October 6, 2025 • 8 mins
Russell chatted with Susie Porter, who starred in The Travellers, a new Aussie film shot in regional WA. Also featuring Bryan Brown and Luke Bracey, and directed by Bruce Beresford, the film followed a stage designer who returned home to farewell his dying mother, only for the trip to spiral into chaos as he faced family tensions, old flames, and one very irritating sister. Susie spoke about filming in WA, reuniting with Luke Bracey and Bruce Beresford, and more.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Travelers is a new Australian movie shot very close
to home, and I do mean very close to where
we are right now. It's in cinemas on the ninth
of October and it stars Brian Brown, Luke Bracy, Nicholas
Hammond and Susie Porter, who joins us now.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome, Thank you, Russell, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Or should I say welcome back because you spend a
bit of time here.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I have spent. I was actually talking this morning. I
think this is the third film I've done in Perth
over the years. So yeah, it's lovely to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
There's a lot of movie production happening over this part
of the world at the moment, which is very, very exciting.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I think it is very exciting when we're talking about
that this morning as well, about the studios and getting
those up and running and having a real great injection
for the film industry for in Perth, which is great
for all the crews that work here. It is cheaper,
the weather's so good, it's just a great place to
(01:03):
make movies.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yeah. So The Travelers is filmed basically a little bit
in Perth, a little bit in Fremantle, and much of
it out in the Avon Valley and it just the
Avon Valley just comes up so beautifully on the big screen.
It is wonderful to see our home up on the
big screen because you don't always get to see that.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
No, a lot of.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Stuff is international or it's filmed over East. So to
be able to go in there and say I live there,
I've been there, I know.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
And I could imagine people who live in York as well,
you know, with so much stuff being shot there. Yes,
it's just yeah, it's always a thrill to see your
local area up on the screen.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
The Travelers just shot there. A Runt was another movie
that was shot there only about a year ago. So
it's very exciting times. So tell us a little bit
about The Travelers. Written and directed by Bruce Beresford, Yes,
who has a long run of credit. It's a very
very successful man. We're talking driving Miss Daisy black Robe
(02:06):
Break Him a Rant, which is one of the all
time classic Australian movies. Tell us a little bit about
the movie.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I would describe the movie as the character of Luke Bracey.
He works overseas in opera and basically our mother gets sick,
so we're brother and sister and our father is Brian
and so he summons back to Australia and it's what
unfolds once he gets.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Back two very different worlds for a start, a small
Australian country town to the opera houses of Europe. So
there's a culture clash right there that is being dealt with.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah. Yeah, And I think you know a lot of
people will have, you know, aging parents, parents dying. You know,
it's a real part of life that I don't see
often explored in film really, So I think it's it's
just such a beautiful nod to that to family and
(03:05):
connection with family.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
It's, like you say, it's something that everybody will confront,
so everybody can relate to it when they see the
story in the cinema.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
So you play the sister and Brian Brown plays the father. Yea,
and he lives a very different life, shall we say
to his son who comes back to visit and is
a little bit aghast at what he finds. How would
you describe the relationship between father and son and sister
(03:37):
as well in this movie?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Well, look, I think all three of them are very different,
and Luke's character is different. In the family that he
chose to move away from the city and explore different
different parts. My character is happy to stay locally and
raise a family and I work in it and have
the connection with dad. But it's also, yeah, how would
(04:01):
I describe it? Three very different people having to maneuver
how the future looks for all three of them, because
also younger family members. You know that we're there to
look after our elderly parents, but also to have their
own life as well. It's a fine balance, I think.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
So does that kind of a culture difference as well.
And you say that you stay but if I remember
rightly in the movie, you're in Albany.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I am in a different spot. Yeah, so I sort.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Of stay low the place that we can all relate to.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah, I stay locally. I didn't go to Europe, but yes,
I need you know, my character talks about getting on
with her life as well of having husband and a
couple of young kids at school, and yeah, having to
get on with that. But I think that that is
a dilemma that a lot of people face. Like my
mum who's eighty one. Now, I mean she's in good health,
(04:56):
but she lives in Newcastle, and there's one sister who
lives in new Castle and the rest of us either
Melbourne or Sydney, so it's a very similar Yeah, that
we kind of go, well we would move up to
Newcastle or also my husband his father's in Newcastle in England,
so that's another thing that we sort of talk about
(05:17):
as like the time do you move over there for it?
