When talking to the Australian actor Josh Lawson, you would never guess that he has made a habit recently of playing comedically ego-centric characters.
Whether it be as the acerbic, arrogant criminal Kano in the 2021 adaptation of the iconic video game franchise 'Mortal Kombat,' or as the loud, oblivious, but ultimately well-meaning trauma surgeon Dr. Bruce Schweitz in the NBC mockumentary 'St. Denis Medical,' Lawson nails the attitude of someone who thinks very highly of themselves despite other people's opinions of them being different. However, in the case of the latter character, he would tell you that his ego-centricity is an advantage in his line of work.
"He has a robust ego... which comes in handy when you're a surgeon. You can't second guess yourself. You've got to make split-second decisions and be confident in those. And one think that Bruce isn't lacking is confidence."
@nbc Bruce is a triple threat... doctor, ambassador, and model. Watch #StDenisMedical Tuesdays 8/7c on NBC and streaming on @peacock #healthcarehumor #nursehumor #nursesoftiktok
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When he sat down for an interview over Zoom with The Latin Times, the charisma and confidence that has helped achieve Lawson's success as an actor is plain to see. However, there is no sense of the signature arrogance that some his characters have.
Lawson was engaged, humble and seemed to genuinely appreciate the praise for his character. The Brisbane native recalled how he had always been fascinated by the accent he heard in American sitcoms aired in his native Australia.
"I got to be honest, ever since I was a little kid...I would just stare at the screen and just look at sitcoms like 'Golden Girls' and 'Cheers' and 'Family Ties' and I would emulate the American accent just growing up... I was just an 'Americaphile' since I was a kid. I just sort of loved the syntax and the cadence of the American accent..."
He also touched on reprising his role as Kano in this year's 'Mortal Kombat 2.' Lawson's performance as the Australian scoundrel was widely lauded as the highlight of the film and it would have been a missed opportunity not to ask him about it.
"He's seen better days at the end of 'Mortal Kombat'...let's just say [he's] Kano 2.0. There is certainly a psychological evolution for Kano but that remains in keeping with the narrative of the games. We never leave the truth of that, the world of the games."
'St. Denis Medical' returns on January 14 and airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC with the episodes available the next day on Peacock.
You can watch the full interview with Josh Lawson here.
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