Macedon Ranges’ own Felix Cameron has captivated audiences starring as the fearless and curious teenager Eli Bell in hit Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe.
It’s an epic coming-of-age story that brings to life Trent Dalton’s semi-autobiographical and best-selling debut novel of the same title.
“He (Dalton) was very generous, and I guess we’re quite alike, and maybe I got the role because I just can’t stop talking, a bit like him,” Felix said.
Growing up in Brisbane’s working-class suburbs in the 1980s, Eli is determined to make the most out of his life, despite the odds being stacked against him.
His mother (Phoebe Tonkin) is a recovering drug addict, his stepfather (Travis Fimmel) a drug dealer, his mentor Slim (Bryan Brown) is a national record-holder for successful prison escapes, and his older brother, Gus (Lee Tiger Halley) is a clairvoyant with selective mutism.
Eli is at the centre of it all, and finding the perfect fit for the physically and emotionally demanding role was critical.
“We needed to find a kid with energy, both for his on-screen personality and in real life,” series producer Troy Lum said.
“Felix (Cameron) was pretty much the first choice of everybody. It was really his to lose from the get-go, which was incredible considering how many people we saw.”
The on-screen brotherly bond between the Bell brothers was also important. Lum said that process was made easy once they saw how great Felix and Lee Tiger Halley were together.
Other parts of the filming process also came together naturally.
Hours were put aside in order for Cameron to nail a complex emotional moment towards the end of episode one.
“Felix found his mojo, walked on and did the scene in one take. It’s an extraordinary scene,” director Bharat Nalluri said.
“The performance is outstanding. It’s so real. We literally did it in five minutes, wrapped and went home knowing we’d just witnessed something truly special.”
To stay true to the novel, the seven-part series was filmed on location in south east Queensland over five months. It is now one of the biggest local dramas ever made in that state.
Production ran for 95 days in 67 locations across five local government areas.
Felix was aged five when he took his first professional voiceover gig and aged 10 for his screen debut in the 2021 feature Penguin Bloom.
