‘Is it sexier to swerve?': actor Toby Schmitz pivots to his fallback plan
This story is part of the April 26 edition of Good Weekend. See all 11 stories.
Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we're told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they're given. This week, he talks to Toby Schmitz. The writer, director and actor, 47, is known for his award-winning stage productions and roles in TV shows such as Black Sails, Boy Swallows Universe and The Twelve. His debut novel is The Empress Murders.
BODIES
Toby, how's your body going? How's your health? Good! I went for a run and did my press-ups at 6am this morning. But now I just feel like I'm ready for a nap.
Welcome to the mid-40s, right? That's right, but I've gotten back into the swing recently. I'm going to be in a play soon which will be very demanding, and I thought, 'You know what? I need to get as fit as I can.'
Do you enjoy working out? Not for a single moment. It's all hideous; I find it so boring. But podcasts have changed everything. Now I can listen to some tweedy boffin talk about trench warfare in World War I and 45 minutes can pass.
You were never that sporty person at school? No, I was doing so much extracurricular debating, drama and the school newspaper. If I'd been good at it, maybe I would've got into sports more, but I was tall, pigeon-chested and pimply, and never derived pleasure from competition. And I always loathed the idea of there being one winner and one loser.
Yet you're often cast as the handsome, dashing man on stage. Is this vision of an acne-ridden, pigeon-chested Toby real? Absolutely real. I couldn't smile without bleeding and the acne was well down my back. But by the time I got to NIDA, it had cleared up. And notoriously, at NIDA they make you deal with the fact that you have a body. On the very first day, they're like, 'Get down to tights and a singlet.' I'd forgotten to bring mine, so I was down to my silky Davenport boxers. From that point on, I owned it, and started to love my body more.
What else are you noticing nowadays? When my daughter says, 'Whoa, your grey hairs!' or 'Daddy, you look old this morning!', you're like, 'F--- me!' But I'm most aware of it when I've said things like, 'Where's my audition for such-and-such?' And they're like, 'Do you mean the guy in his early 30s? Yeah, look, there's another role we think might be more appropriate for you …' I may have passed Hamlet and Romeo, but it's not Lear yet, is it?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Coming up: Friends During Wartime - ABC Religion & Ethics
With the rise of race-based attacks over the war in Gaza, Australia's Jewish and Muslim communities are traumatised and afraid. Benjamin Law discovers how some friendships have fractured, while others are strengthened. Coming up 6:30pm Sunday 15th June on ABC TV and anytime on ABC iview. Posted 23m ago 23 minutes ago Wed 11 Jun 2025 at 1:06am
The Age
6 days ago
- The Age
Pops of colour – and texture: Winter fashion inspo from the rich and famous
This story is part of the June 7 edition of Good Weekend. See all 14 stories. Fresh coat In the Bible and an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Joseph receives a coat of many colours, but you need only one, in a heavenly hue, to make your mark. Manifest blue skies, for example, in this one, which will also instantly elevate your black basics or safe neutrals beneath. Glossy leather, as seen here on Selena Gomez, packs a punch, but a woollen trench really ups the cosy factor. Camilla and Marc 'Gehry' trench coat, $110. Precious metal Buckled boots, as showcased by Taiwanese actor Tiffany Hsu at Paris Fashion Week, are an opportunity to add some shine below the knee. This Easy Rider approach to footwear – think metal detailing and rugged rubber soles – adds grit to soft, knitted dresses and winter maxi skirts. Ideal for jumping puddles. Charles and Keith 'Kirke' biker boots, $163. Save your neck Turtlenecks are the T-shirts of winter: layer them beneath dresses, coats and jackets – everything, in fact – as Jessica Alba did at Milan Fashion Week. The high neck saves you the trouble of struggling with a scarf in the mornings while the long sleeves keep you toasty in overly air-conditioned offices. Uniqlo merino turtleneck sweater, $49.90.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Pops of colour – and texture: Winter fashion inspo from the rich and famous
This story is part of the June 7 edition of Good Weekend. See all 14 stories. Fresh coat In the Bible and an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Joseph receives a coat of many colours, but you need only one, in a heavenly hue, to make your mark. Manifest blue skies, for example, in this one, which will also instantly elevate your black basics or safe neutrals beneath. Glossy leather, as seen here on Selena Gomez, packs a punch, but a woollen trench really ups the cosy factor. Camilla and Marc 'Gehry' trench coat, $110. Precious metal Buckled boots, as showcased by Taiwanese actor Tiffany Hsu at Paris Fashion Week, are an opportunity to add some shine below the knee. This Easy Rider approach to footwear – think metal detailing and rugged rubber soles – adds grit to soft, knitted dresses and winter maxi skirts. Ideal for jumping puddles. Charles and Keith 'Kirke' biker boots, $163. Save your neck Turtlenecks are the T-shirts of winter: layer them beneath dresses, coats and jackets – everything, in fact – as Jessica Alba did at Milan Fashion Week. The high neck saves you the trouble of struggling with a scarf in the mornings while the long sleeves keep you toasty in overly air-conditioned offices. Uniqlo merino turtleneck sweater, $49.90.