You know, time being to help with that transition. It is. Yeah,
it's a really well everyone you know, if they have
their parents alive, people have that experience.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It's something that everyone gets to has to wrestle with.
As we said before, the film written and directed by
Bruce Beresford, what was it. Have you worked with him before?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
I have? Do you know what? I've been lucky enough.
This is my third film with Bruce.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
He likes you.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah, look, I feel just I'm really grateful that I've
I got to work with him. He's such a beautiful
man and such a gentleman. But as you said, like
he's a real legend and he's worked not.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Just in Australia, We're talking worldwide. This man is around
the world.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So I first met Bruce when I did Paradise Road.
It was my first year out of drama school, and
that was set in a prison of war camp and
it was about a women's choir through that and that
was a beautiful film. And many years later he spoke
about Ladies in Black when we were filming Paradise Road,
but it took a long time to actually fund the
(06:22):
film and get it up, so instead of me playing
one of the younger girls, I ended up being cast
as one of the moms. So I did Ladies in
Black with him in twenty seventeen, and then now there's
in twenty twenty twenty five. Of course you filmed it
twenty four So look, I feel, yeah, just really privileged
(06:43):
to have been able to work with him so many times.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And we feel privileged that he decided to pick Perth,
Freemantle and the Avon Valley to film, Yeah, the movie
in because it's a great advertisement for this part of
the world it is, and also for Perth.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
You know, you can get hilly kind of areas around York,
but then you've got the beautiful beaches, you've got Margaret River,
You've got you've just got everything here and no humidity either,
so you know, and the light is so beautiful. We're
talking about that this morning. The light here is so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So all directors who are listening, this is a great
spot ll come and make movies. Yeah, and I think
that's so many reasons.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, and I think that's what's a really good idea
to have, you know, get those studios up and running,
which is they're meant to be next year. That it
is just great for the film community here.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
There's a lot of anticipation for it. Do you have
any other projects on the go that you're working on
at the moment, anything in the pipeline.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Well, I just finished doing The Artful Dodger for Disney
Plus and Luke was in that, so we actually did
the last two jobs together beautiful Luke Bracy, so that
was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
So yeah, well we look forward to seeing that. But now,
as of the ninth of October, we need to see
you in The Trap tras Brian Brown and Luke Bracey
and Nicholas Hammond and the Beauty of Western Australia on
the big screen. Absolutely, it's a great movie. Thank you
for dropping by, thanks for talking, and we look forward
to seeing you on Disney Plus.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yes, The Artful Dodger
The Travelers is a new Australian movie shot very close
to home, and I do mean very close to where
we are right now. It's in cinemas on the ninth
of October and it stars Brian Brown, Luke Bracy, Nicholas
Hammond and Susie Porter, who joins us now.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome, Thank you, Russell, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Or should I say welcome back because you spend a
bit of time here.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I have spent. I was actually talking this morning. I
think this is the third film I've done in Perth
over the years. So yeah, it's lovely to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
There's a lot of movie production happening over this part
of the world at the moment, which is very, very exciting.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I think it is very exciting when we're talking about
that this morning as well, about the studios and getting
those up and running and having a real great injection
for the film industry for in Perth, which is great
for all the crews that work here. It is cheaper,
the weather's so good, it's just a great place to
(01:03):
make movies.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yeah. So The Travelers is filmed basically a little bit
in Perth, a little bit in Fremantle, and much of
it out in the Avon Valley and it just the
Avon Valley just comes up so beautifully on the big screen.
It is wonderful to see our home up on the
big screen because you don't always get to see that.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
No, a lot of.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Stuff is international or it's filmed over East. So to
be able to go in there and say I live there,
I've been there, I know.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
And I could imagine people who live in York as well,
you know, with so much stuff being shot there. Yes,
it's just yeah, it's always a thrill to see your
local area up on the screen.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
The Travelers just shot there. A Runt was another movie
that was shot there only about a year ago. So
it's very exciting times. So tell us a little bit
about The Travelers. Written and directed by Bruce Beresford, Yes,
who has a long run of credit. It's a very
very successful man. We're talking driving Miss Daisy black Robe
(02:06):
Break Him a Rant, which is one of the all
time classic Australian movies. Tell us a little bit about
the movie.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I would describe the movie as the character of Luke Bracey.
