By Natalie Gallenti
FORMER Keilor resident Karl Cottee plans on making it big in the film industry.
Mr Cottee has worked on huge productions like Tom Hanks’ The Pacific, where he played soldier Colonel Pegg, and he also worked behind the scenes on Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster, Inglorious Basterds.
He said his work on the Pacific was gruelling as the cast trained for months in Port Douglas in a proper jungle environment.
“It was pretty full on. It was like boot camp training to be a US marine,” Mr Cottee said.
And he said he was awestruck when he saw Brad Pitt on the set of the satirical war flick.
“I felt like I couldn’t talk to him,” he recalled.
Despite working alongside some of the biggest names in the film industry, the actor is realistic about his future and said it would take a lot of perseverance before he could crack a leading role.
“When you really push yourself, you can get lucky,” Mr Cottee said.
“I’m realistic; acting will give back to you if you try hard.”
To support his acting career, the former St Augustine’s school student works at a marketing company.
He said he believed this would help him enter the business of film making, which he admitted is a tough industry to crack.
