#ianroberts

Martin & Orloff - Official Trailer

After watching Sterlo's 1 on 1, very hard hitting and emotional, interview with former NRL player and now actor Ian Roberts last night, it's motivated me to tell a story about the time I met and worked with Ian on a film set in 2009. 

I was very new to acting and hadn't had much experience in front of the camera. Having received an opportunity to work on this feature film about a zombie plague, I saw on the callsheet was the name 'Ian Roberts' and was immediately excited yet nervous at the same time. I did know he was an actor but mainly knew him as a former NRL and Origin player who had a stint with my favourite team, the North Queensland Cowboys. I figured I needed to work this into a conversation, if I talked to him at all. 

While I was nervous meeting him at first but there was no need to be. He was a very humble, softly spoken and most friendly person you will meet. And he would talk to everybody and make them feel welcome. We hit it off right from the start and made me feel at ease those 2 days. He made a comment about the shirt I was wearing (a woman with tear rolling down her cheek) and the way I explained what I thought the shirt meant, he immediately knew I would turn to directing. We even joked around with members of cast and crew with an electronic zombie head, all filmed by Ian - we had a ball, it was tremendous. All in good fun.

At the end of the shoot, Ian and I exchanged email addresses and told me he'd send the video over. In the e-mail, Ian said some very lovely things about myself and, which, at the time, I really needed to hear. The prior couple of years had not been the greatest but giving acting a try, doing this shoot and hearing Ian's lovely words, motivated me and took me out of whatever slump I was in. Although we didn't keep in contact afterwards, I'll always remember Ian as a very wonderful and humble person, who was always willing to reach out a helping hand whenever possible.

That shirt....