Actor Tandi Wright once called Mark Hadlow "the best physical comedian I've ever seen".

Hadlow first appeared on our TV screens as a teenage bully in Children of Fire Mountain.

Later he worked alongside Ilona Rodgers and Billy T James in the sitcom version of The Billy T James Show. His flair for comedy earned him starring roles in the film Just Me and Mario, and TV series Willy Nilly. Hadlow has worked twice with director Peter Jackson – first providing voices to a range of characters in Meet the Feebles, and then playing both a dwarf and a troll in The Hobbit trilogy.

In this ScreenTalk, Hadlow talks about:

• Turning disappointment into triumph with Children of Fire Mountain
• Being hospitalised after an accident on set
• Working hard in the starring role of film Just Me and Mario
• Having fun playing a dopey Australian on The Billy T James Show
• Being nominated for a 'best actress' award after playing a hippo and a hedgehog in Meet the Feebles
• Never having a bad day on the set of Willy Nilly
• How co-star Sean Duffy influenced him on the show
• The best six weeks of his life: rehearsing for King Kong with Naomi Watts
• Bringing Bert the Troll to life in The Hobbit
• Being teased mercilessly by fellow actor Martin Freeman

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

NZ On Screen: Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside