Netflix has adapted
Trent Dalton‘s acclaimed book
“Boy Swallows Universe.” It’s a powerful look into the rough 1980s in the outer areas of Brisbane, Queensland. The story is based on Trent Dalton’s childhood memories and is set against a background of drug abuse, crime, poverty, violence, ex-convicts, and most of all, love. Eli Bell, the main character, gets a message on a red rotary dial phone in a secret basement room. One interesting thing about “Boy Swallows Universe” is the character of
Slim Halliday, who is played by
Bryan Brown. As readers get into the story, they can’t help but wonder: Is Slim Halliday based on a real person, or is he just something the author made up? tvacutte looks into the interesting things about Bryan Brown’s character Slim Halliday.
Is Bryan Brown’s Slim Halliday Based on a Real Person?
Yes, Bryan Brown’s character Slim Halliday in “Boy Swallows Universe” is based on a real person. The real Slim Halliday, who was a dangerous prisoner in Australia in the 1940s, is what the character Slim Halliday is based on. Halliday’s life experiences and adventures have been woven into the book, making the character played by Bryan Brown in the Netflix series seem more real. Halliday is known for his repeated attempts to escape from Boggo Road.
Bryan Brown uses humor to talk about how much he likes playing dark characters. While calling them “funny bastards,” Brown likes how they can find humor in everyday life. He likes TV bad guys who not only punch but also deliver punchlines. Brown says that you shouldn’t underestimate these people because they can be both fun and scary.
The story, which is based on real events but has fantastical parts, shows what it was like to grow up in the outer suburbs of Brisbane in the 1980s. For Dalton, the show is a way to share with people all over the world his very private and sometimes difficult childhood memories. Trent Dalton, who wrote “Boy Swallows Universe,” gets ideas from Slim Halliday, who was a big part of his youth. The family friend, who was a convicted murderer and jail escapee, became a wise and mysterious figure in Dalton’s life. The main character of the book, Eli Bell, is friends with the real Slim Halliday. This connects fiction with the fascinating truth of an Australian legend. As a child, Dalton looked up to two men: his bad guy dad and the infamous Arthur “Slim” Halliday, who was known as “The Houdini of Boggo Road.”
Slim Halliday is more than just an inspiration to Dalton; the two are real friends and teachers to each other. In the early 1980s, Dalton saw Halliday as a father figure and a wise man who could help his family. The book asks if good advice from people with criminal records is still valid, which is similar to Dalton’s thoughts about how Halliday changed his life.
Dalton spent about a year as a writer and storyteller turning his childhood memories into a work of fiction. The book, which is a mix of fiction and fact, is an ode to Dalton’s family, especially his mother, who gave the character of Frankie Bell her ideas. The magical parts of the book, like the red rotary dial phone in a hidden underground room, are important to Dalton because they show how interested he is in how children can deal with pain through fantasy.
“Boy Swallows Universe” is a work of fiction, but it skillfully includes parts of real life in its story, making it a rich tapestry of people and events. Bryan Brown’s performance as Slim Halliday in the upcoming Netflix show makes the character seem more real and gives fans a glimpse into the complicated and mysterious person that Slim Halliday was.
