Fangirl Friday: Nathan Page

As I recently come clean on in another blog post, Miss. Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is one of my latest obsessions. The Australian mystery series, (available on Netflix for those not living in Australia) has amazingly quippy writing, delightful costumes, well-crafted and interesting stories and fun and likable characters. 

In this week’s installment of Fangirl Friday, I wanted to take a bit to spotlight the work of Nathan Page (Miss. Fisher’s Det. Inspector Jack Robinson), who has quickly scaled to the top of my list of schoolgirl infatuations. Jack’s relationship with Miss. Fisher (ship name Phrack) is one of my favorites to ‘ship’.

Nathan Page is a relative newcomer to television screens, having moved into acting late in life.  The actor has an interesting back story, having first jumped into popular consciousness as a professional cycler. A number of sources report that he left the sport at 19 because “he was one of only a few cyclists on the European tour determined to stay clean.” (Sydney Morning Herald 9.6.2013). The SMH goes on to quote Page, “It was an era that was plagued by drugs and it was very hard to see your way through to a long career.” (SMH 9.6.2013).

It was reportedly the “wilderness” of having stepped away from his sporting career that first propelled Nathan Page into an acting career. IMDB cites his first role as a film Strange Fits of Passion in 1999. In the 17 years which have followed, Page has been acting steadily, predominantly on Australian television. The most accessible for those not living in Australia are Miss. Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and a recurring guest role through eight episodes of Underbelly (a long running procedural, which is available to stream on various websites). However, most of us sit with bated breath, waiting for some announcement on the presumed upcoming fourth season of Miss. Fisher’s Murder Mysteries to see where the characters go after THAT season finale (spoilers, sweetie!).

The crime fighting duo with no sense of personal space...

It is Page’s incredible chemistry with series star Essie Davis which is vital to Miss. Fisher... as a successful series. The relationship between the two characters is quippy and fun, while at the same time boiling at some level under the surface, at which both are unable or unwilling to act on the feelings.

 Page has spoken in interviews about injecting an amount of wounded post-war masculinity into the character of Jack.  There has been a tremendous amount written on the sense of wounded masculinity following WWII (a scholarly passion of mine), but WWI has largely been forgotten about in the grand scheme of things. However, I think this line of thought is definitely noticeable in Jack (and definitely worthy of another article).

So, to wrap up a piece which is quickly growing in length, I find myself continually blown away with every performance I have been able to see of Nathan Page’s. It seems like it’s even more difficult (than my previous UK frustrations) to get film and television work coming out of Australia over here in the States. However, I would encourage fangirls the world over to check out the work of this talented actor. He needs to be on screens more.