He’s the homegrown actor whose résumé includes stints on some of Australia’s most successful TV shows and movies.
From the iconic Picnic At Hanging Rock and the title role in The Great Macarthy opposite Barry Humphries to presenting on Better Homes And Gardens and a five-year stint on McLeod’s Daughters, John Jarratt, 70, has become a fixture on both big and small screens.
But aside from success in Australia, the veteran actor – whose career spans a whopping 50 years – also now enjoys international fame, thanks to the unlikely success of homegrown horror flick Wolf Creek, in which he stars as murderous psychopath Mick Taylor.
John Jarratt is back for Wolf Creek 3.
(Image: Getty)It’s a character that is the polar opposite of his plethora of good guy roles.
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“I’m better known for playing goodhearted, Aussie nice guys,” he tells Woman’s Day.
“But because of Wolf Creek being so successful, if I’m known for anything overseas, it’s as Mick Taylor. So yeah, I’ve gone from being the good guy into an absolute bad guy now!”
‘I LOVE MY FANS’
John admits that his path to stardom hasn’t been calculated or contrived and his decision-making is based on one factor only: a good script.
“People ask me what role I’d like to play next,” he says. “Well, for me, it’s all about the script – I don’t care about anything else. If I read a script and think that the character is great, then I’ll do it.
“I never set out to play Hamlet – Mel [Gibson] did!” he chuckles.
“So, if I read a good script, and I’m playing a screaming [drag] queen, then I’ll do it. In fact, I’d really love to play a worn-out, tired drag artist – I really look forward to taking on that part!”
His twin screen lives – lovable larrikin and terrifying killer – mean that John’s fan base is as diverse as they come. And these two worlds will collide during his appearances at the upcoming Supanova Comic Con across Australia.
“I get people who remember me from Picnic At Hanging Rock,” he says. “But then I get fans who only know me from Wolf Creek – either way, I love the fans. They’re true film nerds who know more about me and my career than I do!”
WATCH: John Jarratt Talks Wolf Creek. Article continues after video.
FAMILY MAN
While his most famous alter ego is the stuff of nightmares, in his real life John is very much the family man.
His first marriage was to Rosa Miano, then to actress Noni Hazlehurst (the pair were together for a decade in the ’90s – “like most marriages, it ran out of time and we moved on”, he said of the split), and then his third, with Cody Jarratt, a producer on Better Homes And Gardens.
The couple eventually split in 2011 and then, in a surprise twist, John remarried his first wife Rosa 27 years after they first separated. A father to six and now grandfather many times over, the actor says that the deep love he feels for his grandchildren has surprised him.
“It’s weird,” he says. “I knew I’d love my grandkids, but I didn’t think I could love them as much as my actual firstborn. But I love them all equally – there’s not a cigarette paper between them. I absolutely love them, and I would jump in front of a bus for any of them in an instant.”
John and his then-wife, Cody Jarratt.
(Image: Getty)Clearly the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree, with his eldest granddaughter showing an aptitude for performing.
“Jasmine turns 17 this year and I think she’s got the chops to go into acting and I think it’s one of the things she’s looking at,” he says.
“I have high hopes for her if she wants to take that path. But I don’t care what they want to do. They can have a penchant for embalming if they want! If they want to do that, great. A builder? Great! I’ll help them out there – but if they want to do computers, well, leave me out! I’m not a techy person.”
Indeed, despite hitting the 7-0 milestone last year, grappling with new technology is perhaps one of the only noticeable hallmarks of the star’s advancing years.
“The number may be 70, but I’m as fit as buggery!” he chuckles. “I work out, do yoga, eat really well, and walk an hour a day… I’m fit as! I’ve always enjoyed staying fit and healthy. I’m a country boy and in-between acting jobs during the ’70s and ’80s I worked as a builder – I even built my first home.”
Jarratt is still as fit as a fiddle.
(Image: Getty)RETURNING TO WOLF CREEK
John is gearing up to take his fitness regimen up a notch as he prepares to step back into the blood-splattered boots of Mick Taylor.
With fans chomping at the bit for the return of their favourite anti-hero, the actor reveals that a third instalment of the Aussie box-office hit is on the horizon.
“COVID slowed it down,” he says of Wolf Creek 3. “Plus, other projects have taken me away. I’m about to direct another film now, too, so I need to get that out of the way before I can contemplate Wolf Creek 3.”
“Saying that, the script is written and we’re working on getting it happening later this year.”
While he’s confident he can carry off the physical demands of his murderous sociopath character now, when quizzed about the likelihood of a continuing franchise, the actor admits that old age may finally catch up with him.
“I think it will be the final movie,” he reveals. “Otherwise I might be playing him with a walking frame in tow! We’ve talked switching his truck for one of those mobility scooters,” he laughs.
