It’s something most of us can only dream about. A car rolls up early in the morning to take you to the set of a major $200million blockbuster. You are shown to your own trailer. You see headshots of Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby and Helen Mirren on the wardrobe department door. You are called to set for your scene with the man many want to be the next James Bond. And then, in the middle of one take, Elba shoves you in the chest. He is 6’2 and packed with muscle. It wasn’t rehearsed. It’s not in the script. What do you do? Axel Nu tells us about his incredible day and the journey a small-town boy from Perth took to bring him here today.
Axel moved to London from Australia in 2012 to follow his dream. He tells Express Online of his incredible moment up to sharing the screen with Elba, and what happened after their explosive encounter.
“I’m half French and Vietnamese but raised in Australia. Always wanted to get into acting but wasn’t confident enough in high school. I discovered dance whilst working at the family business and landed jobs on
So You Think You Can Dance, Australia’s Got Talent, and The X-Factor.
“Once I got to London I started to pursue modelling and commercials and I’m most proud of working on international promos for PlayStation 4 VR, Honda and an extraordinary major shoot for Guinness, where we were suspended on wires and I put all my dance and stunt training into practice.
“But acting was still always the goal… I auditioned for a variety of roles in TV and film. In 2015 I found myself on set in Star Wars Rogue One as Mechanic Pilot running from a firefight and explosions. I had to pinch myself.“
“Small roles followed in Hooten and the Lady on Sky One, then Trauma on ITV and Stan Lee’s Lucky Man Season 3 on Sky One.
“I auditioned for Hobbs and Shaw in August 2018. A month later I was on my way back to London from Barcelona. I had just finished shooting a big commercial for Samsung. I was getting ready to board the plane when I received the call from my agent. I couldn’t believe it. I was not expecting it at all. The following flight back to London was the most emotional trip I’ve ever experienced. I was still shocked.
“A month later I had my fitting at one of the large film studios. My mind was blown.
” A few days later the day of shooting arrives. I couldn’t sleep the night before even though I had taken a shower, eaten and had everything ready by 8pm. Not even meditation helped. I was too excited.
“The pick-up time was 5am and I walked outside to see a brand new Audi waiting for me. I was driven straight to the studio and directed to my trailer. Yes, I actually had one. Scripts and contracts were handed to me to go over. Lots of paperwork! Then breakfast. Turns out one of the Production was actually another Aussie from Perth who I worked with on Rogue One! Small world. Breakfast then to hair and Makeup. Then in costume and then off to location.
“The set was beautiful. We were shooting at McLaren RnD technology centre. Got taken to a green room for holding. I wanted to see the whole process of such a production so I kept myself around on set watching everything and taking it all in. Interesting watching all the different departments busy at work coming together to make such a big project work.
“Got called to set to prepare to shoot. Waited a little bit so our assigned stand-ins could finish helping set up the shot. Once they were done, we were called up. The Assistant Director explained the camera movements and plan of the scene. Then shortly after they announced Idris is travelling to set.
“He walks in. Surreal to see actors you’ve watched growing up. What a moment, though. He greeted us and then we start to prepare the scene.
“Director David Leitch approached to explain the vision and how they will go about shooting everything. We start shooting. After several takes, the director talks to Idris privately. Discussing different options presumably. We go for another take and as I approach Idris he completely surprises me by pushing me in the chest. I was taken back by this of, course, but we are still shooting so I kept in character. Once the director yelled cut, he and Idris both came up to me afterwards asking if I was ok. I just said, ‘Yeah, of course, Idris can push me as much as he wants!’ They both had a chuckle. Idris patted me on the shoulder and said, ‘Good man.’ We continued a few more times and then the scene was done.”
“I stuck around to watch Idris film some pickup shots for different camera angles and whilst this was happening I looked towards the entrance and the doors slid open and in walks Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Talk about being speechless. I couldn’t believe I was seeing two big actors I’ve grown up watching. Jason was the only one missing.
“Idris’s scene wrapped and we all broke for lunch. I was waiting with a group by the elevator to head back downstairs and when the elevator came up, The Rock and his group come out right in front of us. He said hi to all of us. Then proceeded towards Idris and crew. Busy men obviously.
“While I had some spare time to relax outside of the trailer in the sun, the weather was amazing that day, I turned around and Idris was on the phone a few trailers down. He looked at me and gave me the thumbs up. Made my day.
“Then I went back to set to watch Idris film more scenes and enjoyed the remaining time of my shoot day. I saw The Rock a few more times and then one of the crew looking after me came up and said, ‘Axel, thank you very much. You’re done for today.'”
“I said goodbye to everyone and got changed and into the Audi and back home. A day I will never forget.
“One year later I sat in the London press screening for Hobbs & Shaw. The time for my scene came and went. Had they cut it? My heart sank. But then, there it was in a flashback scene. I can’t describe what it feels like but there, on a giant screen were all my dreams come true – and the start of a new one.”
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