An Australian actor's commitment to his craft during an audition for a new crime drama was so alarmingly authentic that it prompted concerned neighbours to call the police, leading to a dramatic intervention by a tactical response unit.
The Audition That Sparked a Police Response
Sydney-based actor David Howell was trying out for the role of Glenn Abbott, brother of the infamous 'Postcard Bandit' Brenden Abbott, in the upcoming Binge series Run. Determined to impress, Howell threw himself into a scene depicting a violent bank hold-up with such ferocity that his performance echoed through the streets of Surry Hills.
His co-star George Mason, who plays Brenden Abbott, recounted hearing Howell's performance from two blocks away. "I’m in the street two blocks down and I can hear him screaming his head off: 'Get on the effing floor!'" Mason told News Corp. "And straight away I went: 'The cops are going to come.'"
Tactical Unit Arrives on Scene
Mason's prediction was swiftly proven correct. The realistic shouts and commotion led neighbours to believe an actual robbery was in progress, resulting in an emergency call. Soon after, police sirens approached, and a tactical response unit arrived to secure the area.
The situation was compounded by the fact that Mason himself was in full costume. "I'm dressed up looking like [a robber]. I think I was wearing a white singlet and I had a pretend gun as well," he said. As officers rushed in, Mason attempted to explain the situation, brandishing a script. One officer retorted, "Well, you should have a permit," to which Mason replied, "Don’t shoot the messenger, bro."
Director Ben Young described the moment the police found the cast. "Sure enough, the cops find us and we're just sitting there with a screenplay in front of us and they were just like: 'You're f***ing joking.'"
Real-Life Drama Behind the Scenes
In a promotional video for Binge, David Howell described the scale of the police response. "There was cop cars lining the street and a SWAT team and the chief officer's downstairs and the whole f***ing building's evacuated," he said.
For a brief moment, Howell feared his overzealous performance might have serious consequences. "I walked out of the room thinking I was going to go to prison for the night," he admitted with a laugh.
The series he was auditioning for, Run, is based on the true story of notorious criminal Brenden Abbott, who robbed over 40 Australian banks in the 1980s and 1990s. Abbott became famous for his multiple prison escapes, including a breakout from Fremantle Prison in 1989 and another from a Queensland prison in 1997. He remains Australia's longest-serving prisoner not convicted of murder.
The first season of Run, starring George Mason and featuring David Howell, is available to stream now on Binge.
