Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Roy Barker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Roy , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
My show Don’t Get Carried Away which I am performing June 10-14 at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne, Australia’s CBD. The most meaningful thing to me about DCGA is the overall theme of “never give up”. No matter how old you are it’s never too late to pursue a dream. We are fortunate to live in a great country. We have an abundance of opportunities if we choose to see them.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
From the moment I sat in a theatre the music began the curtains opened I just wanted to be “up there” I want to exist in that world. I kept that a secret most of my life fearing ridicule, humiliation and failure. When I turned 50 I made the decision to tell my family “I want to study acting. I want to be an actor”.
My screen credits in homeland Australia include the Logie-winning and AACTA nominated series ‘Fisk’ with Kitty Flannigan and Aaron Chen in which I play Chuck. I can also be seen in the ABC TV mini-series ‘Seven Types of Ambiguity’ as Justice Gabriel, and in the Amazon feature film ‘The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee’ starring Paul Hogan, Olivia Newton-John and Chevy Chase, as well as a bunch of others.
And throughout my stage acting career I have toured, performing Shakespeare for the Australian Opera Company China Tour in Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing & the Pop-Up Globe Melbourne season also with performances throughout Australia at Comedy and Fringe Festivals. I played Eric Miller in Sydney’s Red Line Theatre production of David Ireland’s Cyprus Avenue. In 2014 I toured with Comedian Nath Valvo, performing at Adelaide Fringe, Perth Fringe, Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane Comedy Festivals.
I was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the AltFF Alternate Film Festival in 2020 for my role as Harold Huckabee in the short film ‘Blind Corners’ . I also played Joseph in ‘Daisy’ which won Best Ensemble Cast in 2024 at the Independent Shorts Awards, and I can be heard as the narrator in the Award winning animation short film ‘The Pansy of Pickadee’!
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
My experience has taught me that anyone pursuing a goal or career are generally encouraged to do so. However, in general, as a culture we tend to undervalue art, artists and artistic pursuits and we don’t want to pay for it. We appreciate creative talent but don’t value it like we do value sport.
To learn a craft requires one to dedicate time to that learning. I am grateful and proud I was able to adjust my life to prioritise everything to allow myself time to pursue acting as a career. Don’t Get Carried Away allows me to share these stories of my adventures. I do hope audiences will see themselves and relate.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I want to inspire my children. I want them to know it’s ok to make mistakes and to get distracted on our way.
If I inspire others that’s great too.
Share the love & be kind because we are all connected. If you hurt I hurt.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thebutterflyclub.com/show/don-t-get-carried-away-roy-barker
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontgetcarriedawayshow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573616521334
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y1035XTgnc
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4317896/