Erik Thomson: Aussie TV's favourite dad...

From appearing alongside Lucy Lawless and baby ‘Stanley’ in the 90s ASB Bank ads, to headlining hit Aussie drama Packed to the Rafters, actor Erik Thomson has built a solid career and a loyal fan base on both sides of the Tasman. Along the way he has appeared in TV shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, The Alice and 800 Words, short films (Snap) and movies (We’re Here to Help, The Black Balloon).

In this ScreenTalk, Thomson talks about:

• Spilling wine over himself on his very first TV shoot on Marlin Bay
• Playing an American soldier in Bread and Roses
• Bringing a ‘Woody Allen’ touch to playing Hades in both Hercules and Xena
• How presenting Australian travel show Getaway was not as glamorous as it sounds
• Why Packed to the Rafters has been a huge hit due to its ‘everyman’ approach to characters
• How a TV critic had to eat his words after claiming the show would not work
• Never dreaming he would have the career path he's had

This video was first uploaded on 17 August 2010, and is available under this Creative Commons licence. This licence is limited to use of ScreenTalk interview footage only and does not apply to any video content and photographs from films, television, music videos, web series and commercials used in the interview.

Interview, Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside