WA film A Few Less Men was made at such an accelerated pace, actor Xavier Samuel didn’t have time to dwell on one of the most awkward shots in the film.
With a Weekend at Bernie’s vibe, the sequel to 2011’s A Few Best Men sees newlywed David (Samuel) and his rambunctious best mates Tom (Kris Marshall) and Graham (Kevin Bishop) transport the dead body of their friend Luke (James Helm) from Australia back to England.
They find themselves in various outrageous scenarios along the way, including Luke’s naked backside pressed against David’s face during the chaos of a plane crash.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWCommunity Newspaper Group could not help but ask leading man Samuel how it felt to have his co-star’s bare bum pressed against his cheek.
“You are asking the deep and meaningful questions,” he said.
“It is such a hilarious moment but also grim; your dead best friend’s arse is in your face.
“We were moving at a cracking pace; we filmed (the movie) in 30 days, maybe a bit more, so there is no time to be precious about things.”
Speaking from Los Angeles, where he was indulging in some work and leisure, Samuel said he enjoyed shooting a film at either a rapid or relaxed pace.
“The more time (you have), the better the chance to come up with something different, but with this flow there was no time to second-guess,” he said.
“There are pros and cons to both.”
With an already eclectic body of work behind him, including cult horror The Loved Ones (2009) and Hollywood World War II drama Fury (2014), Samuel said he was keen to return to his “Best Men” character and pick up the story again.
“The films are different; the first was directed by Stephan Elliott and this has a different tone,” he said.
“It was the same writer but I never knew quite what I was getting into.”
A Few Less Men is in cinemas March 9.