Good Guys Bad Guys: profiles

Marcus Graham | Alison Whyte | Travis McMahon

Travis McMahon

Travis McMahon

Travis grew up in Albury with his three brothers. None of his family members have had any inclination to act. In his teenage years Travis was a keen sportsman. Today he enjoys street hockey on roller blades and skiing during winter.

Travis McMahon graduated from NIDA at the end of 1995. He has had an extremely successful first year out.

"I came straight to Melbourne to do Kid Stakes with the Melbourne Theatre Company. I’d only been in Sydney a couple of months when the role of Reuben came up, so it was back to Melbourne. I can’t complain about my first year. It has been great," says Travis.

Travis spent time with Tourette Syndrome sufferers to learn about them and their condition for this role. To help in his understanding of Tourette Syndrome, he adopted Reuben’s persona and took to the streets. Reuben has physical and vocal tics. "I would practice on trams and children would be moving away from me. People wouldn’t sit near me. It was very alienating."

Travis sees portraying Reuben as a sympathetic character rather than a subject of comic relief as a great challenge. He believes it is important to increase the public’s understanding of the syndrome and those who suffer from it.

After Good Guys Bad Guys wrapped, Travis McMahon headed off to Adelaide for a well earned rest and the opportunity to take in some shows at the Adelaide Festival. Travis then spent time in Sydney where he’s auditioned for a couple of feature film roles—something that he is keen to pursue.

Travis found his work on the second series continually fulfilling and said he felt Reuben had grown more confident and mature throughout the course of the series.

as Reuben Zeus

Reuben is 22, unkempt, at times extremely manic, with his brain way ahead of his mouth, and his mouth not always knowing what it’s doing.

Reuben has an extremely high I.Q though he suffers from Tourette Syndrome, a condition that causes him to shuffle and twitch and shout out obscenities. Reuben, however, would disagree with the word suffer, with Tourette’s he says exactly what he thinks and often uses it to his advantage!

To those that don’t know him, he’s a walking social nightmare. To his friends he’s a champion of misfits and defender of the dispossessed.

Elvis takes Reuben as he is, and more, he likes him for who he is. Elvis is the only boss who’s let Reuben swear at him, and Reuben feels a deep sense of gratitude, and of loyalty in return. And Elvis puts Reuben to good use. Reuben’s natural curiosity for the bizarre, his ability to ferret out information, the irrepressibility that makes people smile, make Reuben a useful ally in the jobs that have nothing to do with dry cleaning.

Reuben is comfortable with himself, despite his condition. He has great humanity which is perfectly balanced with a spirit of anarchy.