Brett Neale
Army, Actor
Brett grew up 10 kilometres outside Dapto in New South Wales. He remembers spending a large portion of his time alone with his dog.
“I’m thankful for my oldest brother, Jeff, who recognised that I needed guidance, and he introduced me to things like fishing and cricket. Without that, my childhood would have been pretty sad.”
Like most of the men in the area, Brett began working in the nearby coal mine and remained there for eight years. Also working there were his father, his brothers, uncles and cousins.
“I didn’t mind it for the first two years with the money coming in, but I just used to think there was something better,” he recalls.
By the time Brett was 25, he was married with two small children to support. Going to a military recruiting drive one day, he heard a fantastic speaker. They offered Brett income, accommodation, a career path, medical support and a community to support his family.
“When I look back over the years, I still think it was a good decision to enlist,” says Brett.
Brett joined the Australian army and worked his way to becoming a Warrant Officer. He actively looked at being deployed and one of his longest terms was seven months with the United Nations Transitional Authority Cambodia (UNTAC).
“We were there to clean up the remnants of the rebel Khmer Rouge forces who had just melted into the population where they tried to work against the government.”
Brett also served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and East Timor. However, he began to suffer mental health issues and developed Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was then that he saw an article in the Army News about an arts program being run in Canberra.
“In that course, we shared and laughed and built together. It was the first time I had laughed for a very long time. And those friendships from the course have endured.”
When Brett returned to Wollongong from the arts course, he eagerly joined the local community theatre.
“I auditioned for the part of a US soldier in Iraq who underwent mental health issues. But it was OK because I was now part of a theatre family and I felt at home and supported.”
Since then, his love of acting and theatre has never left him. Brett is given another persona or character, and is able to channel his own ideas and personality into that character.
“In that play about Iraq, I channelled a lot of things that I didn’t even know were part of me. I didn’t know I could build a character using my own background and history and experiences. It was everything, and theatre still gives me that. In fact, when I begin getting stressed, my wife tells me it’s time to do another play,” he says, laughing.
“It talked about how all the different arts streams could help build resilience and communication for all service people. I couldn’t communicate at that stage, so I enrolled in the acting stream and I’m just glad I did. It probably saved me. It pulled me back from a very, very bad place. I needed help with my struggle to communicate. This skill is everything for a Warrant Officer.
After his discharge, Brett and his family moved to Cairns. Once again, he found his niche in a local community theatre called the Rhondo Theatre.
“We have built a theatre family and it’s a safe place. No one is judgmental. You can make a complete fool of yourself and that’s OK.
“Even to this day I apply for anything that enables me to combat the Black Dog. I found I can channel all my built-up anger, anxiety and frustrations and allow these emotions to breathe realism into my characters. A director adds to this by providing a safe space.
“I can see a real difference from where I was when I first went to the arts course in Canberra. I have worked in a movie, Hacksaw Ridge, which was directed by Mel Gibson and it was brilliant to see what happens on a big movie set. I have listened to great directors and mentors who have helped me have confidence in my work. I now build characters and really investigate them,” he reflects on his creative development.
“I currently work with a director who has a different focus and we work as a team. Sometimes that means a compromise but it’s all about bringing out every bit of the character that’s possible. Acting has taught me to laugh again as well as to handle my demons.”
@chieflinkin
@chieflinkin
