A model swings into acting, naturally

In his first role, Travis Fimmel stars as 'Tarzan'

By Suzanne C. Ryan, Globe Staff, 10/19/2003

LOS ANGELES -- As a former Calvin Klein underwear model, Travis Fimmel is used to primping for the camera.

Now, the pretty boy with the perfect abs and the long blond tresses is trying a loin cloth on for size as the star of the WB's "Tarzan."

It's the 23-year-old's first acting role, which is quite a feat considering the show is a central part of the youth-oriented network's fall lineup. Its debut drew 5.5 million viewers, a healthy total for a WB show. By no means is the pressure on Fimmel overwhelming. His lines consist of phrases such as "What are you called?" and "Are you hurt?"

"I don't say much," the soft-spoken Fimmel said during an interview here this summer. "It's a good challenge as an actor to express feelings without saying too many words."

"Tarzan" is a modern take on Edgar Rice Burroughs's classic books and movies. In this version, Tarzan's parents die in a plane crash in an African jungle. Tarzan, a 6-year-old, is left to fend for himself until his billionaire uncle finds him years later and forces him to return to New York City.

There, Tarzan encounters no-nonsense police detective Jane, who is intrigued by his story -- and his looks. L'Oreal model Sarah Wayne Callies stars as Jane.

"Tarzan" should fit in well at the WB, a network that has excelled at wooing a niche audience of teenage and young-adult viewers with coming-of-age and family-focused stories.

Eric Kripke, a "Tarzan" writer and executive producer, said his show will revolve around a battle between Tarzan's uncle and his aunt (Lucy Lawless), who both realize that whoever controls Tarzan controls the family fortunes (Tarzan's rightful inheritance). The arc of the series, he told journalists at the Television Critics Association meeting here this summer, will be a slow process of Tarzan "beginning to understand our civilization. . . . We may be dressing him up in a suit or clothes, but he's not going to be comfortable in it. He's going to want to tear off the buttons as soon as possible."

Laura Ziskin, another executive producer, said the production team selected Fimmel for the role after seeing one of his ad campaigns.

"I was looking through magazines with my daughter, and we were actually looking for a visual prototype," she told journalists at the meeting. "And we found Travis's picture. When we went into the studio initially to talk about the show, we brought his picture, just to say . . . this is what we want this guy to look like, having no idea who he was, whether he was an actor, whether he had any desire to do this.

"We then went through actually a worldwide search for who was going to play the part. We met Travis. And we said, `Throw your hat in the ring.' And we put him through the paces. And he auditioned. And gradually and happily, all of the other candidates fell away."

Fimmel, a native of Australia, has long dreamed of becoming a film actor like the men he admires: Mel Gibson, Edward Norton, and Robert De Niro. But growing up the youngest of three brothers on a remote dairy and beef farm with 1,500 cattle and 11 dogs, "Hollywood seemed so far away," he said.

Two years ago, Fimmel visited the United States and took acting classes for three months until his visa expired. When he was denied a work visa as an actor, he applied, on a whim, for a visa as a model. "I did two jobs when I was 18," he said.

Later Fimmel auditioned with Calvin Klein and won a coveted modeling spot. His face appeared in international ad campaigns, and he quickly became a sensation and a sex symbol, something he's embarrassed to talk about. Just last October, he was signing autographs for squealing teenagers during a promotion at Filene's in downtown Boston.

"My brothers think it's hilarious," he said. "I don't understand it. I'm flattered. But I've been very lucky."

Fimmel didn't want the Tarzan part initially. "My first thought was, `I don't want to be Tarzan.' I didn't want to do TV."

But Fimmel, who was called Tarzan as a youngster by his friends because he was "dirty, grubby, and never wore shoes," changed his mind.

"This will make me a better actor," he said. "I can't wait to become a better actor."

Suzanne Ryan can be reached at sryan@globe.com