Rats! But that’s life - Colin

They might be known as “water rats” in the Channel 9 series, but here’s nothing rat-like about Catherine McClements, nor her co-star, Colin Friels, although he has played some rats in his career.

“Like Halifax, I was a really bad bugger in that,” Friels said.

The chemistry between McClements and Friels is well-known on the set of Water Rats.

“They rarely have to chat about scenes, they’re both highly professional and they know how each other operates,” according to insiders.

The rapport between them is evident in the opening episode of the new series, when Goldie (McClements) returns to work, still trying to come to grips with the trauma of shooting her lover. Frank (Friels) is concerned for her, and very protective, to the point where he is responsible for saving her life.

Friels took time out from a frenetic filming schedule on the second series of Water Rats to talk about the return of the show to Channel.

It was a dull, cloudy day in Sydney and the cast was busy preparing for the afternoon’s shooting. Friels was standing under the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

“This is good,” he said.” You can get pretty sunburned on this show.”

Water Rats marked Friels’ first foray into long-term television, and he’s high in his praise of the team.

“The pace of television really keeps you on your toes,” he said. “The crew is fantastic, they worked so efficiently and it’s totally devoid of any egos. We’re all pretty relaxed with each other. Mind you, there’s such an enormous workload – TV wrings you out and spits you about. There’s no point in making a fuss. It’s more like working in a theatre, and I like that. Films aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.”

“In Australia there’s just not that many, anyway. Mind you, Mr. Reliable was a lot of fun and a lovely film. I did that one almost a year ago. But getting a gig in Australia is almost impossible, and it’s just the way life goes (as an actor)… you’ve simply got to earn a living. I don’t want to go anywhere else, so you’ve got to work where you can. I love this, it’s like working in my own backyard.”

Water Rats is filmed in and around Sydney Harbor, with the base on Goat Island in the middle of the harbor. Friels lives not far away.

His entry into regular television via Water Rats was no easy decision, and he still misses the theatre, “the great stories and the great words”, but at the same time, television offers a unique challenge.

“Basically, you’re going into people’s homes and you have to try and give the audience a look at you – as a rough around the edges Sydney cop – and you do that through your own eyes. It’s your perception and you have to fill in the gaps.”

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