Guilty or not guilty? That is the question. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to decide the fate of the accused in the pacy Australian courtroom drama The Twelve — that burden falls on the dozen jury members.
The heightened murder mystery is back for a second season, and with it, a juicy new case and a narrative that follows not only the defendants but also the complex lives of the jury.
This time, a wealthy cattle farmer is found dead at the bottom of a well — and it was no accident.
Sam Neill returns as barrister Brett Colby, who, along with Frances O’Connor’s Meredith Nelson-Moore, defends one of the accused, an itinerant farmworker played by Kiwi actor Erroll Shand.
Shand spoke to 1News about the show’s new season, the beauty of Western Australia, and his admiration for Neill.
Where are you at the moment, Erroll?
“Kia ora. I’m currently nursing my 9-and-a-half-year-old Huntaway Doberman cross-post cruciate surgery. He’s thinking the world isn’t quite as cool as it was yesterday, so he’s home here in the Tamaki Makaurau.”
Let’s talk about The Twelve. You play itinerant farmworker Patrick Harrows in the courtroom drama’s second season. What attracted you to the role?
“I may have played a few people who have had altercations with the law or even been the law in the courtroom, but I have never been (until now) the accused.”
‘Like a bespoke glove’
“Honestly, when I read the audition scripts the first time, Patrick resonated with me. It was almost like he was throwing himself off the page, saying, ‘You ready, mate?’ I felt a kinship like a bespoke glove.”
Were there parts of his character you could relate to?
“I think it’s impossible to connect with a character if you don’t have aspects of their life you have lived or can empathise with through your own journey.
“Patrick is a man who feels at home on the land, under the stars, in the place that doesn’t judge who we are or our actions and that is certainly a key part of who he is that I felt acutely drawn to. He’s a soul that has never found a true sense of place.
“He then finds the beauty of what home means when he meets [his girlfriend] Sasha.”
The series was filmed in rural Western Australia. How does that setting affect the atmosphere of the series?
“The dry, dusty, hot-aired rolling hills of farmland and countryside become like in any story set in that vast outback country of possibilities — a central character to all that happens.
“The openness of the beautiful cattle station we were on, the small historic towns we worked in, the skyline and blood red skies at dusk during the burn-off season, the people we met — they all made the world this series lives in incredibly authentic and genuine.”
Criminal defence barrister Brett Colby, played by Sam Neill, represents your character. How would you describe the experience of working with him?
“As a kid watching Reilly, Ace of Spies a lifetime ago, I was taken with this suave English dude who was the main spy. I thought this guy was like the olden-day James Bond. I told my mum that, and she alerted me to the fact that that dude is actually a Kiwi.
“I think I realised then that the world isn’t just for a select few; its boundaries are as big or small as you make them. Working with Sam so closely was like a wonderful affirmation to that small boy who used to like watching the black-and-white telly — to think outside the box.
“Also, he smells like chocolate.”
Twelve jurors are central to the story. Have you ever been summoned for jury duty yourself?
“In all my decades of being around, I have never been tapped on the shoulder. I’ve worked in a law firm and been to court and the cells for work, but being able to be part of that process has alluded me.
“I think it could be a very intense and confronting experience sitting in a jury deciding on someone’s innocence or guilt.”
‘Not perfect all the time’
In what light does the show portray the Australian criminal justice system do you think?
“The Twelve brings into focus the fact that the justice system in Australia, because it is so vast, does, in fact, travel barristers and judges around the country to try rural cases.
“The show presents the law as fair and clinical in this case, but of course, as the system is operated by humans and can be manipulated or possibly hijacked by emotions or persuasion — it’s definitely not perfect all the time.”
What do you hope people take away from season two?
“An appreciation for an open mind and awareness of prejudice. The beauty of this style of courtroom drama is that it does not just shine a light on one or two people’s lives — it opens up your tunnel vision and makes you think outside the obvious, outside the immediate.
“It makes you look at your neighbour or person walking down the street in a different light.
“And the Skies in Western Australia are incredible.”
Do you have any hard and fast rules for selecting films or series to work on?
“I guess I look for an immediate connection to some aspect — whether it’s a character, a story that needs to be told, or a style of storytelling. Does it challenge me, or do I want to work with a particular storyteller?
“I look at each project on its merit.”
What is the greatest role of your career so far?
“To date, I would now say Patrick. Every character and journey brings a new challenge, and as you get older and grow, you bring and invest something new and different — Patrick is one of my biggest challenges ever.
“I will always have a soft spot for Terry Clark from the Underbelly series, but that was a few lives ago now.”
What was the one role that got away that you wish you’d had the chance to play?
“I don’t think there is just one. The most recent would’ve been a role in the new Nicholas Cage film The Surfer. But that’s the job — they come, and they go, and it’s not yours until you’ve wrapped.
“For a long time, I always wanted to play Richard the 3rd, but that’s never been on offer!”
What’s next for you, Erroll?
“I’m in Aotearoa for a bit with some filming on an Apple series shot here and a wonderful feature film by a talented Kiwi writer.
“Later this year, though, you will see the unveiling of Pike — the feature film I had the honour of being part of, telling the story of the 29 miners killed in Pike River.
“For now, though, I am looking forward to the release of The Twelve.”
The Twelve Season Two is now available to stream on TVNZ+
