When Mark Coles Smith found out what the second season of Mystery Road: Origin was about, he knew it wasn’t going to be an easy shoot.
He recalls, “I remember getting the scripts and just thinking, ‘Oh, gosh, here we go!’ There are some very heavy topics tackled this season. It was a story that going in, I really cared about. I looked at it and knew I’ve not seen this story before or it done this way. I just felt it would be amazing to pull this off.”
Season two, set in the year 2000, follows Mark’s character, Aboriginal detective Jay Swan, and his wife Mary as they start a new life in the timber town of Loch Iris, where Mary’s mum grew up. It isn’t
long before they discover the townspeople have been hiding terrible secrets for decades.
A slow descent into mystery
“The journey of Mystery Road: Origin is taking this man through the valley of the shadow really slowly to lose faith in the system that he thought he could make a difference in,” says Mark, 38.
“That’s been a genuine experience for many indigenous police officers, men and women. Particularly during the late 1990s into the early 2000s.”
From child actor to leading roles
The actor’s starred in plenty of shows, from kids’ series Ocean Star when he was just 14, to Canadian drama Hard Rock Medical and Netflix hit Apple Cider Vinegar. But playing Jay in Mystery Road is something else.
“In my working history, there’s nothing I can compare to the schedule,” he explains.
“They’re massive days and you’re on, on, on.”
Filming in Western Australia
Co-starring Kiwi icon Robyn Malcolm, season two was filmed in Pemberton, Western Australia, which Mark shares was “the most idyllic film shoot of my professional career”, adding, “The three months there were so, so wonderful.”
When not filming on weekends, Mark would explore the local region with other cast members on Saturdays and then spend Sundays on his own.
Sundays of solitude
“Sundays would be just really quiet, resetting, a bit of meditation, going to the gym,” he reveals. “Just a quiet day, not about engaging with anyone else.”
Born in rural Kalgoorlie and raised on a remote cattle station, Mark explains the outback community “is largely responsible for the person I am today, the values I have and connection to country”.
Recognition and awards
He was nominated for a Logie Award, Australia’s answer to an Emmy, in 2023 for his role in Mystery Road and last year, he got another nod for Apple Cider Vinegar.
“I was really surprised and honoured,” he tells, adding he has “a lot of very fun stuff” on the horizon.
Looking ahead
“I generally don’t talk about what’s coming up,” he admits.
“I like it to just land and people say, ‘What? Mark’s in that?!’ But next year’s looking really exciting. I’m interested in doing some acting stuff overseas. I like the idea of going on a bit of an adventure and I’ve got my eye on breaking into some broader markets, so we’ll see!”
Robyn’s on fire
In the second season of Mystery Road: Origin, Kiwi legend Robyn Malcolm plays cynical cop Paula “Simmo” Simmons. We chat to the Pike River After The Party actress about her gritty role.
There’s a scary scene in Mystery Road when your sleeve is on fire. Is that you or is it a stunt person?
It’s me! It was pretty nerve-wracking, I have to say, but the stunt team were wonderful and took great care with me.
What was it like playing a police sergeant?
I really enjoyed it because the character was strong. Simmo was a very rich individual on the page and her journey as an officer was also pretty interesting. She’s not your run-of-the-mill cop.
Your series After The Party was a big success and earned you a Bafta nomination. Will you create more shows?
Definitely. I like interesting, complex, fallible characters. I don’t so much like heroes or villains – I like people capable of both. And I love middle-aged women characters who break new ground and surprise us.
Mystery Road: Origin is streaming on ThreeNow.
