So you had this backstory about Michael, kind of who he was in the context of the world of the office, but because this fast-paced script doesn't have the story, or doesn't have the time for exposition to set that dynamic amongst the lawyers at Taylor & Byrne, did you discuss kind of communicating it through body language and non-verbal cues to build that hierarchy, such as moments where you defer to your s- uh, seniors or kind of respond to those who are more junior?

Com- completely.

I think a lot of it has to be, you know, if it's not in dialogue, it's in the, you know, it's in the action, uh, uh, in, in terms of kind of physical action and body language and sort of glances here and there, and whether you're paying attention or not paying attention and things like that.

So it's not always the things that you're doing, it's sometimes the things that you're not doing within a scene that can convey hierarchy and status and how you might really be feeling about a particular situation.

And I think because this show does that kind of great dance in that, you know, each of the different law firms, the moral compass kind of slides about quite a lot, you're never really on one person's side at any one time.

It keeps changing, and that's sort of the, the joy of it really and the brilliance of George's writing.

Um, but because Michael is a bit more of a stickler for the rules that, you know, that, that, that, um, that compromises him a little bit when, when I think he feels like they're either being too underhand or that they're not doing things in, in an appropriate way.

Do you play around with the different beats, or were the series directors really specific with what they wanted and how it was blocked?

I

think Michael's quite black and white anyway, in terms of he's quite this is right.

This is wrong.

This is how you do things.

This is what the law says.

And that's by the book.

And I'm quite I probably would say I'm quite by the book.

And I think that's such a sort of privilege for an actor to play where there's a lot of things that you've got to be thinking about at once.

Therapy's biggest impact doesn't show up in some dramatic breakthrough.

It shows up in the smallest moments.

You bite your tongue instead of escalating.

You put your phone down instead of firing off that text.

You say what you actually mean instead of what would hurt someone else the most.

Nobody applauds those moments, but they quietly change your life.

When was that point for you, do you think?

For me, it was relatively early, and it was, it was... 'Cause I was doing my PhD at the time, so...

The world together

... and keep, and keep the world together and keep me in check and kind of keep the kids just sort of, like, just so, you know, she makes that so easy.

She is literally phenomenal.

She's also the coolest person in the world.

[laughs] Incredible.

Yeah.

How she, how she manages the world.

When was that point for you, do you think?

Russell?

Uh, straight down the middle.

[sighs] Ooh, that's a nice bit of water.

[laughs]

[laughs] Oh, my God.

Um, well, let me see about...

Where's the, where's the arrow? How big's the arrow?

Mm.

And I just think, you know, nothing unites us as well as countries, but as, you know, as a, as a whole planet, right, as something like the World Cup.

And, and, uh, yes, obviously the SBS World Cup Watchers Rights Association is sort of dedicated to encouraging, uh, bosses, well, around Australia-

Did you, did you learn any, when you were w- were doing Ted Lasso, did you learn anything-- Was that all ac- like, obviously it's ac- but did you learn anything about football that you didn't know?

Um, in terms of Ted Lasso, look, y- yeah, I couldn't help but be, I, I guess, inspired really by it.

Because, you know, so many of the, you know, the people involved in that show, and particularly the creators, they're mad for it.

And, you know, all the guys playing the footballers, they, I mean, they, they were all, I mean, some of which were s- semi-pro players.

I mean, Cristo-