his fans, but he needs more. This is the trouble he has and it’s what drives the film."

For Carl, Manny is a direct extension of his onstage process. But where does Carl Barron start and Manny Lewis end?

Roy Billing saw differences between Carl and Manny, but a core connection between the two: "Manny’s a lonely sort of guy, which isn’t how I find Carl, but maybe that’s been Carl previously. It’s close to the bone, I think. There’s probably not a lot of differences between Manny and Carl."

Billing plays Manny’s father in the film. Speaking of his character, he says: "Lyle is getting on in life, he’s lost his wife and he hasn’t always been a good father to his son, but this is redemption time for Lyle."

Roy further connected to the character through the similar experience he had with his own father: "I think it’s a thing with a lot of creative people who grow up in a family with non-creators. My dad could never really get his head around the fact that I was an actor, and Carl’s father was a bit the same. Later in life they both suddenly turned and embraced it."

Director Anthony Mir was a witness to this common experience that gave Carl and Roy a strong emotional base to work from: "During rehearsals with Carl and Roy, there was a point where we all started crying – rehearsing in this sterile environment suddenly became incredibly emotional. They were both very gentle and generous with each other. It was very moving."

At its core, the film reflects Manny’s journey to resolve his fear of being loved, and his fear of truly being himself. It is a gentle, melancholic and ultimately hopeful comedy/drama about the desire for an intimate connection.

Manny Lewis hits theatres March 12th.

Check out our exclusive behind-the-scenes ‘Making Of’ documentary here.