Harrison Popple has been announced to play Randall in the upcoming feature film Wreckage, which is written and directed by Christopher Mark Peters, and in the recent TV mini-series The Imposter, which released in the UK in December on 5, Harrison played Thomas alongside Dannii Minogue as his on-screen mother Amanda Metcalfe. In Matt Mirams’s award-winning feature film Residence, Harrison plays Kobi the Flounderer, and attended the world premiere at Capital Theatre in Melbourne and was a guest at Supernova Comic Con with his fellow cast members. With Crazy Fun Park being aired on BBC Three and iPlayer in the UK, Harrison had a guest role as Johnny Vauxhall-Nero, and in Simon Mayo’s screen adaptation of his books ITCH, Harrison booked his first TV regular role playing Darcy across both series released worldwide, including on CBBC in the UK. We found out from Harrison about playing Randall in the upcoming feature film Wreckage, filming with Dannii Minogue for the recent TV mini-series The Imposter and having Darcy in Simon Mayo’s ITCH as his first TV regular role.
It has been announced that you are in the cast of the upcoming feature film Wreckage, what can you tell us about the film and your character Randall?
Wreckage is a powerful film. With a story about when we’re desperate enough, we see what we want in someone, even if it’s not really there or who they are in the first place. Abuse within a relationship is a creature that can take on many forms and shapes, and from the footage I’ve seen, Tiahna McBride and Travis Koch (who play Quinn and Brendan) give such an amazing performance in order to bring these darker themes to light for the audience.
Randall’s character appears within a film that Quinn is watching. He’s a 1950s James Dean greaser type – a real Rebel Without a Cause kind of situation. He represents this idolisation that Quinn has with the “bad boy” character she was originally seeking out, but, as we all know, life isn’t like the movies.
How was it being directed by the film’s writer Christopher Mark Peters and who do you think Wreckage will appeal to?
Chris has always been someone I’ve greatly respected. I’ve been lucky enough to not only work with him now, but to also have him as a great friend. Wreckage is a film that will appeal to many, but that doesn’t mean it’s sacrificed any sort of quality. His ability to write stories is incredible, and to be able to give his characters so much depth in such a short time is wild! Mine and Asha Vivian’s characters, Randall and Gloria, only appear for one scene in the whole film, but it feels like you get a short film within a feature film with them.
From a scriptworking perspective, the amount that Chris gave me to work with for such a brief character was so generous. I can’t wait for people to see what Asha and I were able to get on camera that day!
How did you find the experience on set of the recent TV mini-series The Imposter (which was released in the UK on 5 in December) and how would you describe your character Thomas?
Being on set of The Imposter was an experience like no other that I’ve had in this industry. Speed and efficiency is the name of the game when working on a set like that. The majority of this crew are Neighbours veterans, so getting to see the pace at which scenes could be filmed but maintaining this excellent quality is something to be studied! Everyone was so kind and so welcoming, which I believe is the make or break for an effective set.
Thomas Metcalfe is this sweet kid that genuinely cares about his mother, Amanda. He knows he has to be her main support during this difficult time to help her get through to the other side. It’s a big responsibility for a 16 year old, but he’ll do anything for his family in need.
What was it like reading the scripts for The Imposter and how was it being part of the storyline?
I’d say that, at the time of filming, The Imposter’s script was definitely the darkest story I’d been a part of. I got my beginnings in the ABC ME kids’ television scene, so the whole sex and violence angle was definitely new for me! Getting to be part of a proper gritty drama was something I knew I’d always wanted to try, but didn’t realise just how fun it could be. I’m looking forward to hopefully being involved in more of these kinds of projects in the future.
What did you enjoy most about playing Thomas and what was it like filming opposite Dannii Minogue as your on-screen mother Amanda Metcalfe?
What I enjoyed about Thomas was that he was sort of this outside-looking-in kind of presence. I got to feel like I was actually an audience member myself as he was only learning about the goings ons and dramas from when he arrived, getting to show up and watch the whole finale happen right in front of him.
Getting to work with Dannii was such a special honour. I mean, she’s a household name and Australian royalty. I went in for a costume, hair and makeup test a few weeks before shooting at Fremantle Studios when I was told she’d be my mum for the shoot. I can’t lie when I say I was pretty nervous to be working so closely alongside such an industry powerhouse like her, but wow did she make it easy.
Her kindness and down-to-earth nature immediately shed all the nerves I had initially felt. She’s always such a professional, both on and off set, and in a way that makes you feel so calm, respected and listened to at all times. I couldn’t ask for a better on-screen mum, and I’m happy to say I’ve got a good friend for life in her.
In Matt Mirams’s award-winning feature film Residence, you play Kobi the Flounderer, how was it getting into character and what originally drew you to the film?
