Fans are clamoring to know more about Boy Swallows Universe breakout star Lee Tiger Halley.
The hit Netflix series - based on Trent Dalton's 2018 novel - is topping streaming charts worldwide following its January 11 debut on the service.
Halley stars as Gus Bell, the mute brother of Eli Bell (played by Felix Cameron), a Brisbane, Australia youth who enters the city's criminal underworld to save their mother.
4 Fun Facts About Boy Swallow Universe's Lee Tiger Halley
Lee Tiger Halley Starred as Gonzo, But Not The One You Think
Before popping up in Boy Swallows Universe, Lee Tiger Halley was best known for his role as Gonzo (no, not the Muppet) in Crazy Fun Park.
The haunted Australian drama tells the story of a group of teenage friends who discover a local theme park where several deaths have occurred has a lot more going on than some may have thought.
Crazy Fun Park and Halley made waves in 2023, debuting on the Australian TV network ABC ME (streaming now on Hulu).
After a successful first season, Helley looks like he will return for the inevitable Season 2 (something that has not yet been officially announced).
Fans may also recognize Halley from Season 2 of The Heights TV series where he played Big Mike, a troubled youth whom the residents of Arcadia are trying to keep out of prison.
Lee Found Voiceless Boy Swallows Universe Role Surprisingly Easy
In Boy Swallows Universe, Lee Tiger Halley takes on the role of a completely mute character.
Halley's Gus Bell has not spoken a word since his seventh birthday, so the actor was left (for lack of a better term) speechless for much of the series.
While this could have proven challenging to some, the Boy Swallows Universe said the process was pretty easy.
In a conversation with The AU Review, Halley revealed, "It was difficult in the preparation stage,' but during filming, it "wasn’t too hard:"
"It was difficult in the preparation stage. I didn’t want to go too over the top, so I tried my best to just react and respond. In terms of being hard, I can’t say I complained. I mean, watching Felix perform these 4-page monologues and cry, and I’m sitting back just with a smile on my face, it wasn’t too hard."
Halley added he "hadn’t read the book" before heading into the series, so much of what his character goes through surprised him. However, he "started reading during the long audition phase" but ultimately stopped to start filming:
"I hadn’t read the book. My mum had, she’s read every book ever (laughs), but I started reading during the long audition phase. I got about halfway through before I started (filming). Then I had all the scripts, and I tried to go back to reading it, but it brought up too many tears, to be honest."
Lee’s Netflix Co-Star Played a Huge Prank on His Last Day
According to Lee, he and the rest of the Boy Swallows Universe cast were all quite close by the time the series was done filming. This was so much the case that the cast started pranking each other fervently toward the end of production.
Lee was the victim of one of these pranks on his last day of filming, where his costar Travis Fimmel "sprayed him all around the pants" with a water pistol making it look like he had wet his pants (via Punkee):
"He just sprayed me all around the pants. I just looked at the costume department like, ’Oh no!’, and then he left. He was a prankster for sure but it was hilarious."
Despite these antics, Lee has nothing but good things to say about his cast mates. The Gus Bell actor described co-star Pheobe Tonkin as the "warmest, most kindest soul:"
“Pheobe [Tonkin is] just like, the warmest, most kindest soul. You don’t know how it’s gonna be when you meet someone, especially someone that popular. She was just the nicest.”
He also showered praise upon Simon Baker (who plays Robert Bell in the series), calling him a "mind-blowing" actor:
“And Simon was like an incredible actor as well, just mind-blowing. I remember [watching Simon]… I learned a lot from that.”
Lee Will Next Appear in an Australian Short Film
Coming off Boy Swallows Universe, Lee Tiger Halley will next appear in an Australian short film titled Sound Boy.
In the film, the Fremantle, Western Australia native plays a 24-year-old "aspiring drum and bass artist [who] goes on a journey of self-discovery" (via the film's official synopsis):
"A 24 year old aspiring drum and bass artist goes on a journey of self discovery with the help of his optimistic younger brother."
The movie is listed as "In Development" on its producer Little Tech Films' website, with no public release information available.
How To Follow Lee Tiger Halley Online
For those looking to keep up with Lee Tiger Halley online, the actor can be followed on his Instagram page (@leetigerhalley).
Boy Swallows Universe is streaming now on Netflix.
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