Australian actor Roy Billing is no stage performer when it comes to supporting the Sydney Swans.
Nor is the veteran of the big and small screen a stranger to the camera which is why the Coogee Beach resident felt right at home when sydneyswans.com.au caught up with the Swans’ ambassador for the next instalment of In the Blood.
Billing, most recently known for his role as Bob Trimbole in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, spoke about his endearing love for the Swans and how quickly AFL encapsulated the once avid Rugby Union fan.
“I’m a late convert to AFL as I was born in New Zealand,” Billing said.
“I started to watch AFL on television and not quite get it...then I saw a live game and I thought this is it.
“So, obviously living around Coogee, I became a Sydney fan.”
Billing knows what it takes to entertain an audience, having spent the better part of 40 years in the business.
Billing, who is gearing up for a busy schedule this year on the set of the ABC television series Jack Irish, was full of praise for the Swans who manage to keep the fine folk of Sydney enthralled from the very first bounce week in and week out.
“Basically they’re all performers to, they haven’t got a script but they’re improvising,” Billing said.
“I think all ball sport players are theatrical, they play to a bigger audience than we do in theatre that’s for sure.”
For more with Roy and his passion for the Sydney Swans, watch the SwansTV production above.
Stay tuned for more episodes of In the Blood.