Kobi is a character that came to me in the most unorthodox way in my career. I met Matt for the first time over a phone call in 2020 while I was filming ITCH S2, where he actually offered me a more minor character named Darren the Hornblower. After he told me about the film and the character, I was hooked. Matt has this incredible ability to make you fall in love with a character like they were your own creation, because he’s able to help MAKE them your own.
When I went to the cast table read, I actually stood in for Kobi, as the actor couldn’t make it. Unfortunately, the actor had to pull out of the project due to scheduling, but immediately after, Matt called me saying the table read basically became my audition for Kobi himself, and offered me the role. I couldn’t have been more excited.
Kobi is this cowardly, hopeless romantic in a world filled with zombies, death and, honestly, not a lot of room for romance, but damn does he find a way. Becoming Kobi was so much fun, as he’s just so out of place for the world he now finds himself in.
What was Residence like to work on and how different did you find it to your previous projects?
Residence, and playing the role of Kobi, was like a fever dream in the best possible way. Like a lucid dream, where it’s all so crazy but you’re still always in control. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever gotten to film. I think every actor should experience what it’s like to work on a comedy/horror combo at least once in their life. Saying it was a fun experience would be the understatement of the century.
Matt’s directing style has him in the trenches right alongside you. You feel so ready and willing to do the wildest of scenes for him and this film, because you know he’s right there with you.
How was it attending the world premiere at Capital Theatre in Melbourne in August 2024 and being a guest at Supernova Comic Con with your fellow cast members?
This movie was the first time I’d gotten to see myself on the big screen in a theatre. Showing up that night – with the red carpet, friends and family, and everyone coming to see what we had made – made me feel this immense sense of pride and accomplishment in such a first-hand experience kind of way I’d never had before. I was so happy to be there to finally share this dream come true with all the people I love most in this world.
Growing up in Perth, I didn’t get to go to a lot of conventions or those kinds of things. One day, when I was 14, I got to go to my first Supanova convention in the city and it blew my mind. Meeting celebrities from my favourite games and shows, and getting to geek out over all the nerdy stuff I loved with others just like me was just downright awesome. So when Matt invited me to Supanova in Sydney to be an actual guest panellist myself?? Wow. To get to talk to fans, promote the film, and live on the other side of it all for the day, I couldn’t even begin to describe how much the inner 14-year-old me was feeling.
What was it like playing guest character Johnny Vauxhall-Nero in an episode of Crazy Fun Park (which was released in the UK on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer)?
Johnny was a character that was so unbelievably fun for me to play on such a deep level. When I was in Year 4 drama, we had an acting class where we all got to pull from a hat a random job in this made-up town and act as them for the day. I got an 18-year-old lifeguard where I came up with the character “Chad Hotface” – very imaginative. This character’s been an inside family joke for years, so, when Nick Verso asked me to be this cool, ridiculous lifeguard… I knew I’d been ready for this moment since I was nine.
The show is so wacky and insane in all the best ways, and deserves all the praise it got. Getting to help be a part in making it was such an honour, and getting to work with Nick always brings so much joy to my heart.
How familiar were you with Simon Mayo’s book series before auditioning for the screen adaptation of ITCH and how was it bringing the books to screens?
I had actually never heard of the series before auditioning for the show funnily enough. I obviously became QUITE familiar with it after though. I think the writers of the show, and all the creative minds behind the project, did such an amazing job in balancing both being faithful to the core themes of the book for its original fans, but also to bring out new ideas for the television audience.
The original Cornwall UK setting is a tad different already than the West Australian seaside town vibe, but what we came out with was such a pleasure. Having Simon Mayo himself on set also really helped keep the original story alive and have the respect the source material deserved.
How did you feel when you found out you had booked Darcy for your first TV regular role and what do you remember from meeting the rest of the cast for the first time?
My audition for Darcy was actually my first professional audition I’d ever gotten, even before I was signed by my agency. I was 18 and so new to the industry. When I went for my first callback, meeting Nick Verso for the first time, I also met Charles Russell (who plays Tim) in one of the waiting rooms. After our callbacks, he jokingly said, “I’ll see you in Perth”. It was only a few weeks later at the chemistry read test in Perth where I ran into him again, and he said, “Told you I’d see you here”.
I got a call from my agent, Nat, while I was on my way to my shift at a local Melbourne pizza restaurant when she told me I got the gig. I had to sit in the alley behind my work’s kitchen to stop myself freaking out. It was a mix of disbelief and overwhelming excitement that, to this day, I found out never dulls when you get that call for any job.
The day I met the rest of the cast in Perth was the day I got my second family. I love them all so much, and we still chat and catch up for movie nights whenever we’re all in town.
What was Darcy like to play and how was it developing the character across both series?
