Jason Isaacs Stars in “Red Dog: True Blue”

Jason Isaacs, best known to Harry Potter fans as the contemptible Lucius Malfoy, stars in the prequel to the popular 2011 film, Red Dog. He plays Michael Carter, the older version of the film’s main character.

Red Dog: True Blue goes back to the beginning, telling the story of an Australian family and their adventures through the classic relationship between a boy and his dog. But this dog is different. This dog will become a legend.

Isaacs recalled the pleasant sense of confidence and surety that came from working with a cast and crew on their second round together, a familiarity which echoed his experience on the Harry Potter set. He observed:

“It was a crew of people who knew each other — a well-oiled machine and a happy family…They were very comfortable shoes to walk in and they were very confident in storytelling. Most of the time when you make films, it’s a group of people who don’t know each other and are tentatively trying to find some rhythm together. There is an undercurrent of fear on pretty much every project I have done for 30 years that no one likes to talk about out loud and it’s ‘has anyone got any idea what we are doing?’…It’s overcome with a kind of false bravado. And with Red Dog it’s different and it reminded me of Harry Potter. Everybody knows that people love the story and the characters…”

Though the comfortable filming environment was most certainly helpful, Isaacs also brought his wealth of versatility to the role. He is one of very few British actors to truly master an Australian accent, due in large part to his natural ability to mimic those around him. He explains:

“I have a terrible psychological weakness, but it’s a professional asset…Basically I have a very tenuous hold on my own personality. So whoever I am talking to I kind of become them.”

His self-deprecation is admirable, but he may be taking too little credit for his successful portrayal in the film. He put in the work, after all, gaining experience during a previous 2002-2003 Australian project (Peter Pan), and the viewing audience gets to benefit from his commitment and return.

Red Dog: True Blue opens in Australian theaters Dec. 26. To read the full article on Isaacs’ involvement in the film, click here.