Think Liam Hemsworth is the cutest Aussie export right now? Think again. 16-year-old Harrison Gilbert might not be dating Miley Cyrus, but he’s been labelled the next Heath Ledger and has had multiple feature film roles at only 16! He may not be a household name just yet, but Harrison’s sweeping his way through the film industry, all the while sporting a cheeky grin. We think we’re onto something hot!
The South Australian teen has starred alongside some of Hollywood’s best including Geena Davis in his most recent film Accidents Happen, and Australia’s Miranda Otto in Blessed. Working with names like this, he’s got Hollywood talking!
Harrison was highly acclaimed for his role in Blessed, a movie that follows 24 hours in the lives of seven teens before retracing the same events from the perspective of their mothers.
In real life his puppy dog eyes and cute grin are a far cry from his thuggish character Daniel in the film. Daniel faces an internal battle in the film between his good side and the angry side of him that wants to lash out at a society that has failed him. We all have a soft spot for a bit of a bad boy!
But Harrison defies many clichés about teenagers in this role as he tried to find the softer spot. He told The Big Issue: “It was about changing it [the role] from the image in my head of kids walking around town acting real tough and stuff, to try and find out why it is they act tough and what gives them that insecurity.”
Harrison has shown his versatility, going from Blessed to new Australian film Beneath Hill 60 where he plays a courageous young soldier, Tiffen.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the actor. After his first role in Australian Rules, he was unsuccessful in around 30 – 40 auditions because some people thought he was ‘too intense’. But nothing can get in the way of determination, as Harrison has proved.
Want more Harrison? He’s just scored a rule that could be his big break, after being cast in What’s Wrong with Virginia? with Oscar winner Jennifer Connolly. Harrison filmed his audition for the role and sent the tape to producers in the US. Resourceful!
“This is really huge,” he told the Sunday Telegraph. “If you really want to make it as an actor you have to go to Hollywood, but what I’m really interested in is making great films.”
If he could convince the US that he has ‘extraordinary’ talent in acting to allow him a VISA that must mean something! And we can see why. All the films he has featured in so far have had rave reviews and rated well with viewers.
Right now Harrison is in LA for his role in What’s Wrong with Virginia?, as well as auditioning for other US productions, but hopefully we’ll see him Down Under again soon!
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