Thanks for visiting my Official Website. This page is dedicated to my show "Life is Wild". I'll tell you about my experiences filming the show in South Africa and we'll keep posting new photos and videos about the show.
Getting on the show was an absolute stroke of luck. Would you believe that it was my first audition? When I moved to Los Angeles, my manager thought it would be a good idea to go out on some auditions. It was pilot season when actors audition for roles in TV shows. Although I never did an audition before, I decided to go as a learning experience. I didn't expect to get any roles, but my first audition was for a show called, "Life is Wild" and here I am filming in South Africa.
The character I play is Oliver Banks, he's the son of a wealthy family that owns a huge resort and game reserve. I think Oliver is a character who is very confident, even to the point of being called 'cocky'. I would consider him quite a 'Ladies Man', who gets a lot of attention from the opposite sex. Once one of the lead characters, Katie Clark, arrives on the scene, Oliver is quick to introduce himself to her and soon they begin dating.
An exclusive video interview with Calvin Goldspink discussing a special scene they shot on the set of "Life is Wild."
Being part of "Life is Wild" meant I would have to film on location. I have never been in a place like South Africa before. It is so huge, so vast, so different from the U.K. The one thing that is a completely new experience is working alongside wild animals. It's not like being at the zoo. We had to get oriented with them, so I had to walk inside a cage with four lions. That was a challenge! It's also nice to have wild animals like giraffes walking around the set. I got a chance to see some of the sights in South Africa and visited an exhibit of the "Cradle of Humankind",where the first human remains were discovered. Seeing that was an incredible experience.
This is my first dramatic role, so it was so much different from anything I've ever done with S Club 8. I even got to do my first action scene. It was a chase scene in the middle of the main square in Johannesburg. Leah Pipes and I were chased by the police with sirens blaring. It was straight out of the movie, "The Bourne Identity". That was so much fun! I'd love to do more action scenes like that. On that same episode, I had to learn how to handle a firearm. That was exciting as well.
There were a few embarrassing moments on the set. One that comes to mind is when I had to do a kissing scene with Leah Pipes, who plays Katie. Her boyfriend was on the set that day, standing literally a few meters away from us. That was such an awkward moment!
If you want a show that's different and the whole family watch, then you will enjoy "Life is Wild". You'll see beautiful scenery and experience different cultures. How many shows do you get to see actors work alongside wild animals?
Life is Wild
Calvin plays the handsome and reckless young Brit Oliver Banks who befriends an American family in this ensemble drama that explores the many interesting and heartfelt issues of a family living in a strange but beautiful land with a rich and vibrant culture.
When Danny and Jo Clarke (D.W. Moffett and Stephanie Niznik) decide to move their blended family from New York City to South Africa to live in a "broken-down lodge" called The Blue Antelope, they realize that there is a lot to learn about their new surroundings.
Danny, a veterinarian, immediately feels at home and realizes the impact he and his work have on the animals and the local people. His wife Jo, a high-powered divorce attorney in New York isn't settling in as quickly. The Clarke's children Katie, Jesse, Chase and Mia are also struggling to understand their new home.
The older kids Katie and Jesse (Leah Pipes and Andrew St. John) feel out of place and resent their parents for the sudden move. But when they meet the enigmatic Oliver Banks (Calvin Goldspink) the son of a successful landowner things take an interesting turn. Katie develops a special friendship with Oliver, and Jesse is intrigued by Oliver's good-natured rebelliousness.
The Clarkes embark on a wonderful journey of discovery and understanding in this exciting and entertaining drama that is sure to please the whole family.
"Life is Wild" airs Sundays on The CW Network at 8pm/7pm Central.