Having spent years as an editor in the TV industry before working his way up to being a movie director, Rich found it “refreshing” to step in front of the camera for Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn II.
“I feel like I’ve got a strong case of ADHD and I just let it rip,” he tells TV WEEK. “I’m just being myself. I didn’t try to force anything.”
Rich directed Antonio Banderas and Kate Bosworth in the 2022 action thriller The Enforcer. Shot in Greece, it was Rich’s first big movie, and he and Antonio spent three months working closely together.
“He took me under his wing,” Rich says. “He’s such a lovely soul. He’s always salsa dancing in between takes.”
A longtime fan of Survivor, Rich became hooked when he watched the first American season back when he was in Year Nine. But after a few days in the Brains tribe, he realised he was up against some “pure Survivor junkies”, like Myles and AJ.
“Around the fire, Myles is like, ‘In season seven, episode two…’ and I was just like, ‘Bro, you watch anything else?’ He’s like, ‘Nuh.’”
Rich went onto the show wanting to do “something big”. He admits his approach to the game might have caused some of the other players to plot against him.
“It puts a target on your back when you’re a bit of fun and you’re boisterous.”
He says witch and budding actress Laura was his “best female friend” on the island.
“She did read my palm at one stage and she said, ‘The future is bright.’”
With Brains V Brawn II – hosted by Jonathan LaPaglia – having been filmed in Samoa last year, Rich is now back in Australia. He’s regained the 10kg he lost on the island (“I put it straight back on”), is planning his wedding to model Rhiannon (“we’re looking at locations as we speak”), and is writing a script for a movie called King Brown (“it’s about an Australian SWAT team”).
Rich says there might be a part for Laura in one of his movies.
“If I have something for Laura I’d definitely chat with her. I think she’s extremely talented.”
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