It's like they've come from a nuclear power station, you know. That's not natural selection; that's plutonium, that. I saw a f---ing anthill the other day, I thought what f---ing size of ant is in there? It was the size of my house. What the f--- lives in there ? I stopped the car."
In Make Or Break, Green plays a dejected Englishman who comes to Australia with his wife (played by Helen Thompson) to rebuild their marriage, living with relatives who are struggling with infertility. The telemovie is a pitch for a miniseries all the actors say they would like to be involved in, schedules permitting.
"I sell very well," Green says, completely serious. "Me, as an actor, sells very well in Europe and abroad. My stuff's shown in 36 countries around the world. Everything I do works in that market and I think this will be another one that fits in. In that respect, I think it will go to series."
Susie Porter, who plays Green's Australian sister-in-law, is less confident: "I don't think too far into the future. I've done lots of projects that haven't gone ahead."
Sitting on set in a break between shots, the actress looks tired. As soon as the cameras are on, however, she turns on that earthy sexuality she does so well. The cast meshes comfortably and there is a clear camaraderie on set.
That fondness for each character is the touch of Bullen's writing, the reason he attracts the actors he does. He paints an Australia that is honest, still with British humour but a world away from Neighbours. Those on set celebrate the writing, the seriousness.
Porter hopes things are turning around for local drama. "We've had a bit of a drought, let's face it. For 10 years it's been dire. And, who knows, only time will tell if it gets better.
Thompson is hopeful: "I think sometimes when you go through a patch of the doldrums, there's a lot of introspection and a lot of, 'Why is this so? Why, why, why?' And if you do manage to come up with some answers, sometimes good things can come of it."