Darcy was, and always will be, my baby. My boy. I couldn’t have asked for a better character to be given. No one ever told me how fun it was to play the bad guy. Better yet, how fun it was to play the bad guy that turns good. He’s got so much depth and complexity that goes into the way he is and why he does the things he does.
With him being my first real character to study in my career, I wanted to go deep into his psychology. I had the amazing Catherine Moore to help me every step of the way too. His initial abrasive, stubborn, and coarse character in the first season plays such an interesting juxtaposition to what he becomes in the second, which was so fun to develop over a long period of time.
Do you have any favourite memories from filming for ITCH that you can tell us about, and how was it having the series released worldwide (which included on CBBC in the UK)?
There’re so many memories to choose from that are so special to me with this show. There’s one scene that we shot early on in the second season where we had a beach grand opening. What most people don’t realise is that we filmed this part in winter, so our acting skills were definitely put to the test. Us having to pretend it was this hot summer day, wearing board shorts and singlets, when on the inside we were freezing to death. It sounds terrible, but it was hilarious seeing Kylah Day (Lucy), Sam Ireland (Itch) and I act our hearts out on this “scorcher” day, and then every time they yelled cut, we just got buried in heat packs and puffer jackets.
A personal favourite of mine was all the scuba diving training I got to have for the shoot. There’s a scene where Darcy dives down the mineshaft to grab the rock from the first season, so a lot of training had to go into preparing for that moment. Getting to just stand on the floor of this 5/6m deep pool for 15 minutes between camera setups in utter silence under water was so weirdly peaceful. Until, at one point, no one knew I was down there and thought I’d vanished, causing a set-wide panic for a minute.
As for being released across the world, when I’d originally got the role, I thought it was only going to be released locally in Australia. Finding out it was to be shown internationally blew my mind!
How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?
I’d say I only got into acting professionally when I was 18, but I’ve always wanted to be an actor. From the age of four, my best mate and I would “borrow” my older sister’s camcorder and make all these wild home movies with the craziest stories we could think of after school and on the weekends – zombie apocalypses, Nerf wars, and movie parodies… a lot of movie parodies.
Throughout school is when I began getting involved with the school plays and musicals, and I actually started to believe this could be what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After moving to Melbourne and finishing high school, I applied and began my studies at The Australian Film and Television Academy (TAFTA) in Brunswick. This is where I got to meet and learn under so many industry professionals who continued to inspire me and help build on the actor that I am today.
Is there anything you find most rewarding about working in the acting industry?
I think one of the most obvious answers for me would be that it’s just so rewarding to be able to help create and share these awesome stories and characters with audiences around the world. To bring these lines on a script page to life and spur on genuine emotion in those that watch me perform my dream job.
Something that I find truly rewarding though is getting to work alongside the people in this line of work. I have been so lucky to have met some of the most genuine, kind and intelligent people in my only very short time in this industry. If the last few years have shown me anything, it’s that I couldn’t ask for a better community than the Australian film and TV industry. I learn the most from watching the better people around me and in that I have a never-ending amount of them.
What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch?
Ironically, I’m always terrible at answering these questions, but I’ll try. I love, love, love horror movies. I grew up hating them so much, but slowly I began to fall for them over time. My favourite horror of all time has got to be this Spanish found-footage film called [REC] – I recommend everyone to watch it for a good quality scare.
If you’re looking for more of a laugh, I never fail to when watching Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Those movies created the foundation of my sense of humour that I rely on to this day.
As for TV, What We Do in the Shadows and The IT Crowd are hands-down some of the funniest television shows I’ve ever seen in my life. The IT Crowd is also the reason I was able to stay sane during my Year 12 exam study period, so I thank them for that.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I like to think of myself as a bit of a social butterfly, so I love to spend time going out with my mates to the best hotpot places around the city (hit me up for recommendations) and going down south for some cliff jumping into the ocean – don’t tell my mum.
Eventually when the social battery does run out though, I do love a bit of gaming and going to the gym to unwind in the week and spend some time with myself. I’m a big advocate for some “me” time, so going to the park or sitting out the back in the sun to do some writing is always a fantastic use of my day.
What are you hoping 2026 brings for you, and do you have any upcoming projects that you can share?
I’ve just spent the last year working in Perth doing a bunch of small and larger projects over there, so by moving home at the start of this year, I hope to really get involved more in the Eastern states side of the industry. I have a few short films that have been completed or about to be filmed coming up, so I’m super excited to share more about those when they’re good to go!
As for what I can talk about, I’ve begun writing my first little dramatic short film that I’m keen to finish up ready for pre-prod hopefully soon. It’s about a young man moving in with his sister across the country to a big city. He wants to be a writer but keeps hitting mental block after mental block – until he meets his sister’s older friend, becoming his muse and the centre of a very unhealthy parasocial relationship. More to come on that soon!
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