“Where do I recognize that guy from…?”
Dominic Purcell is a guy I’ve always wanted to interview. Long before I knew he surfed I was a major fan of Prison Break, and when the story broke in 2008 that he’d saved the life of a little baby, I had always wanted to talk to him about that day and his life as an actor.
I first learned Dominic is a surfer when he acted as a guest commentator at the Lowers Pro. With it being the age of social networking and all, that’s when I really started following him. Through his life on Instagram, I came to learn that he was nothing like his on-screen persona as a tough guy but more a friendly dude who has all the time in the world for his fans, happily going out of his way to make their day by meeting with and talking to them. I eventually got in contact, not expecting a reply back. But sure enough, I woke up one day to an email from a very (in his own words) “stoked” and keen Dominic Purcell who was more than happy to take the time away from filming in Vancouver to share his story. As it turns out, he really is a chilled-out guy and isn’t afraid to throw some shapes on a surfboard.
How was your childhood growing up in the suburbs around Sydney?
We moved to Australia from the UK when I was around two, straight into an apartment near Bondi beach. Mum loved the ocean and the sun. She’d take me down to the beach where I’d play in the ocean all day. I was just a full-on grom. No matter how hard she would try, she could never get me out of the water. At about six, I would see these strange humans standing on waves; it seemed alien to me as a child. I instantly became obsessed with wanting to do the same thing. Eventually, Mum got me a foamie and I was off to the races. I was already hooked before I even started.
Unfortunately, Mum and Dad divorced and sadly I had to move away from the beach to the western suburbs of Sydney. We couldn’t afford to live near the beach anymore as even back then it was very pricey to live at the beach. So I went from surfing every day to not surfing in a blink of an eye. I was devastated. I had lost the beach life and the big blue to a barren wasteland in 1978 and a shit hole town (at that point in time) called Penrith. Ironically, it is the same town that my good mate Mick Fanning was born. I call him “coach.”
I lost contact with the surf culture and the ocean until about 18 when I moved out of home and headed straight back to where I knew I always belonged: the ocean. Back to Bondi Beach. Yew! And I haven’t looked back since.
“Mum got me a foamie and I was hooked.”
What made you choose acting for a career and how is it treating you?
Yeah, traveling the world as an actor is hard. Anyone who travels will tell you that. It can get super heavy. Unfortunately, 99 percent of the time I shoot nowhere near the ocean which does my head in. Currently, I’m filming in Vancouver and I fly back religiously to California every weekend to get a surf in and hang with my kids who all surf.
I never grew up wanting to be an actor. My dream was to play cricket for Australia. I had a real passion for landscaping, which I did when I finished school. Becoming an actor was more accidental. My girlfriend at the time was a model and I was in the casting room waiting to pick her up. The casting lady said to me I had the right head for this commercial they were casting. Long story short, I got the job, made a ton of money on it, and I met Justin King. I gave up landscaping thinking for sure I’m going to be a movie star after that commercial. But I sucked so bad at acting at the time that I went back to landscaping…but the fuse had been lit. I ended up getting into one of the best drama schools in Australia where I trained with one of my good mates, Hugh Jackman. It was a very surreal beginning.
You had a bad accident on set in Morocco. Can you talk us through what happened?
We filmed season 5 of Prison Break in Morocco, “the land of rights.” I wish I had scored waves in Morocco while filming but we were a long way from the coast. Plus, I nearly died when an iron bar from a set fell on my skull, breaking my nose in four places. I was immediately airlifted from Marrakesh to a hospital in Casablanca where I had to receive emergency treatment. It was so heavy and a very sketchy situation that I found myself in.
In 2015 you were diagnosed with skin cancer?
In 2015, I copped Basel cell carcinoma, the least deadly skin cancer, on my nose. Growing up an Aussie — especially in the 70s and 80s — skin cancer awareness wasn’t a thing. You just wanted to get brown. I never really wore sunblock. Now I put loads of zinc on my face, always wear a t-shirt or rashy in summer, and a wetty in winter. I do my best to avoid the sun. Also, I’m hooked up with Vertra suncare so I’m golden. No pun intended.
You made headlines in 2008 on a surf trip while visiting family on the northwest coast of Ireland. Incredibly, you saved the life of an 18-month-old baby?
That day me and my brother saved the life of a little baby was one of the most incredible things that has ever happened to me and it’s something that I will remember until the day I die. It was December, 2008 and we were driving along the west coast of Ireland looking for waves but unfortunately, it was flat. We decided to head back to Dublin when we noticed this man holding what looked like a baby He was freaking out, panicking, and running around in circles, looking lost. We instantly knew something was seriously wrong before we even got to him so we slammed on the breaks. My brother and I jumped out noticing the situation was absolutely dire. I just grabbed the baby and gave the little fella a big whack on the back while holding him upside down and a giant piece of food spat out of his mouth. It was one of the most beautiful moments watching this baby go from deep purple-blue and not breathing to breathing again. It’s something that I often replay in my mind.
I am so relieved that the surf was flat that day. It was just so surreal.
You have four growing kids. Do you see them going down the same road as their father as either an actor or a surfer?
Nah, I don’t want my kids to become actors. It’s a very tough business. The acting game has an unemployment rate of 98 percent. I’m one of the lucky ones, not a good example of how brutal the industry actually is. But in saying that, if they really really wanted to do it then I’d support them one million percent. I don’t place restrictions on my kids’ dreams. They are free to be who they want to be. As a father, I simply guide them to be the best versions of themselves.
Editor’s Note: This interview was originally published by Humans of Surfing.