He works overseas in opera and basically our mother gets sick,
so we're brother and sister and our father is Brian
and so he summons back to Australia and it's what
unfolds once he gets.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Back two very different worlds for a start, a small
Australian country town to the opera houses of Europe. So
there's a culture clash right there that is being dealt with.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah. Yeah, And I think you know a lot of
people will have, you know, aging parents, parents dying. You know,
it's a real part of life that I don't see
often explored in film really, So I think it's it's
just such a beautiful nod to that to family and
(03:05):
connection with family.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
It's, like you say, it's something that everybody will confront,
so everybody can relate to it when they see the
story in the cinema.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
So you play the sister and Brian Brown plays the father. Yea,
and he lives a very different life, shall we say
to his son who comes back to visit and is
a little bit aghast at what he finds. How would
you describe the relationship between father and son and sister
(03:37):
as well in this movie?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Well, look, I think all three of them are very different,
and Luke's character is different. In the family that he
chose to move away from the city and explore different
different parts. My character is happy to stay locally and
raise a family and I work in it and have
the connection with dad. But it's also, yeah, how would
(04:01):
I describe it? Three very different people having to maneuver
how the future looks for all three of them, because
also younger family members. You know that we're there to
look after our elderly parents, but also to have their
own life as well. It's a fine balance, I think.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
So does that kind of a culture difference as well.
And you say that you stay but if I remember
rightly in the movie, you're in Albany.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I am in a different spot. Yeah, so I sort.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Of stay low the place that we can all relate to.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah, I stay locally. I didn't go to Europe, but yes,
I need you know, my character talks about getting on
with her life as well of having husband and a
couple of young kids at school, and yeah, having to
get on with that. But I think that that is
a dilemma that a lot of people face. Like my
mum who's eighty one. Now, I mean she's in good health,
(04:56):
but she lives in Newcastle, and there's one sister who
lives in new Castle and the rest of us either
Melbourne or Sydney, so it's a very similar Yeah, that
we kind of go, well we would move up to
Newcastle or also my husband his father's in Newcastle in England,
so that's another thing that we sort of talk about
(05:17):
as like the time do you move over there for it?
You know, time being to help with that transition. It is. Yeah,
it's a really well everyone you know, if they have
their parents alive, people have that experience.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It's something that everyone gets to has to wrestle with.
As we said before, the film written and directed by
Bruce Beresford, what was it. Have you worked with him before?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
I have? Do you know what? I've been lucky enough.
This is my third film with Bruce.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
He likes you.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah, look, I feel just I'm really grateful that I've
I got to work with him. He's such a beautiful
man and such a gentleman. But as you said, like
he's a real legend and he's worked not.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Just in Australia, We're talking worldwide. This man is around
the world.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So I first met Bruce when I did Paradise Road.
It was my first year out of drama school, and
that was set in a prison of war camp and
it was about a women's choir through that and that
was a beautiful film. And many years later he spoke
about Ladies in Black when we were filming Paradise Road,
but it took a long time to actually fund the
(06:22):
film and get it up, so instead of me playing
one of the younger girls, I ended up being cast
as one of the moms. So I did Ladies in
Black with him in twenty seventeen, and then now there's
in twenty twenty twenty five. Of course you filmed it
twenty four So look, I feel, yeah, just really privileged
(06:43):
to have been able to work with him so many times.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And we feel privileged that he decided to pick Perth,
Freemantle and the Avon Valley to film, Yeah, the movie
in because it's a great advertisement for this part of
the world it is, and also for Perth.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
You know, you can get hilly kind of areas around York,
but then you've got the beautiful beaches, you've got Margaret River,
You've got you've just got everything here and no humidity either,
so you know, and the light is so beautiful. We're
talking about that this morning. The light here is so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So all directors who are listening, this is a great
spot ll come and make movies. Yeah, and I think
that's so many reasons.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, and I think that's what's a really good idea
to have, you know, get those studios up and running,
which is they're meant to be next year. That it
is just great for the film community here.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
There's a lot of anticipation for it. Do you have
any other projects on the go that you're working on
at the moment, anything in the pipeline.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Well, I just finished doing The Artful Dodger for Disney
Plus and Luke was in that, so we actually did
the last two jobs together beautiful Luke Bracy, so that
was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
So yeah, well we look forward to seeing that. But now,
as of the ninth of October, we need to see
you in The Trap tras Brian Brown and Luke Bracey
and Nicholas Hammond and the Beauty of Western Australia on
the big screen. Absolutely, it's a great movie. Thank you
for dropping by, thanks for talking, and we look forward
to seeing you on Disney Plus.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yes, The Artful Dodger
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