The first thing you’ll notice about 19-year-0ld Lucas Pittaway is his striking resemblance to fellow Aussie Heath Ledger. But aside from his Ledger-esque curly locks and good looks, Pittaway’s got intense acting skills. They can be seen in the new indie film “The Snowtown Murders” (out in the U.S. on March 2), based on the true story of one of Australia’s most notorious serial killers, John Bunting. Bunting, along with several accomplices, murdered 11 people in the ’90s and buried many of them in storage containers. Pittaway plays Jamie Vlassakis, one of Bunting’s unwilling accomplices and the heart of the film. “The Snowtown Murders” isn’t easy to watch — and some of it is graphically horrific — but it’s a haunting portrayal of a killer going unnoticed amid the malaise of suburban life. And we think Lucas Pittaway — who by the way, cries very beautifully in this movie — is destined for great things. After the jump, five things you should know about Pittaway.
1. Lucas was discovered at his local mall. Pittaway grew up in the same town where the Snowtown murders took place. “I go to the mall every couple of days or so – it’s pretty much the closest shopping center to where the incident happened,” he explained to Wonderland magazine. “My brother was approached by a woman who said she was interviewing people in the area about what it’s like to live there. I was then interviewed by her in front of a camera and introduced to the director, who asked me whether I wanted to audition for a film they were making. I wasn’t told the title of the movie beforehand, and wasn’t offered a script or told to read any lines: I just had to stand in front of a camera and talk. They wanted to see to see how natural I could be in front of it, I think.”
2. He’s a middle child. Just like his on-screen character, he comes from a big family. He’s got four older brothers, one younger brother and one younger sister.
3. He gets compared to Ledger all the time. Pittaway says he sees the resemblance, “but only the bottom half. Pretty much just my smile, but it’s a pretty good thing to be compared to him.” Yeah, we’d say so.
4. He also made a fashion film with Vogue photographer Max Doyle. It’s called ARC. “I got to wear Prada creepers, three-quarter length pants, vintage retro 80s jackets and things like that. I learnt how to shoot a bow and arrow as well, which was so much fun.”
5. He flunked out of drama school. Before getting the role in “Snowtown,” Pittaway failed drama school. He was working as a bricklayer and was considering joining the Army. Looks like it’s a good thing he didn’t.
Original by: Julie Gerstein
