Matthew Johns to make big screen debut
September 29, 2004
Rugby league player turned entertainer Matthew Johns will star in his first feature film in 2005.
Oz Cinema and Templar Films said yesterday that Johns, aka Reg Reagan, had been cast in the screen adaptation of Robert G Barrett's book You Wouldn't Be Dead For Quids.
But the film producers are still searching for an actor to play the title role of Les Norton in the film, which will go into production mid next year.
"We can't just get anyone to play the Norton character," producer Jeff Perser, who was behind SBS show Pizza, said.
"Millions of readers expect to see a larger-than-life, rough, tough character with a heart of gold and a larrikin sense of humour."
Barrett has written 18 books and You Wouldn't Be Dead For Quids is one of a series of novels featuring Norton as the main character.
The book was first published in 1985. In it, Norton works as a bouncer at an illegal casino in Sydney's Kings Cross where he encounters a series of seedy characters - gamblers, conmen, bookies, bouncers, hookers and hitmen.
Johns's character, Billy Dunne, is a bouncer and Norton's best mate at the Kelly Club.
The former five-eighth spent nine years playing rugby league for Newcastle, appearing in 176 first grade games.
He played four games for NSW and nine Tests for Australia.
On his retirement he joined forces with the Nine network and his character Reg Reagan came into his own.
He recently found an outlet for the character's singing talents with the successful single Am I Ever Going to See the Biff Again.
You Wouldn't Be Dead For Quids will be directed by Alan White, who is best known for Erskineville Kings starring Hugh Jackman and Joel Edgerton.
He also directed Risk, which starred Bryan Brown and Claudia Karvan.
Co-producer Reg Turner said the film would be targeted towards men and women aged between 18 and 50.
"The Barrett books have a huge Australian and overseas readership, split almost equally among males and females," he said.
