Baulkham Hills actor Jason Montgomery.
Actor Jason Montgomery loves to play the baddie.
His last role as Decker, Anthony Perish’s ‘‘Mr Fix It’’ in channel nine’s series Underbelly: Badness, certainly fell into that category.
The Baulkham Hills-based actor said his role in the latest Underbelly series, with the usual aspects of greed, lust, danger and intriguing storylines, made for a standout role in his acting career.
‘‘You’ve got to love playing the bad guy,’’ Montgomery said.
‘‘The freedom that I was given and the scope that I had to build Decker as a character was extremely satisfying as an actor.
‘‘His ability to change from cold-blooded killer to devoted family man is a disturbing trait.
‘‘Kidnappings, contract killings, debt collection and intimidation is what he does best ... [but] on the other side he is a loving, caring family man who would sacrifice anything for his family.’’
Although Montgomery says he’s nothing like Decker he admits he can empathise with the mentality of doing whatever it takes to protect your family.
Montgomery — who lives in Baulkham Hills with his wife Emily and children Ivy, 5, and Baxter, 3 — has had several television and theatre roles since graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1995.
His television rap sheet includes Wild Boys, Wildside, All Saints and The Strip and his stage performances include The Merchant of Venice with the Bell Shakespeare Company and the Life of Galileo with the Sydney Theatre Company.
But television is what he really enjoys.
‘‘I love the freedom acting gives you,’’ Montgomery said.
‘‘Sinking myself into different characters; especially characters like Decker that are just so intriguing with so many facets.
‘‘It’s better than an office job.’’
With his business Trivia Master Australia filling the gaps between acting roles, Montgomery says acting is his first love.
‘‘Acting is my passion — that’s what I’ll do for the rest of my life,’’ he said.
While he is mindful of not wanting to uproot his young family for a play at Hollywood, he said acting had many possibilities.
‘‘I’m open to anything.
‘‘I’m quite mindful you don’t want to be picking [his family] up and traipsing them around the world but you’ll also go where the work takes you, which sort of contradicts itself, but that’s the life of an actor.
‘‘Never say never.’’